by TChris

Owners of licenses to broadcast on the public airwaves are supposed to serve the public interest. The Sinclair stations that censored Nightline did not serve the public interest. It's one thing for Sinclair to slant its news coverage in favor of the Bush administration; preventing viewers from seeing a well-respected news program is another. The first amendment protects expression of opinions; it disfavors suppression of information. The public interest is served by more information, not less.

The FCC tells you to write to your local station if you want to complain about its performance as a custodian of the public airwaves. Stations are supposed to keep your letters and the FCC is supposed to consider them when it decides whether to renew the station's license.

The FCC isn't going to yank Sinclair's license, but people who were denied the opportunity to watch Nightline should force Sinclair to retain a fat file of complaint letters for the FCC's review. The letter sent by Free Press says it all.