In the wake of “Journolist”, it’s easy to see collusion everywhere.

It’s hard to tell, sometimes, if it’s because the lefty media and “alternative” media are completely in collusion, or if they all basically repeat each others’ stories.  Or both.

Last week, we shredded the thin gruel of “Minnesota Observer”‘s piece claiming that Salem Radio Twin Cities owed “equal time” to King Banaian’s opponent in House District 15B.

And even though I pretty much shredded the point, apparently regional lefties haven’t gotten the memo.  James Kessler, a peripatetic anti-conservative letter-to-the-editorialist, writes the Saint Cloud Times:

According to section 315 of the Communications Act of 1934, which says, and I quote, “If any licensee shall permit any person who is a legally qualified candidate for any public office to use a broadcasting station, he shall afford equal opportunities to all other such candidates for that office in the use of such broadcasting station.”

What it means is that if, for example, a candidate has several hours of air time every week on a radio station, then that radio station must give that candidate’s opponents equal air time every week. So perhaps King Banaian or KYCR-AM 1570 would care to explain how exactly Banaian is able to keep his broadcast on that radio station without that station providing equal opportunities for Banaian’s opponent?

If you read Shot In The Dark, you know that the law applies to radio stations that are heard in the district.  KYCR – King’s station – is not heard in 15B.

After all, Banaian is running for the District 15B seat in the Legislature. That station gives him four hours every week. Are they also giving his opponents the same amount of air time every week?

And it’s not like his careful refusal to mention his own candidacy on that radio show means he is falling within the law. That he is a candidate for political office and that he has a radio show is enough to require that KYCR give his opponent equal air time.

As we discussed last week: KYCR is heard barely, if at all, in District 15B. Ms. Lewis would need to drive to Eagan – 90 minutes each way, plus two hours on the air, plus prep time – on Saturdays during prime campaign time, to do a show that would not be heard at all in the district at hand.

Perhaps Janet Lewis – the DFLer who won the primary last week to run against King – should tell the leftyblog community to quit trying to do her favors.