House Republican Readies Questions for Broadcast Networks, Citing Spectrum Obligations to 'Fairness'

C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, which was to be telecast over the weekend. “The CEOs need to be confronted.” Cramer aides didn't comment on the timing of the questionnaire. He called political bias “blatant” and cited a letter he sent last year to the network chiefs. He called for hearings then (see 1611070062). “After the election, I decided not to do hearings but I think we still need to explore the possibility with the companies,” Cramer said. He said he values the broadcast industry but broadcasters “shouldn’t take for granted” that they have “beachfront” spectrum. “Their news coverage just demands a little more scrutiny,” Cramer said. Freedom of the press “is not a license to simply manipulate,” he said, suggesting interest in knowing about hiring practices and scrutiny by management. “Do they just sort of let them go? Do they even think about it?” He called oversight “not unprecedented” and invoked FCC indecency standards. He would “not support that that license would require a regulation of news content,” he said, saying it’s “important to have independence in news.” He stressed the difference between a cable network like Fox News and the broadcast TV networks, repeatedly invoking the broadcasters' spectrum and their FCC licenses. “I’m just talking about fundamental fairness,” he said.