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Public Interest Groups File Complaint Against Radio Station Over Political Ad Disclosure

Chicago ABC AM radio station WLS refused to disclose the sponsor behind political ads run by Independence USA PAC despite being notified that the PAC’s sole sponsor is former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, said Campaign Legal Center, Common…

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Cause and the Sunlight Foundation in a news release Thursday. “The Communications Act and the FCC’s sponsorship identification rules require broadcasters to go beyond simply naming the entity that paid for an ad,” the release said. WLS Chicago's listeners “were left completely in the dark as to the fact that Michael Bloomberg, hiding behind a deceptively named organization, was spending large sums of money to influence their votes and the outcome of the election,” the public interest groups said. A complaint against WLS was filed with the FCC by the groups, the release said.