For most Americans, the incessant barrage of political ads on TV are still a few months away. But in Wisconsin,... View Article
Continue readingBroadcasters sue to keep political ad files offline
The nation's broadcasters sued the Federal Communications Commission Monday over a rule that requires them to post political ads bought at some stations online.
At risk: a ruling designed to make information about political ad buys available via the Internet in time for the fall election. Sunlight has calls into both the FCC and the National Association of Broadcasters, the group suing the agency, for comment. So far, no response.
But Corie Wright, senior policy counsel for Free Press, and a longtime advocate of the ad buy rule, called the lawsuit "nothing more than an attempt by the NAB ...
Continue readingAd buys mostly outside of FCC’s new disclosure rule
New rules requiring greater online disclosure of political TV advertisements in the country's top 50 markets wouldn't have applied to the majority of ads aired by the Obama campaign during an 11 day period in April, according to a new analysis.
Continue readingFCC expects political ad buys to be online before 2012 election
The Federal Communications Commission voted to give the public online access to reports detailing new political ad buys from affiliates of the top four networks in the 50 largest media markets before November’s election, despite objections from the nation’s broadcasters.
The only hurdle now: the Office of Management and Budget must approve the new rule. After that, the top four stations in the biggest markets will put the ad buys on the Federal Communication Commission’s website. And the FCC expects that approval soon, William Lake, the chief of the media bureau, told reporters after the meeting.
After ...
Continue readingThe Start of Something Big or the End of the Story?
At its meeting today, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a rule requiring the top four broadcasters in the biggest fifty... View Article
Continue readingFCC requires online posting of political ad files
Handing open-government advocates a partial victory in a better than decade-long battle, the Federal Communications Commission voted Friday to require major network affiliates in the top 50 TV markets to post information about their political ads online.
The move could provide the public with crucial information on who's behind the ads purchased by nonprofit groups that, under new campaign finance laws, can spend unlimited amounts of money advocating for or against candidates without registering with the Federal Election Commission. But the rule will leave out many TV markets in presidential battleground states as our map shows.
Broadcasters had fiercely ...
Continue readingKent State student journalists have tough time prying open TV political ad files
Trying to get FCC records at Cleveland TV Stations from Karl Idsvoog on Vimeo.
Days before the Federal Communication Commission's closely-watched Friday vote on requiring local television stations to put political advertising information online, a group of Ohio college students made a powerful argument for why the commissioners should buck the pressure from the broadcasting industry and vote aye. Just look at the above video.
At issue is whether the stations should post online detailed information on political ad buys. Such information is currently available only in paper files that must be accessed in person and under supervision from ...
Continue readingBroadcasters to FCC: Act in Our Interest, not the Public Interest
The Sunlight Foundation sent a letter to the FCC urging them to stay strong and adopt transparency rules that would... View Article
Continue readingEshoo Disclosure Amendment to be Voted on Today.
The House is voting today on the H.R. 3309, the FCC Reform Act. Rep. Eshoo is offering an important amendment... View Article
Continue readingCommerce Committee Vote Should Not Sound Death Knell for Broadcast Ad Transparency
Yesterday, the House Commerce Committee killed an amendment to the FCC Reform Act that would have required groups airing political... View Article
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