About Scott Sanders: An Unbiased View

2007-10-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

Scott Sanders, 51, has been a co-organizer of the media reform group Chicago Media Action (CMA) since its creation in 2002. His formal education is in filmmaking, and he has worked in that field as a documentarian. He has also worked as a periodicals, reference and technology librarian. He currently works for the University of Chicago in connection with social science research on behalf of the National Science Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Millennium Scholars Program for minority and low income students. Scott has logged many years as a progressive media reform activist working for restructuring that will give control of an independent and better-funded public media system to the people.

IF YOU ONLY GO TO ONE LINK ON THIS PAGE... Read this essay on the future of public media by Scott Sanders: "A Litany of Lies and Omissions". It appeared in the September 2007 issue of "Z Magazine" . Or read this shorter op-ed article -- "The DTV Transition Puts Corporate Profits Ahead of the Public Interest" by Scott Sanders and Steve Macek The Skanner and elsewhere - August 2009

As a youth of thirteen in 1972, Scott learned video production while recording on 1/2" and 1” helical, and mesozoic-age 2” quadruplex reel-to-reel video tape recorders at a local educational network studio. Scott liked to make short Super 8mm films with his friends back then too. This all was pretty unusual, for in those pre-Internet, pre-VHS, and pre-Betamax days, there existed the quaint notion that youth were to look, but not create, when it came to media.

Later, in the period 1980-1981, Sanders simultaneously worked as an assistant theater manager at two historic landmark movie palaces in Westwood, California while advancing his education as a freeloading daily interloper at the Kennedy Center’s American Film Institute (AFI) conservatory. At the time, AFI was located at Greystone Mansion, the largest estate in Beverly Hills. Scott was given a signed diploma that was "found" in a box by some students. His name was calligraphied in and it was presented to him. There's also a very convincing stand-in for Scott in a photo of the AFI class.

He did not know then how much difficult, frustrating, and absolutely necessary work lay ahead.

In 1983, public access cable arrived in Evanston, Illinois. Sanders and co-producer Paul Rosen were the first in the Chicago area to create a monthly progressive cable TV magazine -- Evanston Alternative Television. (View video at the bottom of this page.) Guests included various socialists, anarchists, peaceniks, surrealists, and independent musicians. But something about the two progressive news series, the two atheist series, or "The Beer Show" caused very strong reaction. The two were "permanently" banned due to a non-violent, verbal and written fracas - ironically, in the year of 1984 - over poor service from the public access provider Cablevision. After the true nature of the problem and a solution were explained to each Evanston city council member, other access users, and the public through the local press, Evanston's mayor named Sanders to the board of a democratically restructured, independent community media center.

Borrowing a page from Cablevision, the new nonprofit organization immediately attempted to 2nd tier public access beneath staff productions. Sanders tried to fight it. The police were now called again three times simply because Sanders refused to toe the policy line. No legal charge of any kind related to the struggle for public control of local media in Evanston, IL appears on the record of Sanders or Rosen. Exhausted and disgusted, Sanders moved on. But not until after forcing the removal of a total of three station managers.

Eerily, these Evanston events coincided with a similar "house-cleaning" and diaspora affecting Sanders' highly creative cohorts at the 100 watt WZRD-FM at Northeastern Illinois University on Chicago's north side. Sanders was swept to neighboring Skokie , where he put a public spotlight on a local politico who was brazenly mismanaging public access funds there. The Chicago Access Network (CAN-TV) became a top center for community media in the U.S. The Evanston Community Media Center eventually blossomed, its board mostly member elected.

Most importantly, Sanders learned early on how to organize successfully to make a public media structure accountable to the public it is supposed to serve.

Independent for profit documentary video production and editing work and a worsening nonprofit media problem called.

In 1992, Sanders educated Chicagoans about local PBS outlet WTTW’s refusal to air the academy award winning antinuclear film “Deadly Deception”, which roasted the station’s top sponsor General Electric. He then helped put together the twenty-four community groups that comprised the Coalition for Democracy in Public Television (CDPTV). Scott's additions included Operation PUSH (now merged with the National Rainbow Coalition), the 100-group Coalition for New Priorities, and the Hollywood Coalition Vs. PBS Censorship. Sanders was the sole elected representative and main spokesperson of the Coalition for Democracy in Public Television.

Selected episodes of the monthly labor series “We Do the Work” and the weekly moderately pacifist series “America’s Defense Monitor” were combined and aired under the weekly series title "Viewpoint" on Sundays at noon for several years. The coalition achieved weekly airings of the human rights series “Rights and Wrongs”, but in a 7:30AM Saturday time slot. And two more persons of color were added to WTTW’s self-selected board of trustees. The academy award-winning documentaries "Panama Deception" and “Deadly Deception” were never scheduled by WTTW. No public elections were scheduled for any of the station's board of trustee seats either. The CDPTV achieved limited success.

In 1993-1995, via the superb legal services of the Media Access Project (see also this 2005 CMA petition to deny) and the Georgetown University Law Center Institute for Public Representation, the CDPTV induced the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to issue WTTW a “wrist slap” and warning concerning the station’s home shopping broadcasts. These events also forced the departure of the WTTW public relations chief who concocted the ridiculous idea of airing home shopping on public TV. That warning to WTTW helped most to justify - and was specifically cited in - the otherwise unsourced complaint that lead to the ground breaking 1997 FCC fine, reduced in 2000, against WTTW for airing commercial advertising. That fine, in turn, contained a specific warning to PBS. And so it goes.

Below you will find links to writings and video by Sanders and a reverse chronology of his media reform organizing work over the years.

Lastly, here are some appropriate photos and a check: Scott with FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein (D), Scott with FCC Commissioner Michael Copps (D) and Scott with FCC Chairman Kevin Martin (R), whose party currently controls three of the five FCC seats by law. But do not despair, for here's a photograph of Scott with someone you'll recognize. And isn't this an interesting-looking donation?

Media justice and democracy requires your input. The struggle continues...

Contact Scott Sanders:
themediastructurefailed(att)yahoo.com
Blog: http://www.chicagomediaaction.org

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Selected Writings:

NEW! "The DTV Transition Puts Corporate Profits Ahead of the Public Interest"
By Scott Sanders and Steve Macek The Skanner and elsewhere - August 2009

"A Litany of Lies and Omissions"
Z Magazine - September 2007

* Scott has co-edited the Chicago Media action monthly newsletter since early 2003. Link to a recent issue here.

* Principal author (uncredited) of Chicago Media Action's “Third Coast Press” petition to the FCC to deny renewal of all Chicago area TV broadcasting licenses. December 2005

* Scott wrote the reply to broadcaster responses to CMA's Media Access Project petition to deny virtually all Chicago TV license renewals. January 2006

* News for the White & Wealthy "America's most-watched public TV station" dominated by elite viewpoints Co-written with James Owens. FAIR Extra! Sept./Oct. 2004

* Sanders co-edited CMA’s study of Chicago public TV station WTTW's flagship nightly news program “Chicago Tonight”. He was the sole author of its Appendix 10, a study of the various links, financial and otherwise, of the WTTW Board of Trustees. August 2004

Note: A Fox-ectomy and Carol Marin implant at "Chicago Tonight" appear to have resulted from the pressure CMA exerted with its study and its other actions. Though the show improved, more fundamental structural and funding changes are needed in public media broadly.

* Author, “The U.S. Corporate Media Elite and the Military-Media Complex” which linked a majority of the trustees of the seven most influential U.S. media conglomerates to military contractors including controversial biological-warfare research. 1991. (scans coming soon)

More Writings:

* All state cable franchising is a fraud! July 23, 2008

* Democracy or just "democratized"? May 29, 2008

* Pentagon Propaganda, Public Broadcasting, and Sewer Board Trustees May 17, 2008

* Photos from the December 7, 2007 Chicago Media Action Holiday Singalong at Tribune Tower December 12, 2007

*Frontline Iran docu mixed bag at best - TAKE ACTION: PBS CEO misleads us about community control of public TV October 25, 2007

* FCC Hearing: Followup Story Assignments for Real World Journalists October 15, 2007

* Iraqi mass deaths due to U.S.-led invasion and occupation pass milestone, majority of U.S. media regulatory agency requires German translation August 20, 2007

* More WLUW | LPFM legislation | Chicago Indie Radio Project fundraiser | New area full power educational FM licenses? July 28, 2007

* "Buying the War", "Bill Moyers Journal" series premiere broadcast 4/25 viewing party at Evanston coffee shop April 20, 2007

* Mr. Sanders Goes to Springfield April 20, 2007

* Fact or Opinion - Are Chicago TV License Challenges Looney? December 26, 2006

* Amy Goodman & Urban Media Issues Forums October 19, 2006

* What Does AT&T Want for Its "Old" $1M "Gift" to Bobby Rush's Charity? September 28, 2006

* TAKE ACTION! - Tell "Mancow" Muller to Move On July 25, 2006

* What Did Senator Stevens Say? / Bribes Behind S.2686? / FCC in Bed w/Industry July 6, 2006

* Bringing AT&T to Tears in the City of Wild Onions / Stop Merger Mania! May 26, 2006

* CMA Fights Secret Smithsonian / Showtime Deal April 20, 2006

* CMA in "Reader", "Current" and on C-SPAN January 4, 2005

Chronology Highlights:

* Scott was one of the very busy organizers who helped put together the FCC's official public hearing on media ownership and diversity held at Rainbow/PUSH headquarters on September 20, 2007. Complete hearing audio: here. Speech: Listen to Scott's two-minute public comment speech to the FCC (windows media audio). Radio interview: Sanders gave a recap of the hearing on Paul Riismandel's "Mediageek" radio program out of WEFT-FM in Champaign/Urban. Part of his two-minute speech to the FCC was quoted in an article by Stephanie Gadline in the Louisiana Weekly here. Here are two of the flyers Scott designed for the hearing: 1 2. And here's the intrepid CMA hearing shuttle van -- inside and out. Thanks to the national media reform group Free Press for sharing the van expenses. September 2007

* Coming: Scott Sanders will be one of the media reform activists featured in the upcoming book by Mary Debrett, media studies lecturer at LaTrobe University in Australia. The book will compare the funding and structure of public television systems in the U.S., New Zealand, the U.K., and Australia.

* In August 2007, Free Press held a network neutrality Congressional lobby day. Scott lobbied U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky to keep the Internet free and open. August 28, 2007

* An April, 2007 lobby day was organized by CAN-TV head Barbara Popovich to make sure sufficient public access and consumer provisions were made a part of the AT&T's Illinois telecommunications video franchise bill HB 1500. Sanders lobbied State Senator Ira Silverstein and State Representative Lou Lang. Both represented Scott's district in Skokie and both also happened to be in charge of the video franchising bill in their respective chambers. Though the bill unnecessarily gave away too much local control, it kept all other consumer protections and community TV provisions. The Illinois and Massachusetts telecom bills are considered models. More here. April 18, 2007

* Video: Lecture and forum discussion on Iran-U.S. relations "The Culture of Imperialism". Hamid Dabashi, Golbarg Bashi. Lecture and forum discussion on Iran / U.S. relations, (119 minutes) Hamid Dabashi (Persian: حمید دباشی) is an Iranian-American intellectual historian, cultural and literary critic who has made important theoretical contributions to the study of Iran, World cinema and Shi'a Islam from a postcolonial perspective. He is the Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature at Columbia University in New York City, the oldest and most prestigious Chair in Iranian Studies. Sanders filmed and edited this video. View on a larger screen here. November 2006

* WLUW-FM Loyola University radio. "Live from the Heartland" Host Michael James. November 2005

* WZRD-FM Interview. May 2005

* Panelist, National Conference on Media Reform sponsored by Free Press, held in St. Louis. Action clinic entitled "Media Monitoring" organized by Chicago Media Action. (audio) March 2005

* Organizer, action clinic at the 2005 National Conference for Media Reform held by Free Press, entitled "True Public Broadcasting Reform - How do we Get There from Here?"; featured speaker attorney Andrew Jay Schwartzman of the D.C. based Media Access Project. Flyer signed by FCC commissioner Jonathan Adelstein. March 2005

* Panelist, The Future of Public Television conference sponsored by Harris School and Cultural Policy Center, University of Chicago - rough transcript (awaiting video). Scott was also responsible for lining up the C-SPAN cablecast of the opening session of the event. Virtually every public broadcasting leader attended this conference.

Two funny things happened there. First, when Sanders said during an audience question and answer session that the Wall Street Journal-sponsored "Journal Editorial Report" should not be on public TV, CPB President and CEO Kathleen Cox said to Sanders: "You're right". And later, Sanders said directly to the numerous public broadcasters in the audience: "You have all failed." Coincidentally, within days, Cox was no longer CPB President and CEO, a post she held for less than a year. (Cox was the seventh public media executive departure that can be traced to Sanders, for those keeping a running score.)

Sanders is quoted in the following article about the Future of Public TV conference, along with Newton Minow and others. "Advice from Chicago: 'Act like you don't have much time, because you don't" "Trust fund possible only with new unity and broad support" Karen Everhart, Current - the newspaper about public tv and radio in the U.S. Dec 13, 2004

* WLUW-FM "Live from the Heartland" Host: Mike Stephen. November 2004

* Live call-in program host on Chicago Access Network TV featuring guest Sut Jhally, founder and director of the Media Education Foundation and the film "Hijacking Catastrophe: 9/11, Fear & the Selling of American Empire" November, 2004

* Public forums featuring John Heffernan of Physicians for Human Rights and the documentary "Afghan Massacre: Convoy of Death" at the Skokie Public Library and Columbia College, Chicago. Article here. August, 2003

* Scott volunteered a substantial amount of help in the organization of the Chicago public forum with FCC Commissioner Michael Copps at the Northwestern University Law School. Here's the text of the speech Scott gave there. This event signaled the start of a tradition: the documentation of almost all of CMA's occasional public events by CAN-TV for cablecast on Chicago cable access channels 19 & 21. April 2, 2003

* In parallel with the NU Copps event, Scott also helped to organize the fruitless pre-Iraq invasion meeting with Chicago public tv programming executives at WTTW. 2003

* Scott drove through a blizzard on icy Pennsylvania roads to attend and study the FCC hearing on media ownership consolidation in Richmond, VA. This was the only official public hearing held to address the FCC's attempt to eliminate virtually all remaining broadcast ownership rules that June. February 27, 2003

* "War and Peace Film Series" - at Chicago Filmmakers: "Paying the Price: Killing the Children of Iraq", "Hidden Wars of Desert Storm", "Jang Aur Aman", "A Child's Century of War", "Tragedy in the Holy Land: The Second Uprising", "In Shifting Sands: The Truth about UNSCOM and the Disarming of Iraq". Co-sponsored by Citizens for Independent Public Broadcasting (CIPB), with Dale Lehman. 2002-2003

* Public forum with Gabe Huck and Theresa Kubasak of Voices in the Wilderness, along with the documentary "Hidden Wars of Desert Storm" at the Skokie Public Library. Co-sponsored by Citizens for Independent Public Broadcasting (CIPB), with the indomitable Dale Lehman. May 2002

* Scott is featured repeatedly in the Chicago section of the book "Air Wars: The Fight to Reclaim Public Broadcasting" by Jerold M. Starr, Ph.D. 2000

* Periodicals, reference and technology librarian. 1997 - 2006

* It is fitting that the only commercials Scott has ever created were for lawyers. Here is a favorite. 1997

* Editor, "Law Talk". Viewer call-ins with lawyers on issues of consumer fraud, family law and employee rights. It aired on channel 23 WFBT-TV Chicago. 1996-1997

* Organizer, Coalition for Democracy in Public TV (CDPTV) lobbying visit with the local office of U.S. Rep. John Porter (10th-R). Present were Delmarie Cobb, former communications director for the Jesse Jackson presidential campaign 1988, Fred Marx, co-producer of "Hoop Dreams", and Bob Cleland, founder of the Illinois chapter of Committee for a SANE Nuclear Policy and candidate in in the 1980's for 10th U.S. Congressional District against Porter. The occasion was Newt Gingrich's attempt to fricassee big bird. 1996

* Radio interview: WXRT-FM's Michelle D'Amico interviewed Sanders concerning the CDPTV's FCC complaint targeting Chicago public TV station WTTW's home shopping broadcasts. Listen here. 1994

* Additional articles about CDPTV's FCC complaint against WTTW-TV's home shopping broadcasts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 1994 - 1996

* Introductory speaker for the "Public Television: Past, Present and Future" public forum. It was organized by Coalition for Democracy in Public Television, and held at School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Panelists: Attorney Janette Wilson - National Executive Director of Operation PUSH; Gordon Quinn - Kartemquin Films, executive producer of "Hoop Dreams"; Carlos Tortolero - Mexican Fine Arts Museum; Lewis Lapham - Harper's magazine, which is endowed by the Macarthur Foundation; Dalida Maria Benfield - Women in the Director's Chair, host. Excerpt. May 2, 1994

Note: Lewis Lapham was the final speaker at the Wm. Benton Fellowship Program in Broadcast Journalism, run by WTTW news director John Callaway. The program brought together journos on sabbaticals who contemplated and discussed the failings of their profession. Lapham's visit to Chicago, like Norman Solomon's before him, was paid for by the Benton Fellowship and allowed these talented thinkers to participate in public events while in town while speaking to the Benton fellows.

* Two facts: Melissa Sterne in particular contributed invaluably to CDPTV's work. And Allan Siegel, Gordon Quinn and others were no slouches either.

* Organized media critic Norman Solomon's visit to Chicago as the main speaker for a media reform organizing forum at the United Electrical workers' union hall. The host of that event was "In These Times" editor Salim Muwakkil. Related article.. 1992

* Independent producer of roughly four hundred “Chicago school” industrial verité documentaries and event documentation videos you have probably never seen. Editor, camera, and sound. 1982-present

* Sanders documented the annual member meeting of the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) held at Loyola University, Chicago. It featured then Gov. James Thompson and Democratic challenger Adlai Stevenson III. September 12, 1987

* "Burden of Friendship" live performance at Cabaret Metro, Chicago, video montage editor. 1986

* Contributor of noises to a few live performances by a WZRD-FM wizard incarnation known as "Burden of Friendship". Here are some "Burden" links.Scott could be in the live "Exit" mix. (Seeking more audio and video of this period.) 1985

* Limited edition audio cassette "At the Factory", by the North Shore Industrial League. Sanders contributed percussion and other ambience along with WZRD-FM wizards at Unarco-Leavitt steel tube forge in Evanston - an awesome place. 1985

* Warren Freiberg radio show WWJY 103.9 FM - Live call-in. 1985

* Co-founding steering committee member, Committee for Labor Access (Labor Beat). 1984-1986

* Television director, "Illinois Atheist TV News Forum" Host: Rob Sherman, president, Illinois Chapter of American Atheists. Approximately sixteen episodes. 1985-1986

* Appeared on CNN cable news in silhouette directing an episode of Illinois Atheist TV News Forum. June, 1985

* Participated occasionally in live free-form programming WZRD-FM and WNUR-FM. 1983-1986

* Video: Progressive cable TV newsmagazine sampler "Evanston Alternative Television Compilation Video" (36 m.) Edited by Scott Sanders. Series credits: Scott Sanders: co-producer, co-host, director, research, camera, editing; Paul Rosen: co-producer, co-host, research, music, technical assistance. Thirty episodes. 1983-1986

Additional biographical information: Scott's sister, along with her husband and their two children, lives north of Seattle in the beautiful Bellingham, Washington area. Scott's brother has worked in public radio, recently at KCRW-FM in Santa Monica, California, and as a jazz saxophonist. His retired father and stepmother also live in Bellingham, and used to own a home in the San Juan Islands, a stone's throw from there. His father worked as an in-house press relations representative for the Chicago Tribune Company, Field Enterprises (including the Chicago Sun-Times), public station WTTW-TV, and Playboy Enterprises. Before that, he was an executive for TV Guide magazine, and a newspaper reporter.

About Scott Sanders - Who IS this guy?

About Scott Sanders: An Unbiased View