Sinclair Broadcasting making Edward R. Murrow proud

Sinclair Broadcasting, the media conglomerate that plans to force its 62 affiliates to preempt regular programming to air "Stolen Honor," the nakedly anti-Kerry film, gets a special award from the Columbia Journalism Review.

After his dismissal, [Jon] Leiberman [Sinclair's ex-Washington DC bureau chief who was fired for criticizing his employers running propaganda a week before the election] explained to CNN’s Paula Zahn how unlikely it is for Sinclair to devote an hour to any serious topic. “We haven’t done an hour-long special on anything else, not the war in Iraq, not the war in Afghanistan, not the election, not the debates.”

I think CJR's belief that Sinclair will finally open the eyes of politicians and regulators who will now see the danger of media conglomeration is a little too optimistic, especially if Bush and Michael Powell still are in charge.

Meanwhile, Sinclair's devotion to journalistic standards is legendary. So, too, is its devotion to its shareholders.

UPDATED to fix really bad misspellings.