Media Matters asks for results of CPB polling and studies on bias in public broadcasting

June 27, 2005

Frederick L. DeMarco
Executive Vice President and Senior Adviser to the President
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
401 9th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004-2129

Re: Freedom of Information Act Request

Dear Mr. DeMarco:

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act 5 U.S.C. § 552.

I understand that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting maintains that it is not bound by the Freedom of Information Act, but that according to the New York State Bar Association's Legal Handbook for New York State Journalists, "Corporation spokespersons say FOIA requests received by the Corporation are voluntarily processed in accordance with FOIA."

I hope that you will uphold that tradition of freedom and openness in processing this request.

I request that a copy of the following documents and information be provided to Media Matters for America:

• The data and the summary for the study performed by Fred Mann regarding political bias on the program Now with Bill Moyers, as well as any supporting documents, including the contract, and any information on Mann's selection. The New York Times reported existence of this study on May 2, and Sen. Byron Dorgan discussed some of its data on the floor of the U.S. Senate on June 13.
• The data, the summary, and all supporting documents for the study performed by Fred Mann on the Tavis Smiley Show and The Diane Rehm Show, as reported in Frank Rich's column in The New York Times on June 26.
• The questionnaire, the results, the data, the cross-tabulations, and all supporting documentation for the two polls performed for CPB by the Tarrance Group and Lake Snell Perry and Associates in November 2002 and July 2003. These polls are referenced in a summary memo contained in the "Open to the Public" report to Congress for 2003, but have not been publicly released.
• The transcripts, tapes, reports, and all other supporting documentation on the focus groups conduced by the Tarrance Group and Lake Snell Perry and Associates that took place in Louisville, Kentucky, on September 15, 2003, and Salt Lake City, Utah, on September 16, 2003. Again, these focus groups are referenced in the summary memo contained in the "Open to the Public" report to Congress for 2003, but have not been released publicly.

Media Matters for America requests a waiver of all fees for this request. Disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government and is not primarily in my commercial interest. Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media. Media Matters for America runs the Hands Off Public Broadcasting campaign to ensure that public broadcasting remains independent and free from political pressure, and to detail conservative misinformation that appears in public broadcasting.

If you deny any part of this request, please cite each specific reason for that denial and notify me of appeal procedures available to me under the law.

We request that you indicate whether or not you will fulfill this request by July 5, 2005.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

David Brock
President and CEO
Media Matters for America

Posted to the web on Thursday, June 30, 2005 at 11:51 AM ET