How to Stop Sinclair

By now, you've probably heard of Sinclair Broadcasting Group's plan to force its affiliates to air a 1-hour smear piece on Kerry in its primetime news slot. I've been following it all weekend, and just heard it on NPR, so word must be getting out.

And today, the Anti-Defamation League condemned a Sinclair executive for comparing his critics to Holocaust deniars.

What you may not know about Sinclair's dastardly scheme: you can do something about it. There is a kind of virtual flash mob happening right now, with people around the country calling local Sinclair affiliates and their advertisers, pressuring the stations not to run the anti-Kerry piece. It's pretty cool to see, and even cooler to participate in. And it's especially important for anybody living in Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan (Yes! Michigan!) and other swing states.

Here is what you can do:
1. Go to this list of Sinclair owned stations, and locate a station near you to target.
2. Check this database of Sinclair advertisers, organized by city.
3. Call your station and speak with the Sales Manager. Explain (politely) that you find Sinclair's decision to air "Stolen Honor" and that you will be calling the station's advertisers (mention them by name). They may pass the buck, or ask you to contact the Corporate Office first, but insist that you will be calling local advertisers.
4. Call the local advertisers, and explain your objection to Sinclair's behavior, then tell them that unless they pull their advertising from the Sinclair station, you will be boycotting their product/store.

There are also some on-line petitions to sign, and the dems are calling for investigations, which maybe just maybe will chastise Sinclair in time for Bush's 2006 State of the Union.

The only way to actually keep this program from airing is the direct approach. Which, by the looks of things, the campaign has already scored some victories. For updates, I'd stick with Talking Points Memo.