[FoRK] Is Media playing favorites?

[Sat N]

ABC decides Kucinich is not a worthy candidate, just as Fox decides
Ron Paul is not a worthy candidate....

Whats next? To appear on debates, you must donate to the parent of
media company?.

On a related note, things are looking great for Democrats with
HillyBilly getting kicked out to third place......May be we can elect
a Democrat as next President.



Kucinich files complaint on ABC debate



 By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer 11 minutes ago

 NEW YORK - Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich filed a
complaint with the FCC on Friday after ABC News excluded him, fellow
Democrat Mike Gravel and Republican Duncan Hunter from its prime-time
debates on Saturday.
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Kucinich argued that ABC is violating equal-time provisions by keeping
him out of the debate and noted that ABC's parent Walt Disney Co. had
contributed to campaigns involving the four Democrats who were
invited.

"ABC should not be the first primary," the Ohio congressman said in
papers filed at the Federal Communications Commission.

ABC said the candidates left out of the debates failed to meet
benchmarks for their support that were outlined to each campaign prior
to the Iowa caucus. Kucinich did not complain about these rules ahead
of time, said spokeswoman Cathie Levine, who had no further comment
since she hasn't seen the FCC filing.

ABC said it hoped to encourage more conversation and interaction among
the candidates during the debates, which will both be moderated by
Charles Gibson. The stakes are high as candidates take the stage three
days before the New Hampshire primary.

The Republican debate will include Iowa caucus winner Mike Huckabee,
John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul.
It starts at 7 p.m. EST.

Shortly after that 90-minute forum, Democrats Barack Obama, Hillary
Clinton, John Edwards and Bill Richardson will take the stage at St.
Anselm College in Manchester, N.H.

The network set rules to narrow the field. Candidates had to meet at
least one of three criteria: place first through fourth in Iowa, poll
5 percent or higher in one of the last four major New Hampshire
surveys, or poll 5 percent or higher in one of the last four major
national surveys.

Democrats Joe Biden and Chris Dodd took some of the pressure off ABC
by quitting the race Thursday night.

"In previous debates where the stage was more crowded you had to make
sure all of the candidates got fair time," said David Chalian, ABC
News political director. "Here you will have more time to go in depth
on the issues."

ABC said it believed its rules were inclusive, while also ensuring
viewers get a thorough look at the probable next president.

"We're regretful that we're not going to be in it," said Roy Tyler, a
spokesman for Hunter. "We're just going to keep working. I think it's
a mistake on their part to exclude any viable candidate at this
point."

Fox News Channel is sponsoring a debate in its mobile studio Sunday
that excludes Paul and Hunter. Huckabee, Giuliani, Romney, Thompson
and McCain have been invited.

Each debate will be divided into two parts. During the first 45
minutes, Gibson will select three prominent issues to promote a
dialogue. The candidates will be seated and encouraged to talk to each
other, and not just to the cameras, Gibson said.

"If I have any personal prejudice against these debates, it's that you
see too much of the moderator," Gibson said. "I want to see less of
the moderator and more of the candidates."

There won't be any buzzers or lights on the stage to mark time limits
for talking, putting the pressure on Gibson to limit filibusters and
promote fairness.

The second half of the debate will be a more traditional format, with
Gibson and WMUR-TV political director Scott Spradling asking questions
on a variety of topics. Candidates will be asked to keep their answers
to a minute, Chalian said.

Gibson said he hoped to have a few minutes where both Republican and
Democratic candidates are on the same stage, to promote the idea that
despite differences, all are Americans hoping for the best for their
country. The auditorium will be quickly emptied between debates and a
new audience brought in.

 Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos will lead ABC's coverage.
Three hours of live debate with both Republican and Democratic
candidates represents a grueling on-air test for Gibson, ABC's chief
news anchor.

"I didn't volunteer," he said. "It's something new, it's something
different. I can fail miserably at this and may well do so but we're
looking for some ways to do something different."

 ___

 ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co. Fox is a unit of News Corp.