It may be a little too soon to tell, but it seems the Sinclair Broadcast Group will ultimately regret its decision to intervene in the campaign on Bush’s behalf.
Here’s a quick round-up of developments over the last 24 hours:
* The Democratic Party and 18 senators are objecting to Sinclair’s plan and have asked the FCC to begin an immediate investigation.
* Former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt sent Sinclair a letter, urging the company to reconsider the decision to broadcast the anti-Kerry smear. No word yet from the current FCC Chairman, Michael Powell.
* Boycott Sinclair Broadcasting has a helpful list available of Sinclair’s advertisers, who’d probably like to hear more about the public’s concerns. Another list is here.
* Steve Soto has some valuable information about targeting Sinclair’s broadcast license.
* Perhaps most importantly, investors don’t seem impressed with the company’s antics. Sinclair’s stock fell quickly yesterday to a nine-year low.
I know the company is led by rabid right-wingers, but the moment they put their ideological interests above that of the company (and the public), Sinclair’s owners made a drastic mistake.