ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE HIAL TH SuacoMMr I r Lt: RÂNK¡NG MIMAEN ËNVrsoNMÉNT ^Nf) flrt E(ìoNoMY SuBcoN4Mrì rtt Co^4MLJNr(:^TroNS ^ND TEcrNoLocY SUa(ìoN4Mrì tt:t: NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE: F¡slr[ßrIs, WrLt)t [.[, Ocr:ANtì ^NDINSUr ^ß Arr^lrìs SuBcoMMrr ¡ r:rl DEMOCRATIC POLICY COMMITTËE: Couvururc¡r¡orus C[¡¡n lìttÞ://www.lìousc. gov/t)allone FRANK PALLONE, JN, 6TH DISTRICT. NEW JERSEY tl þouøe of ßepreøontrtiboø ït{tl¡øb í¡rqto n, Ð@ 205 l5-3 006 lt July 8,2013 The Honorable Mignon Clyburn Acting Chairwoman Federal Communications Commission 445 l2th Street, SW V/ashington, DC 20554 Dear Acting Chairwoman Clyburn: I am writing to bring to your attention an issue of critical concern to the state of New Jersey: recent actions by WWOR-TV, Channel 9 in New Jersey, to cancel its 10 pm halÊhour of news with absolutely no notice to its viewers. As you are no doubt aware, WWOR is the state's only commercial high-powered station. Meanwhile, because the state doesn't have a designated market area or DMA, its nearly 9 million residents are forced to share two out-of-state DMAs. This means WWOR is our constituents' only ability to get true local news coverage. Unfortunately, despite this reality, WWOR has failed for over a decade to live up to its broadcasting obligations to New Jersey. Studies have shown that V/WOR has provided less coverage of New Jersey politics than most of the New York-based television stations and has failed to provide adequate coverage of New Jersey news and public affairs. In addition, since purchasing WWOR in 2001, News Corporation, now 2l't Century Fox, has done everything they can to avoid any commitment to serve as a truly New Jersey station. Now, WWOR has pulled the plug on the only newscast the station had left. This action deserves immediate enforcement by your agency. In fact, considering the license renewal application of WWOR is pending before the FCC, I believe that the current license should be revoked until you can place additional conditions on the station to ensure that WWOR is both based in New Jersey and provides local news coverage to the state. The late Senator Frank Lautenberg had repeatedly called upon your Commission to ask that you hold WWOR accountable to its licensure requirements in New Jersey. He also asked that you conclude your investigation regarding potential misrepresentations included in their license renewal application. None of which the FCC has done to date. As a member of the Committee ofjurisdiction with oversight over broadcast issues and the FCC, I have followed WWOR closely. Now,l intend to continue the work of the Senator to ensure that WWOR does not get away with these irresponsible actions. @ongreøß of tW @niteù åtsted R[PL Y ¡o: WASsrN(ìroN O¡nc[: 237 C^NNoN Hous[ O[r,rcf Bu¡Lt)rN(; W^srrNG roN, DC 20515.3006 TËLIProN[: '202l, 225-467 1 Drsrnrct Ornces: ToLL-Ë,ìtI NUMaIB: (888) 423-1 1 40 504 Bno^Dw^Y LoN(ì Bn^Nor, NJ 07740 1732) 571-1140 67/69 ClruBctt Slßttl Krr Mr:rì SouAfìt: Nr:w ERUNSWTCK, NJ 0890'1 l'7321 ?_49-4492 PßINTÉO ON NTCYCLED PAPEN 0678 I urge you to take serious and immediate action against WWOR. Thank you. 'i:JPJL FRANK PALLONE, JR. Member of Congress