**LAUTENBERG STATEMENT BEFORE FCC**

**ON LICENSE RENEWAL OF WWOR-TV, CHANNEL 9**

NEWARK, N.J. -- U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) issued the
following statement at this afternoon's public hearing before the
federal Communications Commission on the license renewal application of
WWOR-TV, Channel 9:

"Let me welcome everyone to today's public hearing on WWOR Channel 9. We
are here today because Channel 9 has failed in its responsibility to
serve the people of New Jersey.

Before I begin, I want to thank the people who made this hearing
possible: the staff and students at Rutgers University.

Also, I thank the FCC for holding this hearing in New Jersey.

This is the FCC's first public hearing on a license renewal in recent
memory.

Renewals are typically rubber-stamped. But the situation with this
license warrants unprecedented attention.

That's why I asked FCC Chairman Kevin Martin to hold this hearing in our
state to hear from the people of New Jersey before deciding WWOR's
future.

Let me thank FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein for
being here today and for working to enhance local media coverage for our
state.

I also want to thank today's speakers, including Voice for New Jersey,
the United Church of Christ and the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and every
resident of New Jersey who is here today.

I thank you for making sure New Jersey is heard---in this room and on
our airwaves.

Let me be clear about why this hearing is so important: when you pick up
your remote and turn to Channel 9, you are not getting sufficient
information about New Jersey's neighborhoods, roads or schools.

Routinely, the news is about New York.

-- MORE --

New Jersey news is largely forgotten or buried deep into newscasts. And
that's wrong.

Channel 9 is licensed as a New Jersey station.

Channel 9 has an obligation to cover the news that affects our
communities, our businesses, and our families.

In fact, the WWOR license was specifically moved from New York City to
New Jersey for that very reason.

The FCC's 1983 decision moving the station to New Jersey says, 'This
station will not be a New Jersey station in name only.  It will serve
the people of New Jersey.'

Regrettably, the station has failed to meet that obligation.

Leading up to the 2005 election for example, New Jersey had several
important electoral races.

Our residents deserved local coverage of those races to help them make
informed decisions at the polls.

But, remarkably, New York TV stations provided more coverage of New
Jersey races than Channel 9, according to a Rutgers study.

And when you look at Channel 9's Web site, it markets itself as a New
York station.

Its Web site is 'My 9 New York'---and its Web address is my9NY.com.

Several years ago, WWOR closed its Trenton news bureau.

What kind of coverage can we have for New Jersey families without a news
team in our state capital?

And three years ago, Channel 9 tried to move its news team out of our
state completely.

That was inexcusable: How can WWOR do its job covering our state if it's
not even in New Jersey?

So I met with Lachlan Murdoch, then in charge of Fox Television
stations, and whose father Rupert Murdoch owns News Corporation.  He
agreed with us to keep the news operation in New Jersey, where it
remains today.

That was one victory.  But that is no substitute for true local
coverage.

-- MORE --

New Jersey is the only state in the country without its own media
market.  If we had our own market, it would be the fourth-largest in the
country.

Instead, we are wedged between New York City and Philadelphia.

This makes it hard enough for our residents to get the news about our
schools, our safety and our communities.

We expected Channel 9 to help us overcome this problem.  That's why it
was licensed in New Jersey in the first place.

Instead, they have forced New Jersey's residents to tune to out-of-state
stations.

That's simply unacceptable for the 11^th^ largest state in the country.

If the FCC renews Channel 9's license, it needs to get tough and make
certain that New Jersey gets the news coverage it needs and deserves.

The FCC must require Channel 9 to meet specific, measurable goals for
its New Jersey coverage.

WWOR must identify itself as a New Jersey station.

It must devote a specific and substantial amount of air time each week
to New Jersey news stories and events.

It must document its New Jersey coverage in a separate FCC report.  The
report should show date, time of day, duration and content in detail.

And it must keep its news department and production studios in New
Jersey.

When the FCC moved Channel 9 from New York to New Jersey, it said, 'At
renewal time, it will be judged by how it has met the obligation to
serve the needs of Northern New Jersey.'

It's now renewal time, and the facts are clear: Channel 9 has failed our
state.

Channel 9 is based in New Jersey. It's time for the FCC to make sure it
covers New Jersey."

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