By Rapid Response

UPDATE: They may no longer be receiving e-mails, we can always call or snail-mail:
 
Iowa Public Television
6450 Corporate Drive
P.O. Box 6450
Johnston, IA 50131
 (515) 242-3100 Programming/Scheduling

(800) 532-1290 toll free

email Iowa Press here:  http://www.iptv.org/contact.cfm?title=IOWA%20PRESS     

Submit a letter to the Register:  letters@dmreg.com   

Thanks,

Ellen & Trish

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If the Register doesn't slice & dice, here's what I submitted:

Iowa Press, part of IPTV, has a tagline that reads, “The issues and events affecting the lives of Iowans.” Apparently Iowa Press doesn't think interviewing Iowa congressional candidates from districts 2, 4 & 5 are issues and events that affect the lives of Iowans since they plan to interview congressional candidates from only the 1st and 3rd districts.

I live in the 2nd district. During my telephone discussion with a contact person at Iowa Press, he admitted to me that Iowa Press has no interest in the 2nd district congressional race, Loebsack v. Leach. When I asked the contact person to recite the mission statement of Iowa Press, he said, “to report the news as we see it”. Funny, that response sounds suspiciously like a Fox News spin zone. Moreover, if Iowa Press believes that Iowans will be affected by only the 1st and 3rd district congressional races, they must have also concluded that races in districts 2, 4 & 5 aren't really an issue and not really an event. And, since they “don't find the race compelling” because their crystal ball told them who the winners are, I'd like to know too. Why bother to vote?

Please contact Iowa Press at 1-800-532-1290. Let them know that all Iowans are affected by the issues and events in their respective district congressional races, and we would appreciate fair journalistic standards, not double standards, used in the treatment of all candidates and their constituents.

Ellen Ballas

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Here's how Iowa Press is responding to those who contact them…keep it up…

Ellen,
Thank you for writing to Iowa Public Television and sharing your concerns. We pride ourselves on our diverse schedule that serves more than 1 million viewers every week.

At this time we are still finalizing our programs and coverage of the 2006 political races. We are working on several programs to cover the races in each Iowa Congressional district. When we have more information available, we will be happy to send you an update with schedule information.

Once again, thank you for writing. Feedback from our viewers – like this message from you – is an important tool in helping us provide programming services that matter to Iowans. Your comments have been entered into our viewer comments database and will be shared with our producers, programmers and station director.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Williams