Sinclair to Air "Pow Story: Politics, Pressure & Media" (won't air Stolen Honor in entirety)

PR Us Newswire ^

[cgk]

Sinclair to Air `A POW Story: Politics, Pressure and the Media'

                 

    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.
Web Site: http://www.sbgi.net
Company News On Call: Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/110203.html

[SuziQ]

Is this correct? Their stock is going back up??

There were several folks on FR this morning talking about how low the stock price was, and that it looked like a good time to buy it.

[cgk]

:(

Willow-voice: "I hate trolls."

(btw - <--she) ;)

[Dog]

Sorry.

[cgk]

S'okay... thanks for helping me get the Mods attention. The troll has been banned.

[Dog]

No Problem...gave me a excuse to yell at a Moderator.

[spacejunkie]

wonder if this show will be streamed.....anyone? Buehler?

[EdReform]

BTTT

[jmstein7]

Sounds like it.

[GretchenM]

Send Email to Sinclair here:

mhyman@sbgnet.com
with cc to:
webmaster@patriotwatch.com

[hubno]

I am sure that Idaho will see most on it on FOX.

[jmstein7]

BUMP!

[afnamvet]

Sacramento KOVR Friday 10/22 7PM

Works for me!

[TeleStraightShooter]

No MLB Playoff games scheduled
No NHL games scheduled
No NBA Regular season games scheduled
Good time slot

[borntobeagle]

I do not think your information is correct. Or maybe the program schedule is wrong on WB64's (Cincinnati) website.

The program is listed on WB 64 to show at 9:00 pm on Thursday.

I think everyone needs to be clear on these times, I have been referring people all day according to the local schedule.

Can we tack it all down correctly?

[cgk]

I pulled the information from Sinclair's website... over here, which may have been updated since the local listings came out? A couple others have pointed out that their local listings say something entirely different :(

[borntobeagle]

I just want to make sure we don't invite a crowd to a party where there is no host. I will check the Sinclair website again, or better yet, just call WSTR WB64 myself.

If I am wrong, I have a lot of explaining to do!!!

If anyone else notices times that changed, please let me know.

[cake_crumb]

I see he received threats from teh fascist/terrorist/Democrats too. Not surprising, but sickening. What happened to the 1st Amendment?

[cake_crumb]

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."

OOOOOOOH....the left pulled the same crap they did with The Passion of the Christ.

[finnigan2]

" And what about the rest of the hour? If it's all about POWs, it can't be good for Kerry."

- I have a sad premonition that, despite Sinclair's noble speeches, what you will get to see will be a disappointing, watered down, dry discussion at a very neutral and intellectual level about how the media can or does influence elections. The bit about Kerry and the POW's will be brief and probably in the context of attempts by both parties to play up or down play a candidates background and then on to Bush's DUI or some other story just to demonstrate how even handed Sinclair is being. When the dust settles, the Kerry camp and the MSM will be more than satisfied that they managed to pull the teeth of this story.

[CyberAnt]

Actually, I saw Mark Hyman on FOX say Sinclair had not decided if they would show all the video or not. It's a business decision - I'm just happy Sinclair is willing to show even part of it. Besides, you can buy the whole thing on DVD.