contact info for FCC and Q&A w/ABC affiliate
You may use these as templates for your own complaints. I agree phone calls are great, but at least with email you have a record
HERE IS MY EMAIL TO DAVID WALTHER, program manager for WFAA (ABC Ft. Worth/Dallas Affiliate)
Date: November 9, 2006 2:51:43 PM CST
To:
[email protected]
Why was Skate America coverage moved from noon Sunday to 2:30 am? Okay, I know the usual answer--We have to air FCC-mandated children's programs--your standard answer (see questions about MLS preemption) , which is clearly a half-truth. You have plenty of time to run those programs, but you don't because, I assume, you would rather run paid programming. A truthful answer, please.
HERE IS Walther' reply to my email
"Walther, David" <
[email protected]>
11/10/2006 10:59 AM
Subject: Let Me Speak To The Manager
Thanks for your message. You are correct - on Sunday, October 29 we had to schedule FCC mandated children's programs and delay broadcast Skate America coverage later that night. The Sunday 12noon to 1pm time period is our designated safe harbor '2nd home' for preempted children's programs. We have few options when weekend schedules are crowded with sports events. College football season is particularly difficult. Our decisions are made to accommodate as many viewers as possible, while also preserving as much advertising revenue as possible (which may include some paid programming). In the case of the Skate America, we were careful to schedule the Oct 29 delay broadcast in addition to a regular broadcast the following Sunday, Nov 5. I'm sorry for any inconvenience due to the 10/29 preemption.
Thank you again for writing.
Best regards,
David Walther
Program Director - WFAA TV
HERE IS MYEMAIL TO FCC (
[email protected]) (with Walther correspondence attached)
TO: FCC:
WFAA has a history of preempting (or moving to 2:30 am!) nationally scheduled figure skating events. Their excuse has always been that they must run "FCC-mandated children's programs," but clearly as you can see from Mr. Walther's reply, the issue is really revenue. There have also been similar complaints by fans of major league soccer when games were preempted for children's programing..
Yes, the audience for figure skating is way below that of football, but the audience for figure skating is mostly women and young girls (the same audience as for those generally low-quality mandated children's programs), and no one seems to care about this audience.
Is there anything the FCC can do about this situation, to prod WFAA not to preempt programs aimed at women (figure skating) or latinos (soccer)?