Monroe Communications partnered with SJ Public Relations to manage the onslaught of negative media attention received following the licensing agreement involving a local Spanish-language station.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted Monroe Communications, a Chicago business group, the rights to a Chicago area Telemundo station. This license agreement resulted in Monroe Communications becoming the target of a hostile government and community wide coalition composed of over 125 organizations uniting to publicly protest the company. Monroe Communications turned to SJ Public Relations to help clarity the facts surrounding the license dispute and change the public’s perception.
SJPR launched a multi-phased public relations campaign which allowed for continual, transparent messaging on behalf of the brand that communicated Monroe’s position on improving the station’s future Spanish-language programming and operations.
SJPR’s aggressive crisis communications plan resulted in an improved perception of Monroe Communications among political and community leaders, positive media coverage for the company and its licensing plans and the dissolution of the Anti-Monroe Coalition. The FCC’s landmark ruling on this case stands as the only time in the history of broadcasting that a station license was successfully challenged.