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FCC examining TV networks, military analysts

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday said it is investigating whether five television networks and 19 former military officers violated government disclosure rules in providing on-air analysis of the war in Iraq and other issues.

The FCC Enforcement Bureau is focusing on whether the networks and military veterans violated federal “sponsorship identification” rules by failing to disclose the connections and potential conflicts of interest of the analysts being interviewed.

Federal law prohibits anyone involved with preparing broadcast or cable programming from accepting anything of value without disclosing it to the public. It also requires broadcast and cable stations to determine when a disclosure is warranted.

The FCC did not name the media companies, but representatives from CBS News and ABC News said they have received the government inquiries.

The federal probe follows a New York Times investigation published in April that detailed a secretive Defense Department public relations campaign to recruit former military officers to serve as TV analysts who would support the administration’s views on the war in Iraq, conditions at Guantanamo Bay and other efforts to combat terrorism.

Many of those officers — who had access to top Defense Department officials involved in determining how war funding would be spent — were either representing or being paid by military contractors competing for billions of dollars in Pentagon spending.

The Pentagon’s inspector general is investigating whether the program may have given some contractors a competitive edge.

“I’m glad we are looking into these allegations that there was a possible attempt to deceive the American people concerning one of the most controversial issues facing the country today,” FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said in a statement Tuesday. “We have an obligation to pursue this investigation, and to conclude it quickly.”

Rep. Rose DeLauro, D-Conn., agreed: “The disclosure of this secretive and likely illegal program raised numerous questions about the policies and activities within the Department of Defense, but it also raises questions as to whether the analysts and networks are potentially equally culpable.”

Sandy Genelius, a spokeswoman for CBS News, confirmed that the CBS Corp. division received one of the letters. But she declined comment, saying the network was reviewing it.

A representative from Walt Disney Co.-owned ABC News also said it received a letter.

Lauren Skowronski, a spokeswoman for NBC News, had no immediate information on the letters. NBC is owned by General Electric Co.

Representatives from CNN and Fox News Channel said they have not received anything yet.

CNN is a unit of Time Warner Inc. Fox is a unit of News Corp.

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AP Business Writer Anick Jesdanun in New York contributed to this report.