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

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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

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