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Anti-Kerry Film Won't Be Aired (Sinclair caves)
Washington Post ^ | Wednesday, October 20, 2004; Page A07 | Frank Ahrens and Howard Kurtz

Posted on 10/19/2004 10:13:45 PM PDT by Fatalis

Under mounting political, legal and financial pressure, Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. yesterday backed away from its plan to carry a film attacking John F. Kerry's Vietnam War record, saying it would air only portions of the movie in an hour-long special scheduled for Friday.

"The experience of preparing to air this news special has been trying for many of those involved," Sinclair chief executive David D. Smith said in a statement. "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."

Chad Clanton, a spokesman for the Kerry campaign, which had demanded equal time to respond to the planned airing of the 42-minute film "Stolen Honor," said Sinclair "has been all over the map on this issue. One thing that's certain is that they have a partisan agenda."

Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the nonprofit Media Access Project, called the Sinclair move "a surprising cave-in" and said the 62-station television company "clearly felt a lot of pressure and this is an attempt to find a face-saving way out."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 1stamendment; 527; achillwind; aclumia; boycott; brownshirts; brownshirtsforkerry; brownshirtswin; censorship; civilwar2; civilwarii; dirtytricks; doublestandard; fdemocrats; firstamendment; freespeech; goebbelswouldbeproud; goons; goonsquad; howtostealanelection; intimidation; johnkerry; kerry; napalminthemorning; nazism; nazisminamerica; octobersurprise; rattricks; rentamob; sinclair; stolenhonor; stolenvalor; suppression; threats; thugs; traitor; treason; veterans; vietnam; voterintimidation; vvaw; wintersoldier
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To: Fatalis
A theatrical screening was recently cancelled when a union goon squad threatened theater goers:

Anti-Kerry Film Showing Canceled (Check out the pic, welcome to Philly LOL)

The guy on the left is a good guy - the guy on the right is a bad guy, and just shoved the guy on the left. Guy on the left is a Marine.

21 posted on 10/19/2004 10:21:44 PM PDT by weegee (Jean Kerry: "Je suis un singe qui mange le fromage de la rédition")
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To: austinaero

you mean they are actually generating publicity???

hmmm.

need to watch that.


22 posted on 10/19/2004 10:21:54 PM PDT by WOSG (George W Bush / Dick Cheney - Right for our Times!)
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To: Petronski

The MSM is trying to undo the unexpected publicity they gave Stolen Honor last week. They want people to think its not being aired. Something like.. "move along folks there's nothing to see here".


23 posted on 10/19/2004 10:22:20 PM PDT by dc-zoo
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To: austinaero

I imagine with all this free publicity, the ratings for this
show will be through the roof.


24 posted on 10/19/2004 10:22:55 PM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
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To: onyx

It's Sinclair's website, so you have to like the source.


25 posted on 10/19/2004 10:22:57 PM PDT by GoLightly (If it doesn't kill ya, it makes ya stronger.)
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To: austinaero
Wow, bad headline, good result. I took a whole 3 minutes typing my initial disgust and the thread filled way up and reassurances appeared! Thanks.


26 posted on 10/19/2004 10:23:00 PM PDT by Weirdad (A Free Republic, not a "democracy" (mob rule))
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To: Weirdad

Here's one link from earlier today
Sinclair Says Will Not Air Kerry Show in Entirety
http://reuters.myway.com/article/20041019/2004-10-19T201735Z_01_WEN7231_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-MEDIA-SINCLAIR-DC.html ^

Right here on Free Republic if you do a search you will see that
1). This has been brought up
2). IT is NOT A CAVE IN, so everyone calm down....There are more links out there,,chill and check it out...

It's actually perfect really. Sinclair is going to do a piece that includes a POW story AND the attempts at the MSM to influence the election, including something about the pressure that has been put on them to not show Stolen Honor, mentions the senators that are against it...

It's a beautiful thing!


27 posted on 10/19/2004 10:23:18 PM PDT by austinaero
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To: Petronski

TV stations told to pull plug on anti-Kerry film
By Mark Memmott, USA TODAY

A media company that had planned to broadcast much of a film that attacks Sen. John Kerry on its 62 TV stations significantly changed its plans Tuesday amid protests from some of its shareholders and Kerry's supporters.

The company — Sinclair Broadcast Group of Hunt Valley, Md. — didn't immediately satisfy its most vocal critics. But the change seems to make it less likely that the program will be mostly devoted to the anti-Kerry film.

Sinclair's management had told managers of its stations three weeks ago to plan to broadcast a program devoted almost entirely to the controversial film Stolen Honor, Wounds that Never Heal. The film accuses Sen. John Kerry of betraying his fellow Vietnam War veterans, particularly prisoners of war, by protesting that war after he returned home in 1969.

On Tuesday, the Sinclair plan was partly responsible for threats of legal action from some shareholders. They're upset about a sharp drop in the company's stock, which they say was partially due to the controversy over Stolen Honor. Sinclair's stock closed Tuesday at $6.26. It has fallen more than 50% this year.

But late Tuesday afternoon, Sinclair announced that this Friday most of its stations will air "a special one-hour news program entitled A POW Story: Politics, Pressure and the Media." It said the program "will focus in part on the use of documentaries and other media to influence voting." Sinclair said portions of Stolen Honor would be shown, but only as part of "the broader discussion" about the media.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-10-19-anti-kerry-film_x.htm


28 posted on 10/19/2004 10:23:18 PM PDT by Fatalis (The Libertarian Party is to politics as Esperanto is to linguistics.)
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WaPo is such crap...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,135298,00.html

Clearly stated that they will only show PART of it... and that was on the 13th.


29 posted on 10/19/2004 10:23:36 PM PDT by oolatec
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To: GoLightly

Yes, but it bears today's date,
whereas this article is dated
the 20th (tomorrow).


30 posted on 10/19/2004 10:24:46 PM PDT by onyx (John "F" Kerry deserves to be the final casualty of the Vietnam War - Re-elect Bush/Cheney)
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To: austinaero

You just know they are going to use the Chad Clanton clip.


31 posted on 10/19/2004 10:26:26 PM PDT by nonkultur
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To: Weirdad

I know, I was one of those people that was outraged at first too. The initial headline I saw was that Cavuto had announced Sinclair was not showing Stolen Honor. I almost had a stroke and did exactly what most fair-minded people would do...I was furious.

Then, it was pointed out to me that the headline was a tad misleading.

So, in the spirit of trying to soothe nerves, I just want y'all to know, it seems to me,,,Sinclair is being very smart. Plus, look, the publicity generated has been huge, as pointed out here by several people..

God Bless our Vets. I think it's a perfect pairing, a POW story and a story on Media attempts and intimidation in order to influence this election. I like both topics. I was sad to hear it's only going to be an hour long.


32 posted on 10/19/2004 10:27:17 PM PDT by austinaero
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To: oolatec
I think this was an excellent tactical move. They can show the most significant elements of the show. And, they can save more time, for fighting back at their attackers.
33 posted on 10/19/2004 10:28:42 PM PDT by unspun (RU working your precinct, churchmembers, etc. 4 good votes? | Not "Unspun w/ AnnaZ" but I appreciate)
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To: nonkultur

I hope so. I hope they use every stupd Dem supporting clip out there. I hope they highlight Moore and Rather and the Ditzy Chicks. I hope they highlight the attempts at censorship by the senators in Congress....

I really hope it's HARD hitting. I don't know Sinclair at all, by name. I hope they really drive it home!


34 posted on 10/19/2004 10:30:12 PM PDT by austinaero
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To: Fatalis

If this film was the Bush October surprise, it sure fizzled!


35 posted on 10/19/2004 10:30:48 PM PDT by teletech (Friends don't let friends vote DemocRAT)
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To: onyx

There were post-debate articles up before the debate even started. I guess it's the new form of rushing news to the presses to get the scoop.

Dewey beat Truman you know? ;o)

Sinclair's stock price was going up today, though I don't know where it closed.


36 posted on 10/19/2004 10:31:31 PM PDT by GoLightly (If it doesn't kill ya, it makes ya stronger.)
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To: Fatalis
If this WP story is a deception, what is the point of the deception?

Are they trying to create a perception of guilt? I think Sinclair could do a good hour program just on the reactions of the MSM in regards to "Stolen Honor".

They try to demoralize us with bullying because they only fear physical injury and they feel certain that we will back off and surrender our integrity and dignity rather than go to that solution.

37 posted on 10/19/2004 10:42:59 PM PDT by Jim_Curtis (Liberals lie at the premise, accept their premise and you can only lose the argument.)
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To: everyone

There's not a damned thing surprising about this. It was utterly and completely predictable.

The vast majority of "conservative" businessmen are cowards when it comes to politics. End of story.


38 posted on 10/19/2004 11:42:04 PM PDT by California Patriot (California Patriot)
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To: All

Again.....NOT TRUE.

Anybody who bothered to go to their website from day one saw they said news reports of their plans were inaccurate and the program was not taped.

It isn't caving when the initial reports weren't true to begin with!


39 posted on 10/19/2004 11:44:58 PM PDT by rwfromkansas (BYPASS FORCED WEB REGISTRATION! **** http://www.bugmenot.com ****)
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To: everyone

The bottom line is that the left got some of what it wanted. As it always does.

I for one am tired of Republicans who bend over for these SOB's and call it a victory.


40 posted on 10/19/2004 11:45:36 PM PDT by California Patriot (California Patriot)
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