And yet, WBIR (mentioned above) decided to air it anyway. Here is a copy of my signed email to the General Manager:
"Re: Book of Daniel
What was the point of the poll and asking the viewership for our opinions, only to disregard the results? It is my understanding some 60% of roughly 6,000 respondents stated they were offended by the promos and didn't want it to air locally.
Turning off the t.v. or changing channels don't seem to be very effective in swaying programming locally or nationally. The larger issue is that there seems to be an open season on Christian beliefs in the entertainment community. Make no mistake, I do "vote" with my dollar when going to the movies or buying products by sponsors of television shows. Frankly, if the characters were changed to a Muslim cleric's family or a rabbi's family or a Buddist monk's family, I would be just as disgusted. Hollywood calls this genre edgy and reflective of our culture. God help us if this is true. Do you remember in history class how during the rise of the Nazi propaganda machine Jews and their beliefs were mocked (for German entertainment) in much same way. It was a very subtle (albeit, increasingly unsubtle) method of acclimating the German society against the Jews that went unchecked.
There are, at this time (2 pm Friday), already six stations that have declined to air the Book of Daniel. I'm so very disappointed with your decision."
But it is quite possible that you were writing to a leftist SOB. Boy, they sure are out there, especially in the media.
This is an outstanding letter.It states some very logical reasons for a local affliate not to show "The Book of Daniel.
Good letter.
Wonder if they will make a program with a hip, PC "Allah" or prophet Mohammad?
Don't expect the courtesy of a response from the general manager of WBIR. I emailed him and the WBIR sales department prior to the first show's airing, and never received a response.
My understanding is that the manager was interviewed on WBIR news about the show, and he said that those who didn't want the show to air should just change the channel and watch something else. That seems strange, since WBIR's own survey indicated that 60% of their audience didn't want it shown.
I thought WBIR would want to *attract* viewers to their channel, not run them off. However, I guess that's true only when it doesn't interfere with their Christian-bashing...
I'm sure it won't stop them from advertising their folksy home-town goodness with their "Straight from the Heart" slogan.
Fletcher J