Posted on 10/19/2004 1:30:20 PM PDT by cgk
BALTIMORE, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sinclair Broadcast Group
(Nasdaq: SBGI) announced today that on Friday, October 22, 2004 at 8:00 p.m.
(7:00 p.m. central time) certain television stations owned by Sinclair
Broadcast Group, Inc. will air a special one-hour news program, entitled "A
POW Story: Politics, Pressure and the Media." In order to minimize the
interruption of normally scheduled programming in those markets where Sinclair
owns and/or programs more than one television station, the news special will
be broadcast on only one of those stations. A complete list of stations which
will be airing the program and the times of such broadcasts is attached.
The news special will focus in part on the use of documentaries and other
media to influence voting, which emerged during the 2004 political campaigns,
as well as on the content of certain of these documentaries. The program will
also examine the role of the media in filtering the information contained in
these documentaries, allegations of media bias by media organizations that
ignore or filter legitimate news and the attempts by candidates and other
organizations to influence media coverage.
Contrary to numerous inaccurate political and press accounts, the Sinclair
stations will not be airing the documentary "Stolen Honor" in its entirety.
At no time did Sinclair ever publicly announce that it intended to do so. In
fact, since the controversy began, Sinclair's website has prominently
displayed the following statement: "The program has not been videotaped and
the exact format of this unscripted event has not been finalized.
Characterizations regarding the content are premature and are based on ill-
informed sources."
While the news special will discuss the allegations surrounding Senator
John Kerry's anti-Vietnam War activities in the early 1970s raised by a number
of former POWs in "Stolen Honor," it will do so in the context of the broader
discussion outlined above. The program will be hosted by Jeff Barnd, the Emmy
award-winning co-anchor of Fox 45's 10:00 News which airs on WBFF-TV,
Sinclair's flagship station in Baltimore, Maryland.
Joe DeFeo, Sinclair's Vice President of News, commented that, "As with all
news programming produced by Sinclair's News Central, `A POW Story' is being
produced with the highest journalistic standards and integrity. We have not
ceded, and will not in the future cede, control of our news reporting to any
outside organization or political group. We are endeavoring, as we do with
all of our news coverage, to present both sides of the issues covered in an
equal and impartial manner."
In fact, Sinclair has been in private communication with Senator Kerry's
campaign, including a recent face-to-face meeting with senior campaign
officials, for approximately two weeks in order to negotiate participation in
the special by either Senator Kerry or his designee. Although the Kerry
campaign declined to participate, Sinclair has left the invitation open and
will make every effort to accommodate the Senator up to the air date for the
program should he become willing to present his viewpoint for Sinclair's
audience.
David Smith, CEO of Sinclair, noted that, "The experience of preparing to
air this news special has been trying for many of those involved. The company
and many of its executives have endured personal attacks of the vilest nature,
as well as calls on our advertisers and our viewers to boycott our stations
and on our shareholders to sell their stock. In addition, and more
shockingly, we have received threats of retribution from a member of Senator
John Kerry's campaign and have seen attempts by leading members of Congress to
influence the Federal Communications Commission to stop Sinclair from
broadcasting this news special. Moreover, these coordinated attacks have
occurred without regard to the facts since they predated the broadcast of our
news special."
Mr. Smith further stated, "We cannot in a free America yield to the
misguided attempts by a small but vocal minority to influence behavior and
trample on the First Amendment rights of those with whom they might not agree.
I have been encouraged, however, by the thousands of e-mails and other
messages I, and others, received supporting Sinclair's efforts to hold firm to
its ideals in the face of a firestorm of controversy which, ironically, was
actually based on misinformation. We also took comfort in the positions of
other media organizations which supported our right to present this story
notwithstanding any disagreement they may have with the content, as well as in
the words of Michael Powell, Chairman of the FCC, who refused to block the
program, noting that to do so would be 'unconstitutional' and 'an absolute
disservice to the First Amendment.'"
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies, owns and operates, programs, or provides sales services to 62 television stations in 39 markets. Sinclair's television group includes FOX, WB, ABC, CBS, NBC, and UPN affiliates and reaches approximately 24% of all U.S. television households.
Market & Stations To Air "A POW Story"
Baltimore WBFF Friday 10/22 8PM
Birmingham WTTO Friday 10/22 7PM
Buffalo WUTV Friday 10/22 8PM
Cedar Rapids KGAN Friday 10/22 7PM
Champaign, IL WICD Friday 10/22 7PM
Charleston, SC WMMP Friday 10/22 8PM
Charleston, WV WCHS Friday 10/22 8PM
Cincinnati WSTR Friday 10/22 8PM
Columbus WSYX Friday 10/22 8PM
Dayton WKEF Friday 10/22 8PM
Des Moines KDSM Friday 10/22 7PM
Flint WSMH Friday 10/22 8PM
Greensboro WXLV Friday 10/22 8PM
Greenville/Asheville WLOS Friday 10/22 8PM
Kansas City KSMO Friday 10/22 7PM
Las Vegas KVWB Friday 10/22 8PM
Lexington WDKY Friday 10/22 8PM
Madison WMSN Friday 10/22 7PM
Milwaukee WVTV Friday 10/22 7PM
Minneapolis KMWB Friday 10/22 7PM
Nashville WZTV Friday 10/22 7PM
Norfolk WTVZ Friday 10/22 8PM
Oklahoma City KOKH Friday 10/22 7PM
Paducah KBSI Friday 10/22 7PM
Pensacola/Mobile WEAR Friday 10/22 7PM
Peoria WYZZ Friday 10/22 7PM
Pittsburgh WPGH Friday 10/22 8PM
Portland WGME Friday 10/22 8PM
Raleigh WLFL Friday 10/22 8PM
Richmond WRLH Friday 10/22 8PM
Rochester WUHF Friday 10/22 8PM
Sacramento KOVR Friday 10/22 7PM
St. Louis KDNL Friday 10/22 7PM
San Antonio KABB Friday 10/22 7PM
Springfield, MA WGGB Friday 10/22 8PM
Springfield, IL WICS Friday 10/22 7PM
Syracuse WSYT Friday 10/22 8PM
Tallahassee WTWC Friday 10/22 8PM
Tampa WTTA Friday 10/22 8PM
Tri Cities WEMT Friday 10/22 8PM
SOURCE Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
I wish it was coming to Idaho!
Do I understand this correctly..Sinclair is going to air a special about not only the POw'S,,but about the left's attempts to shut it down during this election???
WAyyy coool!
I wish it was coming to my town, too... but this place is considered a lock for Kerry so they won't bother.
HOT DAMN!!!
I'm in Bush country. But I'd still love to see it. I'm expecting a live thread.
That's how I read it also... at first I was thinking they caved to MASSIVE BOYCOTTS (hah) but reading the article - it looks like it should be an interesting take on the election circus. They even have a quote on their website about it - and about the threats.
I'm glad I was wrong!!! I obviously misunderstood what Cavuto said.
Sounds fair to me. Kerry and Co. should be ashamed of themselves.
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This was an elaborate publicity stunt.
Whoever the marketing director is at Sinclair is a genius.
I get to see it. Yeessssss!
heheehe...
Take that NYT
God bless those POw'S BUT this new edge to the Sinclair story makes it even HARDER for the DEMS to screech about it....hehehe,,,,,,
and hopefully it will expose all the major players and their attempts and effecting the outcome of the election.
I would say this topic is VERY newsworthy....
Go Sinclair!!
I'm glad that they're airing it all on one day rather than piecemeal, as this will make it a specific TV event that can get buildup and be covered as a single story. Unfortunately it's airing on a Friday. Hope they stick it to those who tried to shut it down.
While the news special will discuss the allegations surrounding Senator John Kerry's anti-Vietnam War activities in the early 1970s raised by a number of former POWs in "Stolen Honor," it will do so in the context of the broader discussion outlined above. The program will be hosted by Jeff Barnd, the Emmy award-winning co-anchor of Fox 45's 10:00 News which airs on WBFF-TV, Sinclair's flagship station in Baltimore, Maryland.
Joe DeFeo, Sinclair's Vice President of News, commented that, "As with all news programming produced by Sinclair's News Central, `A POW Story' is being produced with the highest journalistic standards and integrity. We have not ceded, and will not in the future cede, control of our news reporting to any outside organization or political group. We are endeavoring, as we do with all of our news coverage, to present both sides of the issues covered in an equal and impartial manner."
YOU WILL DO A LIVE THREAD RIGHT??!! please.
They get to expose how Kerry's lies hurt the POWs AND rip on people like Michael Moore who try to influence elections with lies!
Can you say "TWOFER"!!!!
This is just AWESOME!
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