Here's the links to melt down CNN's switchboard and email server for giving FREE airtime to John McC

[ddeclue]

Here is the link to complain about CNN giving FREE air time to McCain in response to Obama BUYING air time on the networks. This is a HUGE violation of FEC rules and is a multimillion dollar in kind donation to the McCain campaign!

Here is the phone:
407-827-1500

Here is the webmail link:

Melt down their switchboard and overload their email servers:

DU it now..

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?103

What I wrote:

It is NOT fair NOR legal for CNN to provide the McCain campaign with 30 minutes of free rebuttal air-time to Barack Obama's PAID advertisement.

This constitutes an IN-KIND Contribution worth millions of dollars to the John McCain campaign.

If you provide this air time for free to the McCain campaign you will be obligated to provide EQUAL TIME to the Barack Obama campaign.

My opinion of CNN has dropped dramatically as you've become the Fox Me-Too Channel lately and I've started watching a lot more MSNBC.

I'm going to encourage all my friends to do the same after this stunt.

[MadBadger]

1. Has anybody bothered to say how they are giving him free air time? Any links?

[ellacott]

3. No they haven't

It would be good to get the full story. If this is a Larry King appearance there might not much that can be done.

[MadBadger]

4. I think this may be.

[Captiosus]

9. I agree, because of what Campbell Brown said on last night's Daily Show

She said that McCain was going to be "making up" his appearance on Larry King Live after having canceled way back in the day after Campbell Brown had school Tucker Bounds.

[Yes We Did]

23. He's Going On Larry King

This is all just a bunch of fake outrage. I swear... We should save it for "real" stuff.

And besides, nobody is going to watch; the world series has been postponed. Game 5 starts right after Obama's "infomercial"

[WA98296]

2. Perhaps a call to the FEC would do more good. I believe they have a "policy" about donations.

[trueblue2007]

7. What is the phone number to the FEC ???

I wrote a complaint to CNN.

[jberryhill]

5. As a person who does not read each and every thread....

Could you provide more information about this "free air time" that CNN is giving McCain?

[Nite Owl]

6. I just got here to read

what's going on with CNN? Are they giving him a half hour 'response' or something like that? I haven't heard anything about this.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

8. Call NBC too! They had McCain on Meet the Press for FREE

Sigh. Another thoughtless, reactive DU nontroversy

[Nite Owl]

10. And that didn't work out too well

for McBush so we should encourage more interviews!

[ellacott]

13. I think this will go over many heads

Some here are too reactionary.

[No Elephants]

25. And also McCain Palin with Brian Williams for free that same week. NBC and

CNN are equally bad.

[asdjrocky]

11. Here's my letter-

Free airtime for John McCain? Wow, I was pretty sure you were in the pocket of the GOP, now there’s no doubt.

If John McCain had run an honest, and honorable campaign, as Barack Obama has done, he might have the trust and the funds from the American people to pay for his own political advertisement, but he has not done the right thing. That appears to not be a problem because he has you, CNN, the GOP’s very best friend.

You know, I don’t mind the bad reporting, I don’t mind the slanted “journalism” so much, and I understand you’re absolutely obsessed with the “Bradley effect” (has anyone mentioned to any of you there that this happened more than a quarter of a century ago, in fact in the last century?) but the free airtime is just beyond the pale for even CNN.

I want to know who made this decision and how that decision was justified. Not that I think you will tell me, but that’s what I’d like to know.


I guess that’s OK, and in the end it may all work out for you. Perhaps you should consider yourselves lucky that Barack Obama does not seem like a President that will hold a grudge.

[Overseas]

12. I told them I must have heard something incorrect

I wanted to check the "positive" dot for a characterization of my email.

So the positive spin is that surely I must have heard it wrong.

That surely they wouldn't give one party so much free air time when the other party has paid for it.

Surely they wouldn't do that when they pride themselves on being more objective.

or at least they'd refund the money to Obama

or give him an equal donation of free time to respond to whatever time they give to McCain.

[Rambis]

14. I gave it to em

The fairness doctrine.
Formally adopted as an FCC rule in 1949 and repealed in 1987 by Ronald Reagan’s pro-broadcaster FCC, the doctrine can be traced back to the early days of broadcast regulation.
Reagan deregulated to help the republican party. Now CNN is going to resurrect the fairness doctrine to help the republicans! Great they get it both ways. If McCain can't afford an add that is tough don't let him have a freebie.

[stillcool]

18. I believe this is about the FEC laws..

regarding elections and the media.
http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/attachments/1121.pdf

[No Elephants]

27. Are you sure?

[stillcool]

30. read the link..

it's all there..

[Rambis]

29. Tx (nm)

x

[the48er]

15. 'The Number You Have Reached Is Not in Service At This Time'

Tried 407-827-1500 three times. Same result -- nada -- each time.

[stillcool]

20. Wrong number..

(404) 827 – 1500
and here are some other numbers..
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=7507522

[the48er]

34. Thanks Very Much for the Correct Number(s). I Called, Complained ... Hope Others Will, Too

It's not okay for CNN to contravene the will of the American electorate, which has voted with its checkbooks (open for some things but NOT others) that Obama -- BUT NOT McCAIN -- should be able to afford the major, prime-time, pre-election appearance.

There's soooo much not to like about CNN.

[stillcool]

35. Glad I could help!..

Sure would be great if Obama did not find it necessary to buy air time to get some decent coverage.

[brooklynite]

16. In 1980 CNN gave time to John Anderson when he was excluded from the Reagan/Carter debate

Not because they supported him but because it was potentially newsworthy.

[AZBlue]

17. So now anytime a politician appears on a talk show it's "free air time"??!

Really?

[stillcool]

31. It's not any politician..

it is the laws and regulations relating to political advertising and media coverage during elections season

http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/attachments/1121.pdf

[onetiredmom]

19. And the problem is?

Obama was also on for an hour.

[progressivebydesign]

22. You cannot equate a PAID ad with free air time. Do you not understand the laws?

A paid ad is PAID. All they have to do is allow McCain to PURCHASE air time, if he chooses to.

[onetiredmom]

33. Of course I understand the laws.

I am in no way comparing McCain being on Larry King with a paid infomercial from Obama. I understand the difference. Obama and Michelle Obama have both been on Larry King in the past. Now it's McCain's turn.

[progressivebydesign]

21. You CANNOT give FREE time in response to PAID time.. otherwise Barr could ask for the same thing.

This is fucking ridiculous! PAID ads are PAID ads.. there IS not equal time rule there. Because that would mean that Barr and any of the other candidates who have no $$$ could force the networks to provide them with an equal amount of FREE air time for ALL ads that have been running.

I worked for an NBC affiliate and am well versed on the rules. This is fucking insanity.

[jenmito]

24. I just realized why they may be justified in doing this-are they going to play OBAMA'S

1/2 hour ad? I know MSNBC is. If CNN does, and Obama didn't pay for them to, then I guess it IS fair. :shrug:

[stillcool]

32. No they're not going to air it..

NBC was paid.

[jenmito]

37. OH! Thren I'm glad I complained!

That's BS!

[yurbud]

26. if they provided free time to BOTH, it would set a good precedent

[jenmito]

28. If they play Obama's "show," THEN it would be ok (if Obama didn't pay CNN to put it on their air.)

I already called CNN and complained, but then realized this.

[JFN1]

36. Done

I told them, in addition to your excellent basic points, that if they proceeded with this, I intend to file complaints with the FEC, FCC, and Justice Department, and I'll ask my Congress Critters to do the same.

[janet118]

38. Here's the problem . . .

I have been trying to follow Obama and Biden's events on television. I have gone from MSNBC, CNN, C-Span, and . . . sorry, I don't do FoxNews. It could be a coincidence, but every single time I tuned in, there was McCain or Palin or, in the case of C-Span, the Heritage Foundation filling the screen. It is hard to get to primary sources on television and there are still many people who do not use the Internet or read a major newspaper regularly. Personally, I don't think that McCain and Palin help themselves with all these televised events. Their stump speeches are irritating and juvenile. I don't believe they do much to help the ticket. However, it would really be a service to voters to get to see more of Obama and Biden so they could make an informed decision based on a side by side comparison.

I don't know the networks' motives for the unbalanced time allotments. I do know that it is annoying to hear McCain explaining Obama's tax plan rather than getting an explanation from the horse's mouth.