First, broadcasters are a major presence in every congressional district in the country. They have the power to report and shape the news, including the power to control how issues affecting their own operations such as the spectrum giveaway are covered. They also control how, and if, Members of Congress appear on television. That makes legislators extremely reluctant to take them on. Second, they are successful players in the Washington special-interest money game.
Broadcasters give generously to political candidates.
They also spend millions to lobby Congress, the Administration and the FCC, making sure that those who carry their message to the White House and Capitol Hill have stellar connections to Washington s power elite. They spend lavishly at the political conventions to curry favor. Using the Campaign Finance System For more than 70 years, for almost as long as there has been federal regulation of broadcasting, broadcasters have tried to influence Congress. Campaign contributions to key legislators have been a central part of their strategy. The four major TV networks, in turn, are owned by even larger corporations.