The Federal Communications Commission just ruled that television stations must put the information in their public and political files online … but there’s a catch. While all stations must digitize their public files this year, only the major-network stations in the country’s largest media markets will be required to post their political files online in 2012.

That leaves out millions of American voters who will have no easy way to access information about the billions of dollars’ worth of political ads clogging the airwaves this election cycle. Shadowy third-party groups are sponsoring most of these ads, and all Americans deserve to know who is bankrolling these advertisements. The public and political files have critical information about who is buying ads, how much they are paying and how stations are serving  — or failing to serve — local communities.

We’re working with volunteers and organizations across the country to collect the information from these files and post it online. Will you help us?

Read more about the decision and the communities affected by the FCC order on SavetheNews.org: 

http://www.savethenews.org/blog/12/04/27/political-files-meet-internet