Newark Hearing Flier
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FCC HEARINGS 101:
Learn the FCC Basics
The FCC's rulemaking process and how you can make a difference.
What Should I Say?
Tips for testifying before the commissioners.
Four Points to Remember
Some important points to take to the hearings.
GET THE FACTS
The Case Against WWOR-TV 9
Find out how WWOR has failed to serve the people on New Jersey and learn the basics of the FCC.
Voice for New Jersey Petition
Read the petition filed by Voice for New Jersey to deny the license renewal of WWOR.
UCC/Rainbow PUSH Petition
Read the petition filed by the United Church of Christ and Rainbow PUSH to deny the license renewal of WWOR.
Read Sen. Lautenberg's Announcement
Sen. Lautenberg, who helped secure the public hearing, announces the hearing and invites the public to attend.
Read Sen. Lautenberg's Letter to the FCC
Sen. Lautenberg calls on all five FCC commissioners to attend the public hearing on November 28th.
Read About the FCC's 'National Disgrace'
The FCC has abandoned its mandate to ensure diversity in U.S. media.
For more information visit some of the other groups involved in this hearing:
Voice For New Jersey
Senator Lautenberg
The Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc.
Rainbow PUSH Coalition
Media Access Project
Media and Democracy Coalition
Prometheus Radio Project
On Wednesday, November 28, 2007, the FCC held an official hearing in Newark, New Jersey, to hear from the public about how well WWOR, channel 9, has been serving their community.Read the FCC announcement here.
More than two hundred people squeezed into the small lecture hall at Rutgers University - Newark Campus. New Jersey citizens made a strong case regarding the station's failure to serve local communities. In addition to numerous members of the public there was a panel consisting of media activists, scholars, and industry representatives.
Speakers included: U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Lew Leone - Vice President and General Manager of WWOR, Donna Sandorse - Voice for New Jersey, Angela Campbell - Institute for Public Representation, Ingrid Reed - Director of the Eagleton Institute New Jersey Project, and Parul Desai - Assistant Director of the Media Access Project.
WWOR-TV, channel 9, which is owned by Fox Television Stations, Inc. is seeking to renew their license to broadcast on the public airwaves. However, public interest groups and concerned citizens have filed a petition to deny their license because WWOR has not met their commitment to serve the public interest.
This hearing was a rare opportunity for members of the public to speak out about the quality of the local news and entertainment on WWOR.
For more information on the history of WWOR's dismal service to New Jersey, and the events that led up to this hearing, visit http://www.voicenj.com.
PRESS COVERAGE
WWOR License Under Fire
From The Record, November 29, 2007
By Kevin G. DeMarrais
Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg and spokesmen for several community organizations asked the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday to reject WWOR-TV's application for a license renewal unless the station improves its coverage of New Jersey.
Read More Here.
Fox Station Challenged on Renewal of License
From New York Times, November 29, 2007
By Elizabeth Dwoskin
The Federal Communications Commission gave the public the opportunity on Wednesday to weigh in on whether a Fox-owned station with a unique relationship to New Jersey has earned the right to have its broadcast license renewed.
Read More Here.
Lautenberg Urges More N.J. Coverage at Hearing on Channel 9 License Renewal
From Office of Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.), November 28, 2007
Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today testified at a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) public hearing that WWOR-TV Channel 9 in New Jersey has not fulfilled its obligation to provide New Jersey with suitable coverage.
Read More Here.
WWOR's License at Stake over Lack of N.J. Programming
From Star-Ledger, November 28, 2007
By Rudy Larini
To critics of the TV station, WWOR's nickname says it all. It's featured on the station's Web site, my9ny.com. It also greets visitors entering its headquarters in Secaucus. Against a backdrop of the New York City skyline is the nickname "My 9 New York."
Read More Here.
Murdoch TV Station Moves from N.Y.C. to N,J, -- in Just 2 Hours!
From Huffington Post, November 29, 2007
By Josh Silver and Josh Stearns
On Wednesday night at a public hearing held at Rutgers University, two Federal Communications Commissioners, Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and scores of activists berated Rupert Murdoch's WWOR-TV, Channel 9. Purchased in 2000 by Murdoch's NewsCorp., the Secaucus, New Jersey-based station has operated as if it were based in New York City. Independent studies confirmed that the station devotes over 80 percent of its news coverage to New York and less than 20 percent to New Jersey.
Read More Here.
FCC to Force Station to Care About Jersey
From Gawker, November 30, 2007
Television station WWOR (My9, currently playing: Divorce Court), owned by NewsCorp, just may become the first television station in years to have its broadcast license rejected (but probably not). And not because of that quaint law barring newspaper owners from owning T.V. stations in the same market—NewsCorp is one of 11 companies that both control all the media and hold "temporary" waivers of that particular law. Instead their renewal is being challenged by community groups because My9 is a New Jersey station that doesn't actually cover New Jersey.
Read More Here.
WWOR 9 Under Fire for Not Being Jersey Enough
From Gothamist, November 29, 2007
WWOR/channel 9 got a wake-up call that it's supposed to be a New Jersey TV station when the FCC held a hearing about the station's license renewal. Critics say the station's license shouldn't be renewed because it has failed to discuss NJ news and issues.
Read More Here.
The marriage of Comcast and NBC is bad news for consumers. But Washington and Wall Street have already bought into the idea that it's a done deal. That's why Americans need to speak out now and stop the mega-merger!
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