It was the most successful fundraiser the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had ever held in Chicago. Fred Eychaner and his partner, Ken Lee, welcomed 100 people into their home for an intimate dinner with President Clinton last May. But the $850,000 raised at the event couldn't outpace Eychaner's own contributions to the Democrats during the last election cycle. The television mogul has ranked in the top 75 of every Mother Jones 400 since the list's inception in 1996.
Most of Eychaner's contributions went to candidates who support gay rights. He also hosted a Democratic fundraiser last September on behalf of gays and lesbians. The "no-media-allowed" event, which raised nearly $200,000 for the Democratic National Committee, was attended by Tipper Gore and Maggie Daley, wife of Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley. "What an incredible event," Tipper told reporters. "It's an awesome amount of money to raise for Al and Joe [Lieberman] to get the message of tolerance across."
Through his Newsweb Corporation, Eychaner owns affiliates of the UPN network in Chicago and Denver. The company also owns three AM radio stations in the greater Chicago area.
Eychaner is also well-known for supporting the arts in Chicago. He sits on the board of the Joffrey Ballet and is an honorary director of Youth Communications, which puts out a publication written by teenagers.
-- Pam Smith
