CHICAGO MEDIA ACTION ALERT, November 13, 2003 http://www.chicagomediaaction.org Chicago Media Action launches a campaign to help clean up WTTW. Chicago Media Action organized meetings in March and April 2003 with staff from Chicago's main PBS affiliate, WTTW. At the time, CMA called for a series of monthly town halls accompanied by timely documentaries about topics of pertinent interest (this is a series which WTTW has implemented in the past). Despite our repeated pleas, WTTW declined our request. Since then, repeated reports (including one in the Chicago Tribune magazine) have revealed financial impropriety on a grand scale at WTTW: layoffs, exorbitant executive salaries, embezzlement, and mismanaged funds. CMA is now raising the stakes: We are launching a campaign to lobby WTTW's board of directors to implement four key demands to help clean up WTTW. As a first component of this campaign, CMA is directing its Rapid Response form to contact Sandra Guthman, chair of the WTTW board of trustees, with these demands: (1) Fire WTTW CEO Dan Schmidt, (2) Conduct a government audit of WTTW funds, (3) Implement the series of monthly town halls and documentaries as previously requested, (4) Implement an independent commission to establish [a] new programs for underserved communities, [b] a financial trust to separate content from funding, and [c] public elections for the Board of Trustees. To use the Rapid Response form and contact Sandra Guthman about these concerns, please visit: http://www.chicagomediaaction.org/index.php?link=rapid_response To learn more background about the issue, please read: http://www.chicagomediaaction.org/index.php?link=riseandfall *** *** *** *** *** *** *** This is an email from Chicago Media Action, a Chicago activist group devoted to media issues. Chicago Media Action, P.O. Box 14140, Chicago IL 60614-0140 Call toll-free: 1-866-260-7198 Web: www.chicagomediaaction.org email: cma@chicagomediaaction.org To unsubscribe from this mailing list, simply send an email requesting removal to mailinglist@chicagomediaaction.org