Media Fairness Action Plan Is Continuing

                          BY JAMES H. WARNER
                       NRA Ass't General Counsel

               (American Rifleman, March 1993, page 54)


THE Media Fairness Action Plan mandated by NRA's Board requests help
from NRA members across the country. Here's how you can participate.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has established the
"Personal Attack" Rule (Code of Federal Regulations at 47 C.F.R.
73.1920). If a broadcaster presents opinions on a controversial subject
such as gun control, and anyone (even someone who does not work for the
station) attacks the honesty, character, integrity or like personal
qualities of NRA, the station must notify us of the attack within one
week. The person or group must be given a chance to reply. A station
which does not comply could lose its license.

It has been reported to us, for example, that radio station KFI-AM in
Los Angeles broadcast a persona attack on NRA in December. The station
has not contacted us. We need NRA members to monitor this station,
listening for personal attacks upon NRA.

An example of a personal attack would be to say that NRA is responsible
for the murder rate in Los Angeles, or that "NRA opposed a ban on
so-called 'cop killer' bullets." The statement must be false, and it
must question our honesty, integrity, character or other personal
qualities. If you hear such an attack on this station, write to (do not
call) the following address:

    NRA Broadcast Monitor
    1600 Rhode Island Ave. N.W.
    Washington, D.C. 20036

Of course, if other stations in other cities make personal attacks upon
NRA, we want to know about them, also.

Television licenses are renewed by the FCC on a state-by-state basis,
and individuals may oppose those renewals.  In instances where people
in the media have called for the repeal of the Second Amendment, as was
done by an NBC-TV News executive, you can fight back.  If you live in
one of the states listed below, you should monitor the local NBC
affiliate. Every time the station broadcasts a news report you believe
is unfair, unbalanced or dishonest, you should write to the FCC, state
your complaint clearly, and ask that renewal be denied.  Your
complaint should be short (one page) and should only discuss one point
per letter.

The renewal schedule is as follows:

    June 1      - Kansas, Oklahoma. and Nebraska
    August 1    - Texas
    October 1   - Wyoming, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Idaho

The address to write is:

    Federal Communications Commission
    Mass Media Bureau,
    Complaints and Investigation Branch,
    2025 M St. N.W.
    Washington, D.C. 20554

The Media Fairness Action Plan was adopted by the NRA Board of
Directors in response to the pronounced bias of public-funded
broadcasting. Sen. John McCain, (R-Ariz.) took the lead in Congress to
change the law to require more balance and fairness in public
broadcasting. In response to the new law, the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting (CPB) has established procedures for the public to
complain about perceived instances of unfairness or bias.

We urge you to complain every time you see or hear a biased
presentation you believe was not balanced by an opposing view. Write or
call:

    Public Comment
    P.O. Box 50880, Washington
    D.C. 20091-0880
    (800) 356-2626.

We have had a tremendous response to our media monitor program.
However, we must ask that you restrict your complaints to violations of
the Personal Attack Rule described above that applies to broadcasters
only. Please do not send newspaper clippings, and please do not write
about dishonest reporting, print, radio or television, regarding
firearms ownership. We can only get redress for direct attacks upon
NRA, and we do not have the resources to answer every complaint.