FCC Proposes 'Fake News' Fine

[951-Riverside]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Communications Commission is proposing a $4,000 fine against Comcast Corp. for airing a pitch for a sleep aid without telling viewers that the spot was financed by the maker of the product.

The fine was in response to a complaint by the Center for Media and Democracy, a media watchdog group, which said it marks the first time a company has been sanctioned for airing a "video news release," a type of programming it dubs "fake news."

A video news release is a sponsored public relations video that mimics actual news reports. Such programs are common in broadcasting and are usually offered to news shows for free.

The fine, while small, is significant for another reason: It is being assessed against a cable company. Comcast Corp. says cable programming is not covered under the statute cited by the FCC.

The company released a statement saying it was "perplexed" by the action and that even if it were subject to FCC jurisdiction, the segment still shouldn't have been subject to sanction.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FAKE_NEWS_FINE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-09-24-21-13-23

[Hawkeye-X]

1. Fake News Fine?

Ok, let's just seize the assets of one Mr. Rupert Murdoch and Faux News... that should cover the Fake News fine...

[lakeguy]

2. wow, $4k?

they make that about, what, every 1/100th of a second? i'm sure they'll think twice about ever doing that again! still, good that the fcc is stirring things up, sort of.

[MadMaddie]

3. So they make up a new rule...why don't they use the laws already

on the books...."False Advertising". I bet they are testing the waters with this to see if they get away with it and then start going after liberal oriented products etc...it's just their way

[Tunkamerica]

13. That's totally different

that would be if the sleep aid advertised that it always put you to sleep and in reality it was just alcohol and food coloring. This is advertising disguised as news. The sleep aid may do all that it advertises and, if so, it isn't false advertising.

And I believe a sleep aid would be under FDA jurisdiction in a false advertising suit.

[liberal N proud]

4. FAUX News will be the biggest violators

But I am sure they will use this against the Daily Show and the Cobert Report.

[natrat]

5. anything the fcc does is suspect-warning shot to daily /show colbert?

[mark414]

14. not even close

comedy central hasn't once claimed those shows were real news, spots like the one mentioned in the OP make no claims of sponsorship or full disclosure, etc. etc.

[Tunkamerica]

15. no that's satire

long legal precedent, this is advertising dressed up as news and sold (read:given) to small stations that have a tough time creating their own content or filling up a newscast or are just too lazy to do their own reporting. It's much cheaper to put on pre-made crap than to go out and make a newscast.

[Tesha]

18. Habeus Corpus had long legal precedence also, but Habeus is dead now. (NT)

[mcscajun]

6. Oh, does that mean the BushCo gov't could be fined for those "fake news stories"

they used to like to send to TV Stations? The ones with fake newscasters?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

11. Fined would be a start...Fired would be nice...

Tarred and feathered would be better still.

[nebenaube]

7. so much for an american version of the fkn news... n/t

[f the letter]

8. Good start

How about, say, $400,000. But yeah, a news organization deliberately falsifying the news maybe should be subject to some sort of penalty. Who'd have thought

[JohnnyRingo]

9. Here's an interactive US map showing the worst offenders

Also known as "VNRs", you may already be tuned in to fake news at a popular station near you. (actually, it's more likely than not)
Don't touch that dial, more at eleven:

http://www.freepress.net/fakenews/map.php

More info on VNRs, and what you can do:
http://www.freepress.net/fakenews/

on edit:
Thanx Riverside, for bringing attention to an important media issue easily lost in the reams of outrages, so numerous they seem to numb our senses these days.

[McCamy Taylor]

10. The FCC doesn't have jurisdiction over cable, only broadcast,

the $4k fine was presumably chosen as being too small for anyone to challenge in court, but cable will challenge it in court anyway to avoid a precedent.

Congress can make a law against it if they want.

[Triana]

12. Soooo....WHEN are they gonna fine bu$hit, Inc. for all the propaganda that gets flung...

..at us daily by the "news" media?

Pfffffffffffft!

[Skittles]

16. they will just charge the product maker 4000 bucks more

I mean, really

[everydayis911]

17. As Bush says

"We repeat things over and over again, That's how we catapult the propaganda"