Media Watch: September 1995
Table of Contents:
So Much for "Corporate Conservatives"
The merger announcement of Disney and Capital Cities/ABC spurred liberal critics to warn of the negative effects of an impending media monopoly, where corporate-dominated news networks serve capitalism’s bottom line. But if the new corporate brass involved itself heavily in ABC’s news content, would the result be conservative bias?
A MediaWatch analysis of Federal Election Commission records from 1993 to the present suggests otherwise. The sample of major media figures we found donated five times as often and six times as much money to Democrats than they did Republicans in 1993-94. This year, the ratio of donations has shifted to 22-16, although the dollar total is still 2-1 Democrat. ABC’s new executives, more than other media bosses, devoted almost all their contributions to Democrats. Republicans are noted in italics; 1995 donations are in parentheses.
Cathleen P. Black, Newspaper Association of America and former publisher, USA Today:
Rep. Jack Brooks, $1000; Democratic congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), $5000; Sen. Ernest Hollings $300; Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison $500; Rep. Ed Markey, $1250; (Rep. Markey, $500; Sen. Larry Pressler, $750; Women’s Campaign Fund, $1000).
Timothy Boggs, Vice President for Government Affairs, Time Warner: Rep. Howard Berman, $1000; Sen. Richard Bryan, $1000; Campaign America (Dole), $2000; Sen. John Chafee, $200; Sen. Dennis DeConcini, $1000; DCCC, $1000; Democratic National Committee (DNC), $10,000; Sen. Mike DeWine, $1000; Rep. John Dingell, $1000; Effective Government Committee (Gephardt), $5,000; Sen. Dianne Feinstein, $1000; Rep. Jack Fields, $1000; Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, $1000; Rep. Steve Gundrson, $500; Sen. Tom Harkin, $1000; Tom Hecht for Congress, $250; Independent Action (Harkin), $1000; Patrick Kennedy for congress, $500; Rep. Ed Markey, $1000; Rep. Bob Matsui $1000; Sen. George Mitchell, $1000; National Republican Congressional Committee, $1000; Sen. Chuck Robb, $2000; Phil Schiliro for Congress, $500; Rep. Gerry Studds, $500; Ann Wynia for Senate, $1000; (Dole for President, $1000; Rep. Ed Markey, $500; Sen. Larry Pressler, $2000, Sen. John Kerry, $1000).
Reginald K. Brack Jr., Chairman, Time Inc.: Sen. Bob Packwood, $1000.
Bertram Carp, Vice President for Government Affairs, Turner Broadcasting: Sen. Jeff Bingaman, $500; Sen. Ted Kennedy, $500; Rep. Ed Markey, $500; Sen. George Mitchell, $1000; Rep. Bill Richardson, $600; (Rep. Martin Frost, $250; Sen. John Kerry, $1000; Rep. Markey, $1000; Rep. Richardson, $1000).
Richard Cotton, Vice President, NBC: Rep. Jack Brooks, $500; Sen. Richard Bryan, $500; Rep. John Dingell, $1000; Rep. Peter Hoagland, $1000; Rep. Ed Markey, $1000; Phil Schiliro for Congress, $500; (Rep. Charles Schumer, $250; Rep. Jack Fields, $1000).
Michael Eisner, Chairman, Disney: Rep. Jim Cooper, $1000; Countdown to Majortiy, $1000; Sen. Dennis DeConcini, 41000; DNC, $2500; Rep. John Dingell, $1000; Effective Government
Committee, $1000; Rep. Vic Fazio, $500; Sen. Dianne Feinstein, $2000; Rep. Tom Foley, $2000; Rep. Sam Gibbons, $1000; Rep. Jane Harman, $500; Rep. Joe Kennedy, $1000; Sen. Ted Kennedy, $1000; Sen. Bob Kerrey, $1500; Rep. Larry LaFocco, $1000; Sen. Frank Lautenberg, $1000; Sen. Joseph Lieberman, $500; Sen. Richard Lugar, $1250; Sen. George Mitchell, $1000; Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun, $1000; Sen. Pat Moynihan, $1000; Sen. Chuck Robb, $1000; Rep. Lynn Schenk, $500; Rep. Ed Towns, $500; (Clinton-Gore ‘96, $1000; Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), $1000; Rep. Dick Gephardt, $1000; Sen. John Kerry, $1000; Rep. Carlos Moorhead, $1000; Sen. Larry Pressler, $1000; Pete Wilson for President, $1000).
Bob Faw, NBC reporter: Mike James for Senate, $250.
Martin Franks, Executive Vice President, CBS: Rep. Mike Andrews, $1000; Sen. Joe Biden, $1000; Rep. Sherrod Brown, $500; Sen. Richard Bryan, $1500; Sen. Conrad Burns, $1000; Sen. Kent Conrad, $1000; DCCC, $1000; Rep. Jack Fields, $1000; Rep. Tom Foley, $1000; Rep. Bart Gordon, $500; Rep. Steny Hoyer, $1000; Sen. Bob Kerrey, $1000; Sen. Patrick Leahy, $1000; Sen. Joe Lieberman, $1000; Sen. Trent Lott, $1000; Rep. Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky, $500; Rep. Ed Markey, $500; Rep. Dave McCurdy, $500; Sen. George Mitchell, $1000; Bob Mitchell for Congress, $250; Rep. Jack Reed, $500; Republican Network to Elect Women, $500; Sen. Jim Sasser, $1000; Phil Schiliro for Congress, $250; Sen. Paul Simon, $500; Rep. David Skaggs, $250; Rep. Louise Slaughter, $500; Rep. Mike Synar, $250; Rep. Ron Wyden, $500; (Dole for President, $1000; Sen. Larry Pressler, $1000; New Republican Majority Fund, $1000).
Katharine Graham, Chairman, The Washington Post Company: Women’s Campaign Fund, $2000.
Mark MacCarthy, former ABC Vice President: Rep. Jim Cooper, $500; Rep. Peter Deutsch, $250; Rep. Mike Kreidler, $500; Sen. Bob Krueger, $500; Rep. Ed Markey, $500; Rep. Mike Synar, $500.
Terence McGuirk, Executive Vice President, Turner Broadcasting: Rep. Jack Fields, $1000.
Thomas S. Murphy, Chairman, Capital Cities/ABC: Rep. John Dingell, $1000; Sen. Dianne Feinstein, $1000; Rep. Jack Fields, $1000; Sen. Ernest Hollings, $1000; Sen. Trent Lott, $1000; Rep. Ed Markey, $1000; Sen. George Mitchell, 41000; Sen. Pat Moynihan, $1000; New York Republican county committee, $3000; (Rep. Ed Markey, $500; Sen. Larry Pressler, $1000; New York Republican County Committee, $1000).
Michael Ovitz, President, Disney: Rep. Howard Berman, $1000; Rep. Bob Carr, $1000; Rep. Jim cooper, 500; DNC, $15,000; DSCC, $3000; Sen. Dianne Feinstein, $2000; Rep. Thomas Foley, $2000; Rep. Dick Gephardt, $2000; Rep. Jane Harman, $1000; Rep. Joseph Kennedy, $250; Sen Ted Kennedy, $1500; Sen. Bob Kerrey, $2000; Sen. Joseph Lieberman, $1000; Sen. George Mitchell $1000; Sen. Chuck Robb, $1000; Rep. Lynn Schenk, $500; Rep. Karen Shepherd, $500; Rep. Alan Wheat, $1000; (Sen. Paul Wellstone, $500; Rep. Dick Gephardt, $1000).
Jane Bryant Quinn, Newsweek columnist: Sue Kelly for Congress, $1000.
Sherrie Rollins, Vice President, ABC: Republican Network to Elect Women, $250.
Pierre Salinger, former reporter and bureau chief, ABC: Patrick Kennedy for congress, $700; Sen. Ted Kennedy. $1500.
Walter Shapiro, Time Contributor: Karen McCarthy for Congress, $1100.
Maria Shriver, NBC reporter: Patrick Kennedy, $1000; Sen. Ted Kennedy, $2000.
Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Chairman, New York Times Company: Rep. Amory Houghton, $500; Sen. Pat Moynihan, $1000; Senate Victory ‘94, $1000; (New York Republican County Committee, $1000).
Andrew Tobias, Time Contributor: Rep. Tom Andrews, $2000; DCCC, $1000; Tom Duane for Congress, $1000; Rep. Barney Frank, $1000; Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, $3700; Sen. Ted Kennedy, $750; Sen. Joseph Lieberman, $500; Charles Millard for Congress, $250; Sen. Chuck Robb, $250; Hermine Wiener for Congress, $500; (Rep. Carolyn Maloney, $250; DNC, $25,000; Sen. Ted Kennedy, $500, Rep. Gerry Studds, $250).
Ted Turner, Chairman, Turner Broadcasting: Rep. Buddy Darden, $500; Rep. Jack Fields, $500; Rep. John Lewis, $500; Rep. Ed Markey, $500; Sen. George Mitchell, $500; Rep. Carlos Moorhead, $500; Rep. Bill Richardson, $500; Rep. Mike Synar, $1500; (Rep. Bill Richardson, $1000; Clinton-Gore ‘96, $500).
Stephen Weiswasser, Vice President, ABC: Rep. John Dingell, $1000; Sen. Ernest Hollings, $1000; Sen. Trent Lott, $1000; Rep. Ed Markey, $1000; (Rep. Jack Fields, $500; Sen. Larry Pressler, $1000).
John F. Welch, Chairman, GE: Rep. Gerald Solomon, $1000.
Mark Willes, CEO, Times Mirror: Rep. Rod Grams, $1750; Mitt Romney for Senate, $500.
Robert C. Wright, President, NBC: Sen. Richard Bryan, $500; Rep. John Dingell, $1000; Rep. Ed Markey, $2000; Charles Millard for Congress, $1000; Rep. Chris Shays, $500; Rep. Alan Wheat, $1000; (Rep. Tom Bliley, $1000; Sen. Al D’Amato, $500; Rep. Jack Fields, $1000; Sen. Larry Pressler, $1000).
