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TagsBY SHARON HARRIS-ZLOTNICK
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
It is ironic that Secaucus-based WWOR-TV, New Jersey's only licensed commercial television station, has been accused of inadequately serving the state. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is investigating the local affiliate of News Corporation-parent company of Fox-for allegedly misrepresenting the station's employment figures and programming. News Corporation has 30 days to answer the charges.
According to Mediabistro.com, William T. Lake, chief of the FCC's media bureau, issued a letter explaining the case on February 17. The release acknowledged that the FCC "is investigating allegations concerning the accuracy, completeness, and truthfulness of representations made by Fox."
The issue revolves around defining the responsibilities of television license owners to their headquarters' communities. How many reporters and newscasts must a station retain to satisfy those obligations?
On February 20, Brian Stelter of the New York Times reported that the investigation followed complaints from Voice for New Jersey, a media activist group. The organization claimed that station cutbacks caused WWOR to overstate its staff numbers — 250 employees — and programming data in its FCC filings. During the 2009 recession, the station laid off numerous employees while also slashing its nightly newscast from one hour to 30 minutes.
The Voice for New Jersey alleges that minimal broadcast coverage not only restricts accountability from public officials, but also reduces public awareness of local issues. Politicians have complained for years about the limited local television coverage.
Originally called WOR, New York City held the station license until the mid-1980s. It was then shifted to New Jersey. Wedged between Philadelphia and New York City, New Jersey is primarily served by those two major media markets, often impacting statewide comprehensive news coverage. New Jersey's cable news customers have only News 12, FiOS 1 or New Jersey Network public broadcasting, which has also experienced state budget cuts.
According to nj.com, the license renewal limbo has continued since February 2007. When Senator Frank Lautenberg testified against WWOR at a public hearing in November 2007, he accused the station of failing to meet its service obligations to New Jersey viewers.
On November 29, 2007, Huffington Post writer Josh Silver reported that independent studies confirmed over 80 percent of the station's news coverage covered New York; New Jersey received less than 20 percent.
Lautenberg reiterated his complaint on February 17. He said, "Channel 9 is required by law to cover New Jersey news, but when you turn on the TV all you hear is what's happening in another state."
WWOR and News Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch dispute the charges. Murdoch responded on February 17, wrote Stelter, by asserting that the FCC will find the claims baseless after examining the facts and relevant laws.
