ROBERT MENENDEZ
NEW JERSEY
COMMITTEES,
BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN
AFFAIRS
FINANCE
FOREIGN RELATIONS, CHAIRMAN
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WASHINGTON, DC 20510-3005
July 9,2013
528 SENATE HART OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC 20510
(202) 224-4744
ONE GATEWAY CENTER
11TH FLOOR
NEWARK, NJ 07102
208 WHITE HORSE P,KE
SUITE 18-19
BARRINGTON, NJ 08007
(856) 757-5353
The Honorable Mignon Clyburn
Acting Chairwoman
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554
Dear Acting Chairwoman Clyburn:
I am writing to request a prompt and thorough review of News Corporation's application to renew the
license for WWOR, which has been pending before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
since 2007, I further request that the FCC conclude its ongoing investigation concerning
misrepresentations by WWOR included in their license renewal proceedings. In light ofWWOR's
decision to drop their nightly news programming, a decision which affects millions of New Jerseyans, it
is becoming increasingly critical that the FCC make a determination about WWOR's license and whether
they are adequately serving New Jersey as the law and FCC rules stipulate. From my perspective, News
Corporation is not.
As you are by this point well aware, WWOR is a unique station with unique requirements placed upon the
license holder. Carrying out a law passed in 1982, the FCC stipulated that any license holder for WWOR
"devote itself to meeting the special needs of its new community (and the needs of the Northern New
Jersey area in general)." New Jersey is one of the most densely populated states in the country, but
because of its location between New York City and Philadelphia, does not have a designated market area
(DMA). WWOR is required to fill this gap by operating in New Jersey for the benefit of the people in
New Jersey. Unfortunately, it appears telling that, rather than add much-needed New Jersey specific
programming to their lineup, WWOR instead chooses to supplant its nightly news segment with a show
referred to in news reports as "like TMZ."
In recent years, as concerns grew about whether WWOR was living up to its requirement to serve New
Jersey, my former colleague Senator Frank Lautenberg led a courageous campaign to ensure the station
would again focus on New Jersey issues. He showed that at one point WWOR went by My9NY, he
fought against News Corporation's attempt to move WWOR news operations to New York, and he
highlighted studies that revealed WWOR actually provided less coverage ofNew Jersey politics than
New York-based television stations.
It is my hope and will be my mission to see that Senator Lautenberg's longstanding and well founded
concerns are not forgotten. New Jersey residents deserve nothing less than a fair, robust, and timely
review ofNews Corporation's application to renew the license for WWOR and a conclusion into the
ongoing investigation about misrepresentations in the renewal proceedings. Thank you for your
consideration, I look forward to your prompt response and to working with you on this issue to ensure the
law and regulations protecting my constituents are not ignored.
ROBERT MENENDEZ
United States Senate
CC:
Jessica Rosenworcel, Commissioner
Ajit Pai, Commissioner