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Sign up for exclusive SinclairAction.com email updates Broadcasting & Cable: Strike Four for Sinclair February 7, 2005 For the fourth time, the FCC this week will give the thumbs down to Sinclair Broadcast Group’s bid to buy five stations from Cunningham Broadcasting. Sinclair already owns stations in the affected markets, which are too small to permit two-station “duopolies” under FCC rules. FCC commissioners are expected to vote no, again, at their monthly meeting Feb. 10. Sinclair has tried every legal maneuver its lawyers can think of to keep the issue alive. "The Point's" new look: same conservative commentary, minus the "commentary" label February 2, 2005 "The Point," Sinclair Broadcast Group's two-minute conservative commentary hosted by Sinclair vice president Mark Hyman, debuted a new format on January 31. Conspicuously absent from the segment's new opening sequence is the word "commentary." Sinclair's Hyman wrong on Ohio voting problems February 1, 2005 On the January 31 edition of "The Point," Sinclair vice president Mark Hyman falsely asserted that "not a single documented case has been found" of an Ohio voter "being forced to wait as long as 11 hours" to vote during the 2004 presidential election and disputed the proven claim that "voters in heavily Democratic city precincts were forced to wait hours to vote." But according to news reports in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post, that is exactly what happened. Hyman falsely claimed Hong Kong imposes flat tax on income January 27, 2005 On the January 24 edition of "The Point," Sinclair Broadcast Group's two-minute nightly conservative commentary, host and Sinclair vice president Mark Hyman praised the "flat tax" system of income taxation and claimed that Hong Kong is "a flat tax country." It is not. "The Point" falsely equated Dean bloggers with Armstrong Williams January 26, 2005 On the January 25 edition of "The Point," host and Sinclair Broadcast Group vice president Mark Hyman falsely suggested that two bloggers who had been paid by former Vermont Governor Howard Dean's presidential campaign did not disclose this financial relationship, when in fact, as Media Matters for America has noted, they did. January 24, 2005 Sinclair Broadcast Group vice president Mark Hyman devoted the January 22 "Mailbag" edition of "The Point" to reading viewer comments about "the efforts by fringe groups and obscure individuals trying to silence this commentator." Echoing conservative trade group, Hyman urged repeal of Davis-Bacon Act January 19, 2005 On the January 12 edition of "The Point," Sinclair Broadcast Group vice president Mark Hyman urged the repeal of the Davis-Bacon Act -- a 1931 law requiring that government construction contracts be awarded only to firms that pay a "prevailing wage" -- with a one-sided presentation of the views of conservatives who oppose the law. "The Point" touted conservative health insurance proposal, ignored problems January 14, 2005 Sinclair vice president Mark Hyman devoted the January 11 edition of Sinclair Broadcast Group's "The Point" to a one-sided promotion of a health care plan from the conservative Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI), a think tank founded by former Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey. The IPI proposal Hyman touted closely mirrors President Bush's own health care proposal, but Hyman did not mention that many health care experts fear this proposal will actually make the current health care crisis worse. Will Sinclair sever ties with Armstrong Williams over scandal? January 10, 2005 Since USA Today's January 7 disclosure that the Bush administration paid conservative pundit Armstrong Williams $240,000 to promote its No Child Left Behind education policy, Tribune Media Services has dropped Williams's weekly column and African American television network TV One has stopped broadcasting his show On Point, pending an investigation. But in the fallout over the disclosure, Sinclair Broadcast Group has yet to publicly comment on whether they will continue to air Williams's television show The Right Side. Sinclair owns 51 of the 91 stations that broadcast The Right Side, according to Williams's website. Sinclair vows legal action against anyone engaging in "trade defamation" January 7, 2005 Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI) is pleased to note that in a press release issued on January 6, 2005 and as posted on their website (www.staples.com), office supply retailer Staples, Inc. states that it intends to continue to advertise on Sinclair television stations and has no policy against advertising in Sinclair news programming. The Staples' statement also notes that political agendas do not drive its media buying decisions and that its media buying process with Sinclair "has recently been misrepresented by an organization with no affiliation to Staples." Brock letter: Staples had approved Media Matters' press release January 7, 2005 It has come to my attention from press reports today that Staples, Inc. contends that Media Matters for America misrepresented Staples' decision not to renew advertising on local news programming on Sinclair Broadcast Group stations as of January 10, 2005. Statement about Staples media buying and Sinclair Broadcast Group January 6, 2005 To clarify that Staples does not have a policy against advertising on Sinclair Broadcast Group news, Staples has the following statement: Our media buying process with Sinclair Broadcast Group stations has recently been misrepresented by an organization with no affiliation to Staples. Staples regularly drops and adds specific programs from our media buying schedule, as we evaluate and adjust how to best reach our customers. We do not let political agendas drive our media buying decisions. Staples stops adverstising on Sinclair local news January 4, 2005 SinclairAction.com is pleased to announce that Staples, Inc., the world's leading seller of office products, has not renewed advertising on all local news programming on Sinclair Broadcasting stations nationwide. Staples, Inc. attributed its decision in part to the response the company received from customers visiting the SinclairAction.com website. We want to thank all our supporters for contacting Staples, Inc. and other Sinclair Broadcasting advertisers across the country -- in voicing your concerns regarding Sinclair's nightly "news and commentary" segment titled "The Point," you have sent a clear message to Sinclair that one-sided, conservative rhetoric does not make for good business. |
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