PILOT REPORTS ON FINDING THE RIGHT LANDING LIGHT AT THE WING ROOT; WITH THREE VERY LARGE CRACKS IN THE LIGHT BULB. MAINT DEFERS BULB UNDER MEL PROCEDURE THAT REFERS TO A BURNED OUT BULB; NOT ONE THAT IS SHATTERED.

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FO PREFLT FOUND A CRACKED LNDG LIGHT ON R (#2) SIDE AND CONSULTED MEL TO FIND ACTION. SAW THAT IF IT WERE A BLOWN LNDG LIGHT WAS FLT CREW PLACARD-ABLE. THE LIGHT WAS BROKEN WITH 3 VERY LARGE CRACKS IN THE BULB -- NOT THE COVERING LENS; BUT THE BULB. I TOLD MAINT CTL 4 DIFFERENT AND DISTINCT WAYS THAT IT WAS THE BULB THAT WAS CRACKED NOT THE OUTER COVER. HE INITIALLY TOLD ME THAT CONTRACT MAINT WAS GOING TO BE CALLED AND THEN 10 MINS LATER HE CAME BACK WITH A DIFFERENT PLAN. HE WAS INSISTENT THAT MEL WOULD COVER THE SITUATION AND PROCEEDED TO GIVE ME THE AUTH AND MAINT CTL NUMBER. I INFORMED HIM THAT THAT WAS FOR BURNED OUT BULBS AND NOT BROKEN; CRACKED; DAMAGED BULBS. HE DISAGREED WITH ME AND SO I TOOK HIS MEL AS A FLT CREW PLACARD THINKING 'I MUST HAVE IT WRONG.' UPON ARR IN ZZZ A MAINT PERSON MET THE ACFT AND ASKED THE SITUATION. I INFORMED HIM OF THIS STORY AND HE SAID THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW IF HE COULD EVEN CLR THE FLT CREW PLACARD BECAUSE THIS WAS SO ILLEGAL. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE CHIEF PLT AND GOT THE ANSWER MACHINE (AS USUAL) THEN I CALLED THE MGR OF MAINT CTL. YOU COULD TELL IN HIS VOICE THAT HE KNEW IT WAS WRONG BUT FAILED TO LEND ANY ASSISTANCE. MAINT IN ZZZ INFORMED ME OF THIS SITUATION. HE SAID THAT HE HAS DONE 'ROAD TRIPS' JUST TO FIX THIS EXACT THING. HE TOLD ME THIS CREW PLACARD WAS ILLEGAL AND HE DIDN'T KNOW IF HE COULD CLR SUCH A THING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED HE DID NOT BELIEVE THE MEL CHAPTER USED TO DEFER AND RELEASE THE EMB-145LR WAS APPLICABLE. ESPECIALLY WHEN THE REFERENCE LANGUAGE MENTIONED IN THE MEL; REFERS TO A BURNED OUT BULB CONDITION; NOT ONE WITH A SHATTERED BULB. HE FELT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT WAS BEING IGNORED.