Proposal for discussion: www.boycottcbs.org

self | 10/21/03 | Pete

[Pete]

As many of you know, CBS recently ran a two part series on homeschooling that was outrageously bias and misleading. Today, it has been reported that they are planning a TV movie that will smear Ronald Reagan. We have put up with Rather for so long but enough is enough. CBS needs to be held accountable to the truth. We need to do something.

Free Republic is about grass-roots conservatism. Therefore, I propose we create a website at www.boycottcbs.org. The domain is available and could be live in 24 hours. I am willing to put up the money for domain registration and web hosting. (This runs $15 bucks and $5 buck a month, respectively.) What I am looking for in this thread is to flush out this idea and recruit volunteers to participate in the development and maintenance of the site. I simply cannot do it alone. We need people who are able to commit the necessary time to this project. At minimum, we would need:

1. Webmaster - oversight responsibility of development and content
2. Programmer - Assist the webmaster in site development
3. Content manager - Develop and coordinate website content
4. Promotion dirctor - responsible for getting the word out and generating traffic
5. PR manager - Handle external communication
6. Technical manager - responsible for technical coding - e.g. scripts, php, etc.
8. Content volunteers - responsible for monitoring and reporting sponsors and stories on CBS.

That is a start. Other needs can be discussed once we develop of core team.

I envision the mission of the site would be, at a minimum:

1. Document bias in news stories and programs.
2. Provide context and correct errors and expose outright lies in their stories and television programs.
3. Provide sponsor information to facilitate boycotts and contact.
4. Provide opportunities for public discussion and interaction via discussion boards, reader reports, chat etc.

I know there are other sites, like ratherbiased.com, but I do not believe there are any sites that fulfill the proposed specific mission.

If you are interested, reply on this thread and also contact me through freep mail. All comments concerning this proposal are welcome. If there is sufficient interest here, we can go ahead and form a team.

[sauropod]

ping!

[diotima]

ping!

[IncPen]

In the short term I recommended last nite that the upcoming Reagan movie on CBS be watched, and instead of the usual smart aleck replies, a list be made and maintained, and the sponsors of the show be LOUDLY, REPEATEDLY and FORCEFULLY reminded that their sponsorship of CBS amounts to political endorsement

[4mycountry]

CBwho??

[Old Sarge]

This idea has TREMENDOUS merit! Please consider it: revenue hurts them more than deflated egos ever will.

[Porterville]

A Shortlist of CBS sponsors:

Blockbuster Blockbuster

ArmyARMY

PontiacPontiac

VisaVISA

TargetTarget

ReebokREEBOK

Dr SchollsDr Scholls

DoritosDoritos

Ericsson Ericsson

ChevyChevy

United AirlinesUnited

BudweiserBudweiser

Monster.comMonster

American Express AmericanExpress

Brita waterBrita

Royal CaribbeanRoyalcaribbean

GilletteGillette

Lean cuisineLean cuisine

Jack in the BoxJack in the Box

CoronaCorona

SaturnSaturn

[DustyMoment]

This is nothing new for CBS. It is rotten to the core and no amount of websites encouraging its boycott will change anything.

CBS owes its existence to the likes of Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz and Ed Sullivan, to name but a few. And yet, with the exception of Ed Sullivan, they couldn't wait to sully the reputation of Ball and Arnaz AFTER their deaths. Ball and Arnaz did more that just I Love Lucy, they put CBS on the map and pulled it off of life support. Desi Arnaz proved himself to be a brilliant innovator who not only developed the formula still used today to film sit-coms (which lead to the beginning of re-runs) he also added immeasurably to the quality of the I Love Lucy scripts.

Lucille Ball, in her own right, made a substantial impact on CBS via her participation in and (after the divorce) sole ownership of DesiLu Studios. DesiLu provided many high quality shows to CBS well into the 80s prior to Lucille Ball's passing.

These days, neither CBS nor any of the other lamestream networks are worth the effort. The network doesn't care and neither do the advertisers.

[Pete]

These days, neither CBS nor any of the other lamestream networks are worth the effort. The network doesn't care and neither do the advertisers.

It is reported today the Clariton pulled their advertising from the second night of the Homeschool story on CBS as a result of public outcry. I believe boycotts will work. CBS program directors and jouralists may only care about their political agenda, but the back office decision makers only care about one thing - money. Even if you are right, the potential for failure is not a reason to abandon effort.

[murdoog]

Desi Arnaz proved himself to be a brilliant innovator who not only developed the formula still used today to film sit-coms (which lead to the beginning of re-runs) he also added immeasurably to the quality of the I Love Lucy scripts.

Those liberals at CBS want to disown I Love Lucy because one of the characters was a freeper.

[mallardx]

Right on, Pete. I think you have an excellent idea. The liberals' smearing of Reagan needs to be countered by a force of thousands of seriously p.o.'ed people.

[flutters]

This is a great idea. Good luck!

[sunryse]

I like your idea of watching it for the list of sponsors and letting them know we think they are endorsing a political smear campaign.

[Pete]

Thanks to all who have responded to this thread. I want to let everyone know that I have been contacted by the chairmain of the Freeper Network, Citizens Coalition For Responsible Media or CCRM. It turns out that this group of Freepers have already put together an entire infrustructure to battle bias in the media, including a website www.fairpress.org. I will be talking with them over the next days and weeks in an effort to determine the most effective and efficient ways to achieve the mission I stated in my post. If anyone wishes to be kept up to date on the progress, please send me a freep mail and I will be sure to keep you informed of any developments. Thanks.

[Redbob]

This sounds like a good idea, but I personally am afraid it might actually require me to WATCH See-B.S., and I just can't bring myself to do that!

[Redbob]

I don't know about the rest of those sponsors, but we should certainly be able to influence the ARMY sponsorship, don't you think?

Through our elected representatives, for example?

Of course, See-B.S. would scream "censorship", but this would be an excellent opportunity to explain to folks what "censorship" really means.

[Defiant]

You left out the "u". It should be www.boycottcubs.com. That would be a valuable site for the heartbroken.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

CBS

[auzerais]

The thing to do is call and write to the General Manager of your local CBS affliliate.

Let them know in no uncertain terms that you AND YOUR ENTIRE EXTENDED FAMILY are so upset with the Streisand-approved anti-Reagan mini-series, that you are immediately DELETING the affiliate's channel# from your on-screen tv selections.

Let them know that you will not only be boycotting nationally programmed CBS shows, like CSI, Joan of Arcadia, NCIS, AMY, Becker, JAG, Survivor, etc but also all their local news programming.

That will have the GMs screaming to CBS' TPTB @ "BlackRock" in NYC to immediately cancel this horrid series.