This is the letter I just sent to WB62 (KSMO) our local Sinclair affiliate.
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 16:08:15 -0500 (CDT)
From: Bill Underwood <...>
To: programming@wb62.com
Subject: programming request
Please honor BOTH of our presidential candidates by refusing to run the "Stolen Honor" piece on KSMO WB62. I think we both know that this is an attempt to give unfair support to President Bush by trashing Senator Kerry. It is too close to the election and it is probably illegal. I know you are not responsible directly and your station has been ordered to show the piece. That doesn't excuse anything if you follow those orders.
Think about it: If it's illegal, is it management that will be held responsible? Or will each station that airs this bear responsibility?
If someone orders an employee to commit a crime and the employee follows the order, aren't both responsible for the crime? what you are about to do here is a crime against our democracy and may be an illegal campaign contribution. The FCC granted WB62 permission to broadcast over public airwaves. It is not a right; it is a privilege. It seems to me that your company may be abusing that privilege. Will you participate in that abuse?
Read this article about another Sinclair employee that thinks what is happening is a crime:
Sinclair employee decries planned program on Kerry
D.C. bureau chief calls it 'biased political propaganda'
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.sinclair18oct18,0,3085177.story?coll=sfla-newsna
tion-front
Oh and there is also this tasty piece that I bet most of you Sinclair savvy folks already know but I sure love to point it out anyway!
Below is the 5 day stock market chart for Sinclair today along with their industry (note that the industry seems to be just FINE) and the DOW...