Public Interest Groups File Sponsorship ID Complaints Against 18 TV Stations

Several public interest groups filed FCC complaints against 18 TV stations in seven markets Thursday over political ad sponsorship identification, said a news release from the Campaign Legal Center. The stations “incorrectly” identified the Independence USA PAC as the sponsor of political ads, when the PAC is largely funded by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, said the Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause and the Sunlight Foundation in the release. The groups sent a warning letter to the stations in November informing them that Bloomberg was behind the PAC, but the stations identified the ads as being paid for by Independence USA, the release said. “The Super PAC acts essentially as a personal advertising arm for Mr. Bloomberg, yet the stations failed to fully and fairly inform the public about who was attempting to influence them despite being given easily-accessible, publicly-available information, including Federal Election Commission filings regarding Mr. Bloomberg’s financing of the ads,” said the release. “Under the Communications Act, broadcasters are required to 'exercise reasonable diligence' to obtain the information needed for proper sponsorship identification,” said the groups. At the 2015 Radio Show, Media Bureau Policy Division Assistant Chief Robert Baker said broadcasters aren't required to do extensive investigations of buyers of political ads to make sure the sponsor is correctly identified. “You can rely on the person that hands you the check that they are who they say they are,” Baker said, unless someone produces “a mountain of evidence” to the contrary (see 1510020057). The Media Bureau has received the complaints and is reviewing them, a spokeswoman told us.