UPDATE: FCC Dems Seek Inquiry Into CBS TV Station 'Blackout'
Monday March 3rd, 2008 / 23h44
(Adds comment from Local TV LLC from the 19th paragraph.) By Corey Boles Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The two Democratic members of the Federal Communications Commission on Monday called on the agency's chairman to formally investigate an Alabama television station over allegations it blocked a politically embarrassing segment of "60 Minutes." The segment, aired on Feb. 24's episode of CBS Inc.'s (CBS) flagship news program, investigated claims that Karl Rove, a former senior advisor to President George W. Bush, was involved in the conviction of an ex-governor of Alabama. That governor, Don Siegelman, a Democrat, was convicted in 2006 on federal corruption charges and is currently imprisoned in a Louisiana federal jail. CBS affiliate WHNT-TV, based in Huntsville, Ala., "blacked out" at the exact time the segment was broadcast on "60 Minutes" on Feb. 24. The station remained blacked out for 12 minutes, and only resumed broadcasting after the segment alleging the prosecution of Siegelman was politically motivated was finished. Monday, Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, the two Democratic members of the FCC, said they had urged FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, a Republican, to look into what happened. "Was this an attempt to suppress information on the public airwaves? Or was it really just a technical problem?" asked Copps. "The FCC needs to get to the bottom of this and I've asked Chairman Martin to issue a letter of inquiry." A letter of inquiry is the first step toward the commission launching a formal investigation into the incident. Copps and Adelstein were speaking at a lunchtime session at the National Press Club focusing on public interest obligations of broadcasters. An official in Copps' office later said Martin's office had said they would look into the matter, but hadn't said if they would agree to Copps' demand for a formal letter to be sent to the station. The FCC has regulatory authority over radio and television stations. They must renew their licenses every eight years and can fine them for violations of FCC rules. An FCC spokeswoman said she had no comment on the Democratic commissioners' statements. She also said she didn't know if the FCC had received any public complaints about what happened. WHNT is an affiliate of CBS rather than owned by the network directly. Kevin Tedesco, a CBS spokesman, said the station was "handling" questions from the media about the incident. The station is owned by Oak Hill Capital Partners, a private equity firm. It is actively managed by a separate company, Local TV LLC. According to the New York Times, the chief executive of Local TV, Bobby Lawrence, has been a substantial contributor to Republican political candidates, including Bush. Stan Pylant, the general manager of WHNT, has been quoted by several news outlets as saying the incident was due to a technical failure. Pylant didn't return phone calls seeking comment. Patricia Selkce Grad, vice president at Oak Hill Capital Partners, declined to comment. Later Monday, Local TV LLC issued a statement about the calls by the Democratic Commissioners for an investigation into the matter. "If the FCC is asked to review the case, we are confident that the facts speak for themselves and there will be no need for an investigation," said Pam Taylor, chief finanical officer for Local TV LLC, in the statement. -By Corey Boles, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6637; corey.boles@dowjones.com
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