Nonpartisan Citizens Against Government Waste Names FCC's Martin 'Porker of the Month'; Cites NASCAR Sponsorship as rationale.....

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Washington DC., October 23, 2008: It's one distinction he could probably do without. The nonpartisan Citizens Against Government Waste today named FCC Chairman Kevin Martin its October "Porker of the Month" for using FCC funds to sponsor a NASCAR driver as part of the commission's DTV education campaign.

The FCC is paying $355,000 to sponsor David Gilliland's No. 38 car, owned by Yates Racing, for three races, to raise awareness about the upcoming switch to DTV in February. (The car crashed during its inaugural NASCAR race last Sunday afternoon.)

Even though broadcasters have inundated viewers with DTV messages for the past several months, the group said, "Martin considered it necessary to use additional taxpayer dollars to pay for the car and driver to bear slogans such as ‘Is Your TV ready for Digital?'

"While NASCAR is the biggest spectator sport in the country, it seems absurd to spend taxpayer money for three races only four months before the switch, following months of alternative advertising," it said.

"Chairman Martin not only chose to misuse government funds, but did so without consulting all of the FCC commissioners."

The group quoted FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein: "This doesn't seem like the most efficient use of resources."

The group also said that the sponsorship may be motivated by Martin's rumored desire to launch a political career in his home state of North Carolina, where NASCAR is based.

Citizens Against Government Waste describes itself as the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.