You can dish it out (Fahrenheit 9/11), but you suuuuure can't take it.
Posted on 09/07/2006 4:12:34 PM PDT by Mo1
Senate Democratic leadership threatens Disney with legal and legislative sanctions
by John in DC - 9/07/2006 06:02:00 PM
This letter was sent today by the entire Democratic leadership of the US Senate. This letter is such a major shot across the bow of Disney, it's not even funny. It is FILLED with veiled threats, both legal and legislative, against Disney. US Senators don't make threats like this, especially the entire Democratic leadership en masse, unless they mean it. Disney is in serious trouble.
Read it, then read my analysis of it below:September 7, 2006
The Senate Democratic leadership just threatened Disney's broadcast license. Not the use of the word "trustee" at the beginning of the letter and "trust" at the end. This is nothing less than an implicit threat that if Disney tries to meddle in the US elections on behalf of the Republicans, they will pay a very serious price when the Democrats get back in power, or even before.
Mr. Robert A. Iger
President and CEO
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank CA 91521
Dear Mr. Iger,
We write with serious concerns about the planned upcoming broadcast of The Path to 9/11 mini-series on September 10 and 11. Countless reports from experts on 9/11 who have viewed the program indicate numerous and serious inaccuracies that will undoubtedly serve to misinform the American people about the tragic events surrounding the terrible attacks of that day. Furthermore, the manner in which this program has been developed, funded, and advertised suggests a partisan bent unbecoming of a major company like Disney and a major and well respected news organization like ABC. We therefore urge you to cancel this broadcast to cease Disney’s plans to use it as a teaching tool in schools across America through Scholastic. Presenting such deeply flawed and factually inaccurate misinformation to the American public and to children would be a gross miscarriage of your corporate and civic responsibility to the law, to your shareholders, and to the nation.
The Communications Act of 1934 provides your network with a free broadcast license predicated on the fundamental understanding of your principle obligation to act as a trustee of the public airwaves in serving the public interest. Nowhere is this public interest obligation more apparent than in the duty of broadcasters to serve the civic needs of a democracy by promoting an open and accurate discussion of political ideas and events.
Disney and ABC claim this program to be based on the 9/11 Commission Report and are using that assertion as part of the promotional campaign for it. The 9/11 Commission is the most respected American authority on the 9/11 attacks, and association with it carries a special responsibility. Indeed, the very events themselves on 9/11, so tragic as they were, demand extreme care by any who attempt to use those events as part of an entertainment or educational program. To quote Steve McPhereson, president of ABC Entertainment, “When you take on the responsibility of telling the story behind such an important event, it is absolutely critical that you get it right.”
Unfortunately, it appears Disney and ABC got it totally wrong.
Despite claims by your network’s representatives that The Path to 9/11 is based on the report of the 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Commissioners themselves, as well as other experts on the issues, disagree.
Richard Ben-Veniste, speaking for himself and fellow 9/11 Commissioners who recently viewed the program, said, “As we were watching, we were trying to think how they could have misinterpreted the 9/11 Commission’s findings the way that they had.” [“9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased,” New York Times, September 6, 2006]
Richard Clarke, the former counter-terrorism czar, and a national security advisor to ABC has described the program as “deeply flawed” and said of the program’s depiction of a Clinton official hanging up on an intelligence agent, “It’s 180 degrees from what happened.” [“9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased,” New York Times, September 6, 2006]
Reports suggest that an FBI agent who worked on 9/11 and served as a consultant to ABC on this program quit halfway through because, “he thought they were making things up.” [MSNBC, September 7, 2006]
Even Thomas Kean, who serves as a paid consultant to the miniseries, has admitted that scenes in the film are fictionalized. [“9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased,” New York Times, September 6, 2006]
That Disney would seek to broadcast an admittedly and proven false recounting of the events of 9/11 raises serious questions about the motivations of its creators and those who approved the deeply flawed program. Finally, that Disney plans to air commercial-free a program that reportedly cost it $40 million to produce serves to add fuel to these concerns.
These concerns are made all the more pressing by the political leaning of and the public statements made by the writer/producer of this miniseries, Mr. Cyrus Nowrasteh, in promoting this miniseries across conservative blogs and talk shows.
Frankly, that ABC and Disney would consider airing a program that could be construed as right-wing political propaganda on such a grave and important event involving the security of our nation is a discredit both to the Disney brand and to the legacy of honesty built at ABC by honorable individuals from David Brinkley to Peter Jennings. Furthermore, that Disney would seek to use Scholastic to promote this misguided programming to American children as a substitute for factual information is a disgrace.
As 9/11 Commission member Jamie Gorelick said, “It is critically important to the safety of our nation that our citizens, and particularly our school children, understand what actually happened and why – so that we can proceed from a common understanding of what went wrong and act with unity to make our country safer.”
Should Disney allow this programming to proceed as planned, the factual record, millions of viewers, countless schoolchildren, and the reputation of Disney as a corporation worthy of the trust of the American people and the United States Congress will be deeply damaged. We urge you, after full consideration of the facts, to uphold your responsibilities as a respected member of American society and as a beneficiary of the free use of the public airwaves to cancel this factually inaccurate and deeply misguided program. We look forward to hearing back from you soon.
Sincerely,
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid
Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin
Senator Debbie Stabenow
Senator Charles Schumer
Senator Byron Dorgan
This raises the stakes incredibly for Disney.
bump
The GOP should make this an issue. Every Freeper should email ABC for their cowardice. Letters to the editors should be forthcoming all over nation telling the voters that blackmail is just a tactic that Dems us on a daily level!!!! Jed Babbin just mentioned this blackmailing letter on Hewitt's show. No one should leave their computer tonight without emailing Reid and blasting his lies and also blasting ABC.
Dems sure are whacked out, huh?
Brings to mind Hillary's, "We're going to take things away from you for your own good," quote.
***Now THIS IS CENSORSHIP!!!
Folks, the Democrats are preaching CENSORSHIP!!!!!! They are coercing ABC and Disney to suppress political speech!!!***
ONLY the libs are allowed freedom of speech. We've heard that enough here on FR. And HERE'S the proof.
CENSORSHIP
Call it art. Then, anything goes.
Mark for later,,typers cramp
My, my, my we are desperate aren't we?
Hardly. Jaime Gorelick was a member and her role wasn't permitted to be investigated.
The best 9/11 info is found in the archives of good ole Free Republic.
BUMP that, Peach.
You can dish it out (Fahrenheit 9/11), but you suuuuure can't take it.
They even hauled Julian Epstein out of the closet to go on TV and scream....If I never saw him again, it would be too soon!! I'm having Clinton flashbacks...someone help me!!
OK, this is now a violation of the 1st Amendment."
The threat itself isn't but it sure is skating right up to the line. Makes one wonder just how far they would be willing to go if they were in power.
Hear is CHena's list of Fox contacts....Let them hear from you.
Yes, it's Cavuto@foxnews.com
The Beltway Boys — Beltway@foxnews.com
The Big Story w/ John Gibson — Myword@foxnews.com
The Big Story Weekend — Bigstory-weekend@foxnews.com
The Big Story Primetime — Bigstory-weekend@foxnews.com
Bulls & Bears — Bullsandbears@foxnews.com
Cashin' In — Cash@foxnews.com
Cavuto on Business — Cavuto@foxnews.com
DaySide — Dayside@foxnews.com
Forbes on FOX — Forbes@foxnews.com
FOX & Friends — Friends@foxnews.com
FOX News Live — Feedback@foxnews.com
FOX News Live w/ Jamie Colby — Jamie@foxnews.com
FOX News Live Weekend — Feedback@foxnews.com
FOX News Specials — Viewerservices@foxnews.com
FOX News Sunday — FNS@foxnews.com
FOX News Watch — Newswatch@foxnews.com
FOX Report w/ Shepard Smith — Foxreport@foxnews.com
Hannity & Colmes — Hannity@foxnews.com or Colmes@foxnews.com
Heartland w/ John Kasich — Heartland@foxnews.com
The Journal Editorial Report — JER@foxnews.com
The Lineup — Lineup@foxnews.com
On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren — Ontherecord@foxnews.com
The O'Reilly Factor — Oreilly@foxnews.com
Special Report w/ Brit Hume — Special@foxnews.com
Studio B w/ Shepard Smith — Studiob@foxnews.com
War Stories w/ Oliver North — Warstories@foxnews.com
Your World w/ Neil Cavuto — Cavuto@foxnews.com
210 posted on 08/08/2006 3:41:56 PM EDT by Chena (I'm not young enough to know everything.)
Do you have any more info on this? I would be grateful if you would post it, as I am collecting stuff like this.............thanks.............
:}
So they quote a couple of Democratic hacks from the 9/11 Commission. WTF cares? Show the movie as is. Let the public decide whether or not it's accurate.
I expect Karl Rove is sitting back and laughing. Just think what a great election message this will make when the Republicans prove what's in the movie and make the libs look incredibly dishonest and unAmerican.
It's not fair, I tell you! I won't haaaave the truth!
When you stick a pig, and it squeals REALLY loud...you know you've hit the right spot.
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