Posted on 10/15/2004 8:14:26 PM PDT by John Lenin
Michael Moore's probably reaching his boiling point about now.
The nation's leading cable pay-per-view company, iN DEMAND, announced Friday it is nixing plans to air Moore's controversial doc Fahrenheit 9/11 on Nov. 1, the night before the presidential election.
An iN DEMAND spokesperson said in a statement, "We regret that our decision has led Michael Moore to consider legal action against us."
It is not clear exactly what legal action Moore plans to take. But the company's actions have apparently angered Moore, who hastily arranged a press conference after his Tonight Show with Jay Leno taping Friday.
Moore told the Associated Press late Friday he believes iN DEMAND decided not to air the film because of pressure from "top Republican people."
"Apparently people have put pressure on them and they've broken a contract," Moore said. "We've informed them of their legal responsibility and we all informed them that every corporate executive that has attempted to prohibit Americans from seeing this film has failed," the filmaker continued. "There's been one struggle or another over this, but we've always come out on top because you can't tell Americans they can't watch this."
The pay-per-view broadcaster had been planning to air a three-hour election eve special with the filmmaker, which included the first television showing of his incendiary documentary, for $9.95.
No word yet from iN DEMAND on their side of why they are not honoring their commitment to air the doc, but the Time Warner-owned company might indeed be feeling the political heat from conservatives crying foul.
Earlier this week, conservative broadcasting company Sinclair Broadcasting announced it was planning to air Stolen Honor, an anti-Kerry documentary created by the same team behind the discredited "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" ads. Some Democrats have complained, saying that the airing of the anti-Kerry doc would violate electioneering laws. The FCC (news - web sites) announced Thursday that the agency would stay out of the fray. The Democrats in turn lodged a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (news - web sites) and demanded equal time for Kerry ads from any Sinclair station that airs Stolen Honor.
Moore offered to give Fahrenheit 9/11 to Sinclair for free Friday, but few believe the conservative broadcaster would dare air Moore's film.
Although iN DEMAND is not subject to the FCC's jurisdiction as a privately owned pay-per-view cable channel, Time Warner may have feared some political backlash.
This is not the first time Moore has had trouble with corporate entities seeking to distribute his films.
Earlier this year, Moore went toe-to-toe with Disney for refusing to release Fahrenheit 9/11.
Soon after the Disney dust-up went public, Moore found alternative distribution for the film, which went on to become the most successful doc in history and one of the year's biggest successes. Fahrenheit 9/11 has raked in more than $217 million worldwide and was the ninth-biggest hit of the summer.
Fahrenheit 9/11 moved 1.36 million copies on DVD in its first week in stores last week, generating nearly $5 million in sales and another $5.5 million in rentals, both records for a documentary film.
eventually every business will know working w mm is a lawsuit ready 2 happen and he will be dead meat
They probably figured out that not that many people were going to pay nearly 10 bucks to see it and Moore was charging them too much for them to charge less. I'll bet it was strictly a money issue.
More reason to push this film:
http://www.fahrenhype911.com
Everyone should buy 2 copies. 1 for themselves and the other to give to someone in a swing state you know.
Michael Moore seems to think he is entitled to show his film wherever he wants to and everyone must be forced to watch it. How come every other filmmaker garners an audience by merit, but Moore seems to think he deserves his by force of law.
Far from being the humble blue collar populist he portrays himself as, Moore is a egomaniac, an aggressive capitalist, and has all the makings of a dictator in waiting.
What on earth is he going to sue for, and under what statute? If I grab a camera and make a film, can I sue to have it placed in theaters and on cable? Get a clue, Michael.
Don't you just love when Moore talks about what is fair and honest and true and responsible when it's his "contract" and he's LOSING MONEY.
I think we should nominate Moore for " Capitalist Pig of the Year " award.
How can the media keep calling the Swift Boat vets ads 'discredited' when not a bit of them have been discredited?
And the UN is now irrelevant.
Great Photo!!!
Let's send Moore to Iran to do a "documentary"....I'm sure they'd love him.
They may have also concluded that Michael Moore admittedly violated any agreement he had with In-Demand when he offered the film to Sinclair Broadcasting, who would air it for free. That may just negate any willingness of customers to pay $10 to see it on In-Demand.
Maybe Michael Moore will threaten to sit on them if they don't let him have his way. He might ask Elizabeth Edwards to come along and sit on people that don't agree with him.
I think you can just leave at pig.
Another lie that keeps being reincarnated. Disney NEVER agreed to distribute that stupid film.
Good shot. Maybe Adam Clymer could join the party.
The MSM haven't discredited anything about the Swift Boat ads.
Despite ads for Moore's 9/11 running on the big monitors at Blockbuster tonight, it didn't look like any had been checked out despite a full rack of 7 rows of Michael's Mug glaring at us. There were two (2) slots for Fahrenhype. Both were checked out. I asked if they had "Stolen Honor" yet. They hadn't heard of it.
It's the work of that evil, meddlin' Dick Cheney, I tells ya!
*tinfoil hat/sarcasm*
That is my thought exactly. If the pay per view rights were exclusive, when Moore offered it to Sinclair he broke the agreement. Or InDemand realized nobody would pay to watch it when they could rent it for less.
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