Nightline makes farce of the Dead

townhall.com ^ | 5/03/04 | Armstrong Williams

[kattracks]

Amidst the bloodiest month since the U.S.-led invasion began in March 2003, it has become clear that the loss of soldier's lives in Iraq is not just cause for anger, fear or mourning, it's also big business. For example, consider the April 30 broadcast of Nightline, in which anchorman Ted Koppel read aloud the names of U.S. servicemen killed in the Iraq war, while their pictures were shown on the screen. Pitched as a tribute, the Nightline episode is little more than a crass attempt to cash in during May sweeps, while stoking anti-war sentiment. "Sweeps week" is the period during which networks set their advertising rates for the year based on viewership shares. By coming up big during "sweeps," Nightline figured to honor hundreds of fallen soldiers and make lots of money.

[Caipirabob]

Does anyone know or did anyone see what FOX did to counter this episode?

I read about it but didn't watch any of it.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

They said that FOX is doing it next Sunday. Wallace was full of it.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

Hopefully, Nielsen families tuned out.

[My Dog Likes Me]

If the Nightline broadcast in question aired on April 30, how do the "May sweeps" come into play?

I love my fellow Freepers, but I'm astonished at the number of you who would rather look directly into the noon sun than in the faces of troops who died in the service of our country.

[GBA]

We've seen that the people we are fighting against, pay attention to what we see in the media. So answer this: while we are fighting a war, who does parading our war dead, help more, our troops or the people they are fighting against? Do those pictures provide aide and comfort to the enemy or boost the morale of our troops?

The terrorists will never go away. No amount of appeasement will ever change that. They are like the weeds in the garden and must be dealt with. You can't tell the weeds that they can have one part of the yard if they just stay out of the rest.

You want to see the pictures of our fallen soldiers so badly? Fine, but show the pictures of the WTC on fire, with the people leaping from those burning towers. Show the coffins of the people killed on 9/11. As you show us the cost of the war we are fighting, remind us of why we are fighting it. Because if you don't, we will most certainly have another 9/11 like event that will remind us.

[Sean Osborne Lomax]

Because the "May Sweeps" began on Thurday night, April 29th... the night before the Nightline broadcast.

The Executive Producer and Ted Koppel himself will deny it until the cows come home. I think they are both bald-faced liars.

Nightline, you want honor our fallen? You honor them ALL.

Period!

And not just in Iraq, you honor them all. From September 11, 2001 to the Present.

Period!

You DO NOT "expand" a news show by a mere 10 minutes and call that honoring our dead.

HORSEHOOEY!

You do an hour or more program, two hours if need be, and you read EVERY NAME of every active duty, national guardsman or civilian who has paid the ultimate sacrifice.

ALL OF THEM. PERIOD.

I am boycotting ABC Network News Programming AND THEIR ADVERTISERS.

[Izzy Dunne]

If the Nightline broadcast in question aired on April 30, how do the "May sweeps" come into play?

Take a look at when the May Sweeps occurs. They actually started Apr. 28.

[stanley windrush]

May sweeps started Thursday the 29th of April. Don't know how the media decides the starting and ending days but this years rating period for May started last Thursday.

[tcostell]

I'm with you. ABC is very careful to remind us (again and again and again) of the cost of war, but just as careful to ignore the cost of peace. 3,000 unarmed civilians also died in this war and they are ignorning that completely.

I come from a family with a long military tradition and have nothing but respect for our men and women who chose to serve. But it misrepresents the issue to farcically say you are honoring the fallen while you are really using them to undermine the ongoing efforts of those who survive. It's shameful and we should each use our wallets to punish ABC for their efforts.

[BillyCrockett]

"The terrorists will never go away. No amount of appeasement will ever change that. They are like the weeds in the garden and must be dealt with. You can't tell the weeds that they can have one part of the yard if they just stay out of the rest. You want to see the pictures of our fallen soldiers so badly? Fine, but show the pictures of the WTC on fire, with the people leaping from those burning towers. Show the coffins of the people killed on 9/11. As you show us the cost of the war we are fighting, remind us of why we are fighting it. Because if you don't, we will most certainly have another 9/11 like event that will remind us."

Very well put. In today's world, where the news is broadcast "as it happens" anywhere in the world, an argument can sure be made that any American TV companies broadcasting just the negatives should be reason enough to charge them for treason against their country. Katie, on NBC this morning, made sure she brought the Iraq prisoners, who were abused by a few nitwitted soldiers, back up front and center over and over again.

[proud American in Canada]

"Does anyone know or did anyone see what FOX did to counter this episode?"

It's going to run next week. It will be called, "What We've Accomplished."

I'm planning on getting the vcr ready.

[Ranger]

It was a personal obligation at our house to watch it start to finish.

[AmericanChef]

Never support dishonorable intentions. If the devil himself was reading the names, would we tune in to "honor" the dead?

It's all part of their campaign to make us think we're losing this war, subsequently affecting our troops in the most humilitating way possible. Don't get sucked in. Honor the dead in other ways.

[Pete]

I listen to the news at the top and bottom of the hour when driving to work. Without fail, every network I have heard starts the news with reports of any American casualties in Iraq, often with a hand-wringing tone. This appears to be consistent with major media reporting. Given that context, I believe the Nightline episode could easily be interpreted as anti-War - akin to "Look at all the body bags".

If it was the case that there was scant mention of the war dead in every-day media coverage, I could see the Nightline program as an appropriate tribute and reminder but given the constant casualty drum beat, I can't help interpret it as piling on.

[spoiler2]

Does anyone know the actual ratings this show incurred?

With the search I was able to achieve, it hadn't gotten into the top twenty, for Friday evening.

[ChinaThreat]

I would rather look directly into a blow torch than let Ted Koppell make a mockery of our troops sacrifice. This was a political ploy.

Q: Whey did he not honor those fallen in Afghanastan?
A: Because this is a political move.

Q: Why did he make this presentation on the anniversary of Bush's comment about the end of major combat operations?
A: Because he is trying to discgrace Bush.

Many of you out there are NAIVE and think this was "honoring" our troops. That is not the case. If this was done on Memorial Day or by a non-profit organization like the Veterans of Foreign Wars it would be ok. This was done by a left leaning, for-profit organization and was intended to erode support for this war. Would you want somebody who has made it clear they do not support this war honoring your fallen sons or daughters. That is the equivalent of the 70's Anti-war movement being left to uphold the honor of Arlington cemetary. This turns my stomach.

[CyberAnt]

"Wallace is full of it"

How so ..?? Did you see Wallace's announcement of next week's program ..??

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I did see him say they were going to have a response this Sunday, not next.