San Diego

Robert McCullough, who declared his write-in candidacy for San Diego mayor after collecting 845 votes in the February primary, filed a suit Tuesday in U.S. District Court asking that KFMB-TV and KCST-TV be required to let him participate in broadcast candidate forums before the June 3 election.

McCullough contends that the federal Fairness Doctrine mandates that his campaign receive coverage from local broadcasters. He wants the court to order KFMB-TV (Channel 8) to include him in a forum to be broadcast live Saturday and KCST-TV (Channel 39) to include him in a similar broadcast June 1.

Only candidates Bill Cleator and Maureen O’Connor, the top two vote-getters in the primary, are scheduled to appear on the programs.

KFMB’s editorial director, Carl Sisskind, said the station stood by its refusal to include McCullough in its forum.

Reading from a letter he sent McCullough last month, Sisskind said: “I am convinced our responsibility is to devote the maximum amount of the limited time available to those whom the voting public has selected as its principal choices for the runoff on June 3.”

KCST officials could not be reached for comment.