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Posted on 01/13/2005 8:29:16 PM PST by mhking
WASHINGTON (AP) - A member of the Federal Communications Commission said Thursday the agency should investigate whether conservative commentator Armstrong Williams broke the law by failing to disclose that the Bush administration paid him $240,000 to plug its education policies.
Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, a Democrat, said the agency has received about a dozen complaints against Williams.
"I certainly hope the FCC will take action and fully investigate whether any laws have been broken," Adelstein said at the commission's regular monthly meeting.
None of the other commissioners responded to his statement during the meeting. Afterward, both FCC Chairman Michael Powell, a Republican, and David Solomon, who heads the agency's enforcement bureau, declined to comment.
Generally, the FCC reviews letters and complaints before determining if there should be an investigation. Powell said he had not seen the complaints filed against Williams.
Adelstein wants the FCC to look into whether Williams violated federal telecommunication law that requires disclosure of any payment or gift for airing any material for broadcast, like a radio disc jockey being paid to play a particular recording.
Williams, a nationally syndicated radio, print and television personality, was paid by the Education Department to promote the No Child Left Behind Act. The contract required Williams' company to produce radio and TV ads that promote the controversial law and feature one-minute "reads" by Education Secretary Rod Paige. The deal also allowed Paige and other department officials to appear as studio guests with Williams.
Black conservative ping
If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)
Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.
HEH...HEH...HEH....they better be careful what they ask for.......
I was ripped when this story broke, and the more I read about it, the LESS fishy it looks--even this story buries the pertinent fact that Armstrong was paid not to talk on the radio but to produce media spots.
This is the same FCC that should be looking into federal rules violations by CBS for deliberately transmitting false and deceptive information, which is a punishable violation under FCC licensing of broadcasters.
I wonder why this DEMOCRAT is not asking for that?????
They can have their probe. Provided we can probe CBS and their connections to the Kerry campaign.
Laws broken my ass! It was an ethical violation, created from a group of DNC journalistic whores that have no ethics! Way to go Armstrong! Keep the money! You sold NCLB well, and you believed in it, unlike the crap Dan Rather believes in (and still thinks) is true!
Only if he didn't disclose it to the IRS.
someone knowledgeable should look up the clinton administration's record to see if there were precedents.
Better be carefulllllll....lookee here...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1320493/posts
This isn't about Williams. It's to tie the Bush Administration to something, ANTHING, illegal.
The Ketchum PR firm and The Public Relations Society of America {PRSA}are part of this story and don't seem to be getting their due......
Source: USA Today, January 7, 2005
The Bush administration paid $240,000 to prominent African-American pundit Armstrong Williams, to "build support among black families for its education reform law," No Child Left Behind, reports USA Today, citing documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. The contract required Williams "to regularly comment on NCLB during the course of his broadcasts," and to interview Education Secretary Rod Paige. The Ketchum PR firm, on behalf of the Education Department, also "arranged with Williams to use contacts with America's Black Forum, a group of black broadcast journalists, 'to encourage the producers to periodically address' NCLB." The arrangement was part of a $1 million contract with Ketchum, which also produced video news releases touting NCLB. Williams, who also runs the Graham Williams Group PR firm, said he agreed to the contract because NCLB is "something I believe in." The Public Relations Society of America said Williams' failure to disclose the payment "does not describe the true practice of 'public relations.'"
http://www.prwatch.org/taxonomy/term/67
PRSA's Fraser Seitel also tried to brush off the result of the survey. "In a society where the President of the United States acknowledges he lied to the American public, the failings of a minority of public relations people is more understandable," Seitel said
http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Survey_Shows_Most_PR_People_Still_Won%27t_Admit_Lying
What a bunch of dumbasses.
Not exactly the same thing, but one of the networks did a made-for-TV movie that was essentially propaganda for the Family Leave Act ("A Child's Wish", I believe). President Bubba was in the movie at the end, so clearly the movie was intended to advocate for one of Clinton's causes. Perhaps not payola, but still extremely questionable, but I don't remember much outcry back then.
I don't mind an investigation of Williams if they plan on investigating democrats.
EXACTLY!!!!
Ed Schultz for starters, Jesse Jackson too.
Let's start with John Kerry and Al Sharpton.
Oh, start from the top down, I'd go along with that.
I wish the republicans had some testicles. They don't. They'd rather toss Williams under the bus. Yes what he did was wrong. Yes he should suffer some consequences. However, look at these maggots coming out of the woodwork! Don't let them get away with this crap.
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