Glenn, Schulz Call For MCTV to Reverse Program Removals
UPDATE — Jan. 7, 2020: After a review by City Attorney James O. Branson III, MCTV will reinstate Sarah Schulz’s television program ‘People Over Politics,’ as well as State Rep. Annette Glenn’s television program ‘Hometown Heroes,’ the City Paper has learned.
MIDLAND, Mich. — State Representative Annette Glenn says she will ask the Michigan House Republican Campaign Committee today to withdraw its complaint regarding State House candidate Sarah Schulz’s MCTV program ‘People Over Politics.’
The City of Midland and MCTV temporarily removed Ms. Schulz’s new program and also removed access to Ms. Glenn’s program ‘Hometown Heroes,’ after the City received a cease-and-desist letter from Dickinson Wright PLLC, a Washington-based law firm representing the committee. The letter states that the ‘People Over Politics’ program is being used as “long-from [form] campaign advertisement”.
Ms. Schulz, a Democrat, is seeking to challenge Ms. Glenn (R) in the 2020 general election on Nov. 3. In 2018, Ms. Glenn defeated Ms. Schulz by 20,209 votes to 18,629, however Ms. Schulz received more votes in the City of Midland.
“In fairness, as long as she doesn’t use it to expressly promote her political candidacy at city taxpayers’ expense,” Ms. Glenn said in a statement sent to the City Paper, “Sarah has as much right as anybody else to host a show on MCTV. Monday, I will instruct HRCC to withdraw its complaint, and ask MCTV to continue broadcasting both shows.”
The cease-and-desist letter was originally and mistakenly sent to Midland Area Community Foundation President & CEO Sharon Mortensen, claiming that MCTV was “an arm of” the foundation and that Ms. Schulz’s program was an “in-kind contribution from the non-profit corporation that owns your station to the Schulz campaign and violates Michigan law.” The letter also contains several typos, spelling Ms. Mortensen’s name wrong and referring to the Midland Daily News as “Midland County News.”
MCTV is, in fact, run by the City of Midland. The foundation is a public charity and is not a government entity. Ms. Mortensen declined comment.
City Attorney James O. Branson III is currently reviewing the matter.
“The City is currently reviewing MCTV’s Rules and Regulations and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s Statutes and Rules on Candidate Appearances and Advertising,” the City said in a press release issued last Friday. “The public awareness programs aired by both Sarah Schulz and Annette Glenn have become politicized and the City is now forced to resolve the legality of airing these programs with their current moderators.”
Mr. Branson defended MCTV’s programming and replied to the cease-and-desist letter with a blistering letter of his own, which was obtained by the City Paper.
“To be clear, you should at least do a minimum of fact based research before launching such a threatening and ridiculous letter,” Mr. Branson wrote, concluding with, “Sort it out, bring a lawsuit, get a court order or write another misdirected, misinformed letter.”
Representatives from Dickinson Wright have not yet responded to telephone and e-mail messages seeking comment.
Over the weekend, Ms. Schulz called for MCTV to put both shows back on the air and criticized what she called the “tribalism” and “partisan tactics” of the Michigan House Republican Campaign Committee.
“I am disappointed that people in powerful positions in Lansing and Washington, DC would go to such lengths to stop a program that features local citizens sharing their personal heart-felt stories about the important issues that impact their lives. This behavior is indicative of the overt polarizing nature of politics today that most of us are so tired of,” Ms. Schulz told the City Paper. “We must stop the tribalism and get to work on the real issues that impact people’s everyday lives. I implore the Michigan House Republican Campaign Committee to drop these partisan tactics and the City of Midland and MCTV to put both mine and Annette’s shows back on the air. This is exactly why people are so over politics.”
Ms. Glenn’s campaign says that in her program, ‘Hometown Heroes,’ she is involved in her official capacity as State Representative. The program features local nonprofit organizations
“Because these public affairs programs feature Rep. Glenn in her capacity as State Representative and are provided to MCTV as a public service, no mention is made of any political campaign or politics during her interviews with Midland area nonprofit leaders,” the Glenn campaign told the City Paper.
Ms. Schulz’s program, campaign officials say, does not involve campaigning, however Ms. Schulz may be identified as a State House candidate in a lower third super. Ms. Schulz’s program’s first episode focuses on prescription medication prices.
It is unclear how the Michigan House Republican Campaign Committee received word of Ms. Schulz’s program and its content, however Ms. Glenn’s campaign insists that she was not involved.
“Rep. Glenn and her staff were not consulted by the House Republican Campaign Committee before HRCC filed a complaint regarding a new show hosted by announced Democratic candidate Sarah Schulz,” the campaign told the City Paper.
Michael Westendorf is the chairman and executive editor of Chemical City Paper. As Executive Editor, he leads the City Paper’s news coverage and editorial team.