Originally posted by Jemison
I have a very simple question. What are you afraid of if this airs? Have any of you seen it?
I have a problem with F9/11 being aired because it is filled with deciets. If the movie you are upset about is also filled with deciets, though I am
NOT a Kerry fan by ANY stretch of the imagination, I will support your cause and will begin a letter writing campaign to protest this movie being
aired.
If the movie is NOT similar to F9/11 and is a factual documentary than why the uproar?
Jemison
How are some guys opinions a factual documentary? It actually is the same as 9/11 but AGAIN, not the point. That's a movie. You pay, go see. You
rent, take home. You order pay per view, it play.
I really don't even care about the Kerry angle anyway. He's wiping Bush's nose and this is actually helping. It's the PUBLIC AIRWAVES we must
defend.
I really don't see how to make you understand this. It's been done to death. You can't do what Sinclair does to it's markets. Period. This is just
the latest example. It's not like a cable network you subscribe to and invite and KNOW who's behind it.
It's your local everyday, UPN or FOX, or CBS or whatever YOU THINK is local, but it's like a direct feed from the White House. And this attempt to
give free air time for an election infomercial IS criminal. Make them form a 527 and PAY. Buy air time Pennsylvania Vets and Homeland Security
Contractor Moonies For Bush! It's not "news" it's an AD.
Anyway, just think about someone turning on their local ABC station thinking it's local, it's news, it's whatever...and getting that movie right
before an election or any of Sinclairs antics:
SINCLAIR REFUSES TO LET LOCAL MARKETS SEE NIGHTLINE
Tonight, ABC's "Nightline" will pay tribute to U.S. troops killed in Iraq by airing a 40 minute special – the names of the fallen will be read by
anchor Ted Koppel as their photographs appear on screen. But Sinclair Broadcast Group – the country's largest owner of TV stations – will not allow
its ABC affiliates to air the show. In a statement, Sinclair claims the special "appears to be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine
the efforts of the United States in Iraq." While Sinclair claims it is pre-empting Nightline because it is an attempt to "influence public
opinion," the record shows that Sinclair media has repeatedly leveraged its control over the airwaves to manipulate public opinion in favor of
President Bush's right-wing agenda.
SINCLAIR REQUIRES JOURNALISTS TO READ PRO-BUSH STATEMENTS: In September 2001, Sinclair Broadcasting required its affiliates to air messages
"conveying full support" for the Bush administration. At a Baltimore affiliate, WBFF "officials required news and sports anchors, even a weather
forecaster, to read the messages, "which included statements such as "[the station] wants you to know that we stand 100% behind our President."
Several WBFF staffers objected on the grounds that reading the statements would "erode their reputations as objective journalists" because it made
them appear to be "endorsing specific government actions."
SINCLAIR REFUSES TO AIR AD HIGHLIGHTING 2003 BUSH ERROR: In July 2003, Sinclair Broadcasting refused to allow WMSN TV – its FOX affiliate in Madison,
WI – to air a DNC advertisement that featured a clip of President Bush making the false claim "Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities
of uranium from Africa" in his 2003 State of the Union Address. Three other Madison stations, including ABC, NBC and CBS, readily agreed to air the
ad. The Madison CBS affiliate, WISC, said the advertisement was "no worse than any other political ad."
SINCLAIR PRODUCES CENTRALIZED RIGHT-WING CONTENT FOR 'LOCAL STATIONS': In a controversial business practice, Sinclair Broadcasting has fired much of
the staff for the local affiliates it owns, instead producing content for its local stations from a central facility outside Baltimore which it then
airs on "local" news broadcasts. The centralized content features nightly commentary by Sinclair corporate communications chief Mark Hyman. Hyman
regularly refers to the French as "cheese-eating surrender monkeys," the so-called liberal media as the "hate-America crowd," and progressives as
"the lonely left" On one recent commentary, Hyman called members of Congress who voted against a recent resolution affirming the righteousness of
the Iraq war "unpatriotic politicians who hate our military." You can see all of Hyman's commentaries this month HERE. (Read more from American
Progress about the problems of media consolidation.)
SINCLAIR AIRS FAKE NEWS BROADCASTS PRODUCED BY BUSH ADMINISTRATION: In March, it was discovered that the Bush Administration was producing
"television news stories, written and paid for by the government, which have the appearance of legitimate news segments delivered by independent
reporters," and distributing them to local newscasts as a way of promoting administration policies – including its ill-conceived Medicare
prescription drug law. On the broadcasts, a public relations professional named Karen Ryan pretended to be a reporter. Among the stations which aired
the administration propaganda as news: WPGH in Pittsburgh "the Sinclair Broadcasting station that fired much of its news staff in favor of feeds from
a centralized newsroom in Baltimore."
Nobody is this deceptive or one sided. NOBODY! FoxNews is liberal compared to this. At least you know what you're inviting into your home with Fox
Cable. These are PUBLIC AIRWAVES though disguised as local independent voices of the community. What don't you still get?
I'm frankly shocked our Liberty lovin' board members aren't collectively disgusted regardless of politcal affiliation. And even if you're only in
it for Bush, it
is hurting him. The backlash and outrage is linking directly to him. How can it not?
[edit on 12-10-2004 by RANT]