Congress Challenges Network Execs: Bring Balance to Sunday Shows
Media Matters
March 14, 2007

Washington, DC - Reps. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) have formally asks the executive producers of ABC's This Week, CBS' Face the Nation, NBC's Meet the Press, and Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox News Sunday to end the conservative domination of the Sunday morning talk shows.

Their letter follows a comprehensive study recently released by Media Matters for America, titled "If It's Sunday, it's Still Conservative," which uses empirical data to demonstrate that the networks have largely provided a significant advantage to Republican and conservative voices on their prominent Sunday shows.

Reps. Hinchey, Woolsey, Kaptur, and Baldwin called for the NBC and CBS to end the lopsided conservative advantage on Meet the Press and Face the Nation, which has continued despite the Democratic victory in the 2006 midterm election, as documented by Media Matters.

The complete text of the letter is included below.

Selected excerpts from the letter:

"On the whole, the results suggest that the networks are failing to provide their viewers with the balance and range of opinion that they deserve."

"Consistently booking Republicans and conservatives in higher numbers than Democrats and progressives gives the public a skewed and imbalanced perception of the national discourse."

"Democratic and progressive Americans are being denied the right to have their points of view adequately represented in this important weekly forum."

"The networks need to actively address this problem, and safeguard against its recurrence, or risk diminishing their respected position in the American political landscape."

In their letter, Reps. Hinchey, Woolsey, Kaptur, and Baldwin assert that the networks' failure to amend their booking practices in favor of a more balanced and equitable debate, would "risk diminishing their respective position in the American political landscape."

The complete text of the letter is included below:

March 13, 2007

Ms. Betsy Fischer, Executive Producer
NBC News
Meet the Press
4001 Nebraska Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20016-2733

Ms. Carin Pratt, Executive Producer
CBS News
Face the Nation
2020 M Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20036-3304

Ms. Katherine O'Hearn, Executive Producer
ABC News
This Week with George Stephanopoulos
1717 Desales Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20036-4401

Mr. Marty Ryan, Executive Producer
Fox Broadcasting Co.
Fox News Sunday
400 North Capitol Street, #550
Washington, D.C. 20001-1502

Dear Ms. Fischer, Ms. Pratt, Ms. O'Hearn, and Mr. Ryan:

We write to call your attention to a recent study by Media Matters for America analyzing the guest lineups of the influential Sunday morning talk shows. The study, titled "If It's Sunday, it's Still Conservative," documents the continued dominance of Republican and conservative voices on these important network broadcasts.

Media Matters analyzed ABC's This Week, CBS' Face the Nation, NBC's Meet the Press, and Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox News Sunday, classifying each of the more than 2,000 guests in 2005 and 2006, as well as the guests since the 2006 midterm elections by party and/or ideology. On the whole, the results suggest that the networks are failing to provide their viewers with the balance and range of opinion that they deserve. Consider the report's key findings:

    * During the 109th Congress, Republicans and conservatives held the advantage on every show, in every category measured. All four shows interviewed more Republicans and conservatives than Democrats and progressives overall, interviewed more Republican elected and administration officials than Democratic officials, hosted more conservative journalists than progressive journalists, held more panels that tilted right than tilted left, and gave more solo interviews to Republicans and conservatives.
    * Despite previous network claims that a conservative advantage existed on the Sunday shows simply because Republicans controlled Congress and the White House, only one show, ABC's This Week, has been equally balanced between both sides overall since the congressional majority switched hands in the 2006 midterm elections.
    * In fact, since the 2006 midterm elections, NBC's Meet the Press and CBS' Face the Nation have provided less balance between Republican and Democratic officials than Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox New Sunday despite the fact that Fox News Sunday remains the most unbalanced broadcast overall both before and after the election.

We recognize that the Sunday shows occupy a singular place in our political culture. They serve as weekly "town hall" meetings where millions of Americans learn what is happening in their nation's capitol. The terms of national debate is often set, and conventional wisdom is often formed, by these programs.

Consistently booking Republicans and conservatives in higher numbers than Democrats and progressives gives the public a skewed and imbalanced perception of the national discourse. Furthermore, Democratic and progressive Americans are being denied the right to have their points of view adequately represented in this important weekly forum.

While ABC's This Week has improved dramatically since the election, maintaining a rough balance with their guests from the left and right, others have largely failed to follow This Week's example. The networks need to address this problem, or risk diminishing their respected position in the American political landscape.

We hope you will agree that the networks need to actively address this problem, and safeguard against its recurrence, or risk diminishing their respected position in the American political landscape.

Therefore, we respectfully urge you to ensure a more balanced and equitable forum for the national debate, and to consider whether your current booking practices serve the best interests of the American people.

Sincerely,

Maurice D. Hinchey
Member of Congress

Tammy Baldwin
Member of Congress

Marcy Kaptur
Member of Congress

Lynn Woolsey
Member of Congress

Original Text