Re:Re: Gubernatorial lawsuit

[tklaundry@juno.com]

Paul Hopfgarten writes:
> And just WHOSE 5% are you going to use? If I worked at TV station X
> and did NOT want the Slanderous Party nominee on my debate, I'd
> simply commission a poll that garauntees that the 5% threshold is not
> met.

>Sean replies:
>The five percent from the previous election. The Reform Party got 5 >percent of the vote in 1992 and I believe that enabled them to get >more election funds the next time around. Using this type of standard >is one of the only non-subjective ways to go about it.

Dave asks:
Are you talking about how it should work or how it does work?  Forgive me I don't have access to my home computer with the old postings.  Using Sean's yardstick Green Party Candidate Jill Stein should be included in the debate since Green Party Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader got more than 5% of the vote in Massachusetts IIRC.  

I have a copy of the complaint Carla Howell filed with the FCC, it makes some interesting arguments.  It charges Channels 2,4,5 & 7 with a pattern of exclusion, pattern of partisan political news coverage, de facto effort and policy to drive down public support and suppress voter turnout for Howell, and accuses the stations of forming a media cartel.
She then lists proof of her non-coverage charging Channel 2 of doing a single story on her campaign in the past 14 months,  Channel 4 of doing zero stories on her campaign in the past 14 months, Channel 5 of doing zero stories on her campaign in the past 14 month but allowing her to tape a 14 minute Sunday morning segment but refusing to post the transcript of her interview as she claims they did for the other candidtes.  Channel 7 of doing zero stories on her campaign in the past 14 months but doing one story on her Ballot Initiative, Question 1.
It goes on, but I thought those were the most interesting points of her accusation that she is not getting fair coverage etc, not that I think the FCC is going to do anything about this. I don't know exactly what she filed in court.
DF