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Take Back The Media calls for Channel 15/20 Boycott |
Current rating: 0 |
by The Voice of Labor
Email: thevoiceoflabor (nospam) centurytel.net (unverified!) |
10 Oct 2004
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The boycott has been called against all sponsors of Sinclair owned and/or operated TV stations. In addition to Channels 15 in Champaign and 20 in Springfield, these include WYZZ-43 in Bloomington/Peoria, KDNL-30 in St. Louis, WVTV-18 and WCGV-24 in Milwaukee, WMSN-47 in Madison, and KGAN-2 in Cedar Rapids/Dubuque |
Remember the ruckus that the conservatives raised about the advertising that Michael Moore planned to do for 'Fahrenheit 9/11?' How the commercials were deemed to be 'campaign commercials for Kerry' and a violation of campaign advertising laws?
Well, those were nothing compared to this:
The conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group, whose television outlets reach nearly a quarter of the nation's homes with TV, is ordering its stations to preempt regular programming just days before the Nov. 2 election to air a film that attacks Sen. John F. Kerry's activism against the Vietnam War, network and station executives familiar with the plan said Friday.
Sinclair's programming plan, communicated to executives in recent days and coming in the thick of a close and intense presidential race, is highly unusual even in a political season that has been marked by media controversies.
Sinclair has told its stations β many of them in political swing states such as Ohio and Florida β to air "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal," sources said. The film, funded by Pennsylvania veterans and produced by a veteran and former Washington Times reporter, features former POWs accusing Kerry β a decorated Navy veteran turned war protester β of worsening their ordeal by prolonging the war. Sinclair will preempt regular prime-time programming from the networks to show the film, which may be classified as news programming, according to TV executives familiar with the plan.
Executives at Sinclair did not return calls seeking comment, but the Kerry campaign accused the company of pressuring its stations to influence the political process.
"It's not the American way for powerful corporations to strong-arm local broadcasters to air lies promoting a political agenda," said David Wade, a spokesman for the Democratic nominee's campaign. "It's beyond yellow journalism; it's a smear bankrolled by Republican money, and I don't think Americans will stand for it."
Sinclair stations are spread throughout the country, in major markets that include Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Las Vegas; its only California station is in Sacramento. Fourteen of the 62 stations the company either owns or programs are in the key political swing states of Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where the presidential election is being closely fought.
Station and network sources said they have been told the Sinclair stations β which include affiliates of Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, as well as WB and UPN β will be preempting regular programming for one hour between Oct. 21 and Oct. 24, depending on the city. The airing of "Stolen Honor" will be followed by a panel discussion, which Kerry will be asked to join, thus potentially satisfying fairness regulations, the sources said.
Kerry campaign officials said they had been unaware of Sinclair's plans to air the film, and said Kerry had not received an invitation to appear.
You may remember Sinclair as the broadcast group that refused to air the Nightline program that ran the names of American military killed in Iraq.
This is an unprecedented use of commercial airwaves - airwaves that belong to us - for blatantly political purposes, and a clear violation of campaign advertising restrictions. It must not be allowed to stand.
http://www.sbgi.net/business/markets/all.shtml lists all Sinclair stations. While TBTM usually encourages our readers to contact the stations themselves, Sinclair is simply too politically motivated at this point for contacting them to do much good.
So this time, we urge anyone who has a Sinclair outlet in their area to write their local papers and contact Sinclair's competitors to call attention to this on a local level. If enough pressure is brought to bear from the bottom up, individual outlets may be persuaded to pass on running this piece of anti-Kerry propaganda.
Do not let them get away with this. Stop it today. Thank you.
http://web.takebackthemedia.com/geeklog/public_html/article.php?story=20041009160520115 |
Related stories on this site:
WICD-Ch. 15 to Air Anti-Kerry Film
StopSinclair.org
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This work is in the public domain. |
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Re: Take Back The Media calls for Channel 15/20 Boycott |
by Paul Riismandel
paul (nospam) mediageek.org (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
10 Oct 2004
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While they'll air an anti-Kerry polemic, WICD/WICS refused to air a documentary on low-power FM radio that was made available to all NBC affiliates.
As it is, they air 30 - 60 seconds of unabashed Republican-slanted, right-wing "commentary" every night at the end of the local news in the form of "The Point," featuring Sinclair VP Mark Hyman, former Naval "intelligence" officer, still serving in a reserve capacity.
Hope you like "The Point" because the entire local newscast is going the way of the dinosaurs in just a few months when channels 15 and 20 go from NBC to ABC affiliation and pick up Sinclair's nationwide centralized "local" news program News Central ( http://www.newscentral.tv/ ). You see, NBC doesn't like it's affiliates airing fake local news. But a move to ABC solves that problem and paves the way for a few more unemployed TV journalists and staff people in Champaign and Springfield.
Call them and let them know what you think about it:
Phone Numbers:
217-351-8500
News Direct Line: 217-351-8538
Fax Numbers:
General: 217-351-6056
News: 217-351-6134
Creative Services: 217-239-5780
Danville Bureau
17 East Liberty Lane
Danville, IL 61832
Phone: (217) 431-1515
Fax: (217) 431-1543
Springfield Station (WICS-TV):
2680 East Cook Street
Springfield, IL 62703
Phone: 217-753-5620
Fax: 217-753-8177 |
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Re: Take Back The Media calls for Channel 15/20 Boycott |
by Samuel Adams
raccoonking (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
10 Oct 2004
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Oh, I think I am gonna watch 'em anyway. It's not like it's worth giving up the Simpsons over. BTW..the airwaves do not belong to "us" unless "we" pay for them. Apparently, they belong to Sinclair and the "projected" audience, not an ACTUAL audience. So stop whining. |
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Re: Take Back The Media calls for Channel 15/20 Boycott |
by 5
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
10 Oct 2004
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Actually...the airwaves *do* belong to the we, the people. Broadcast television and radio stations apply for the privilege of using those airwaves. They receive a license from the federal government and in return they must follow certain rules. Obscenity rules, false advertising laws, public service requirements, etc.... Oh yeah, and campaign advertising regulations...remember those? |
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Re: Take Back The Media calls for Channel 15/20 Boycott |
by The Voice of Labor
thevoiceoflabor (nospam) centurytel.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
11 Oct 2004
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Democratic Underground is talking boycott as well. Check http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1020830 out when you can. |
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Re: Take Back The Media calls for Channel 15/20 Boycott |
by The Voice of Labor
thevoiceoflabor (nospam) centurytel.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
11 Oct 2004
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This is really taking off fast.
http://boycottsinclair.blogspot.com |
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Re: Take Back The Media calls for Channel 15/20 Boycott |
by Nancy
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
11 Oct 2004
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Who are the sponsors of Ch. 15 we should boycott? Perhaps people could list them here. |
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Re: Take Back The Media calls for Channel 15/20 Boycott |
by Jack Ryan
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
13 Oct 2004
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Sinclair has every right to broadcast this and you folks have every right to boycott. I believe the Vets and former POWs have earned their right to speak as well. After all, it was Kerry who accused them of being war criminals.
Jack |
