KOPPEL MAKES THE CALL: ABC SET TO AIR NAMES OF WAR DEAD [Drudge]

Hartford Courant via Drudge ^ | April 30, 2004 | Liz Halloran

[lainie]

"Nightline" divides audience

HARTFORD, Conn. - (KRT) - ABC newsman Ted Koppel's plan to devote tonight's "Nightline" to reading the names of the more than 700 U.S. servicemen and women killed in action in Iraq has stirred anger and praise, and prompted one media company to bar its stations from airing the program.

Maryland-based Sinclair Broadcast Group said Thursday that the unique program is politically motivated and ordered its seven ABC affiliates, including WGGB in Springfield, Mass., not to air it.

"While the Sinclair Broadcast Group honors the memory of the brave members of the military who have sacrificed their lives in the service of our country, we do not believe such political statements should be disguised as news content," said Barry Faber, Sinclair's counsel, in a prepared statement issued in response to a request for comment.

The controversy comes as the American public is getting a look at photographs of flag-draped coffins returning from Iraq, and while a national debate is underway over the Bush administration's attempt to keep such images from the public eye.

. . .

As to what ABC viewers in Springfield will see tonight in place of "Nightline" and the list of war dead, Westerkamp said: "I don't know yet. We'll have something. Maybe a sitcom."

[lainie]

FLASH: SWITCHBOARD CHAOS AT SINCLAIR HEADQUARTERS' AS THOUSANDS CALL TO PROTEST DECISION TO CENSOR NIGHTLINE. FOX AFFILIATE WHNS IN GREENVILLE SOUTH CAROLINA TO AIR NIGHTLINE BROADCAST THIS EVENING IN LOCAL MARKET AFFECTED BY SINCLAIR PRE-EMPTION. ABC RADIO MAKES FEED AVAILABLE TO LOCAL RADIO IN AFFECTED MARKETS. ST LOUIS RADIO KTRS WILL CLEAR TO AIR SIMULCAST... DEVELOPING...

Good grief, where do you even start with this.

P.S. Sounds as though Ted Koppel is scheduled to be interviewed shortly on Hannity's radio show.

[BushisTheMan]

I think the flash is that the switchboard was flooded with calls from Freepers thanking them for taking a stand for the soldiers families.

[ModelBreaker]

I'm certain the deceased soldiers would be delighted to learn that Ted is using their names to help defeat the United States by forcing a withdrawal from Iraq.

[theDentist]

Of course Koppel was going to go ahead with it. Once he made it public he was committed. To back off and admit he was pandering to the liberals was too much a blow to his self-inflated ego.

[gathersnomoss]

If a tree falls in a forest, does it make a sound if no one is around? I don't watch Ned, er uh Ted.

[doggieboy]

If they wanted to do this on Veteran's Day they might have a case that it wasn't politically motivated.

[ptavares]

Why doesn't every member of the families of the dead SUE the station for using the names without permission...

[lainie]

Hannity says Koppel is appearing for interview after 2 PM Pacific -- I'm going to be in my car by then so I'll check this thread later.

[demlosers]

So Ted, 'Why are you naming all the American war dead on your show?'

Ted Koppel: Spin...'The American people have a right to know who they are...'
Spin.... 'Pat Tillman died in Afganistan, and by dying for his country, he put a face on all the servicemen and servicewomen who have died, and are dying in the war against terror...'
Spin...the public needs to see their names...blah, blah...
Spin...

[lainie]

True... and it's also very difficult for Nightline to make the case that the "public deserves" the information given that the list is available 24 hrs/day on the Internet.

[kevao]

If they wanted to do this on Veteran's Day they might have a case that it wasn't politically motivated.

If ABC really wanted to honor our dead, then why not do it during prime-time hours? Why do it at 11:30 pm, on a Friday night, on a show nobody watches? Aren't our fallen soldiers worthy of prime-time?

[A Citizen Reporter]

From Sinclair broadcasting's website:

"We understand that our decision in this matter may be questioned by some. Before you judge our decision, however, we would ask that you first question Mr. Koppel as to why he chose to read the names of 523 troops killed in combat in Iraq, rather than the names of the thousands of private citizens killed in terrorist attacks since and including the events of September 11, 2001. In his answer, we believe you will find the real motivation behind his action scheduled for this Friday. Unfortunately, we may never know for sure because Mr. Koppel has refused repeated requests from Sinclair's News Central news organization to comment on this Friday's program."

[Bommer]

Where?

[lainie]

All extremely good points. Mr. Koppel is obviously just practicing simple sensationalism here.. and it's working. Drudge with Brian Lamb this morning said it will be quite unseemly to read ABC's press release talking about the jump in ratings for this show. Koppel going to Hannity radio to plead his own relevancy will probably be amusing, too.

[highlandbreeze]

I wonder, did they get permisssion to use the soldier's names and pictures?

[lainie]

Drudge link, near the bottom of the right column:

THE LIST

[HamiltonJay]

I have no problem with this.. .My only request would be that they put it in context, by listing ht enames of the 3000 killed on 9/11/2001, the hundreds slaughtered in the Bali Bombing, the hudreds killed in Spain earlier this year etc etc as well.

Death by international terrorsim in 2003 were the lowest since the 1970s... These 700 died protecting the civilized world, and it is damned important that context be remembered.

[MizSterious]

Despicable. These brave young men who gave their lives for their country are now being used as props for an evening anti-war, anti-Bush informercial for the liberals.

[ballplayer]

The reply from sinclair is right on the mark! Read it at drudge

[Republican Red]

According to Sinclair's rebuttel letter to Sen. McCain, they quoted at least one wife that was quite upset that her husband was being used to further an anti-war cause.

In closing, I would like to quote for you the words of Captain Kate Blaise of the U.S. Military. Captain Blaise served in Iraq as a member of the 101st Airborne Division and suffered the loss of her husband Mike who was killed while also serving in Iraq. In commenting on exactly the type of practice which "Nightline" intends to employ, Captain Blaise had this to say:

"I was watching the news, watching this anti-war demonstration and they were reading off names of soldiers who had fallen in Iraq and they read off my husband's name. That made me very angry because he very strongly believed in what he was doing and they were using his name for a purpose that he would not have approved of."

Sinclair Responds to McCain