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
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.
Didn't Disney just change CEO???Eisen was in charge for a long time. Wonder if they don't like the new guy in charge???
Good memory, CHristian. I'd forgotten that completely.
They are going to continue to run rampant until someone...I said SOMEONE...from the other side gets some stones and stands up and makes a big enough deal out of it that the MSM can't ignore it. (whew...that was one long sentence)
I believe the DNC just punched their ticket.
Too f***ing funny.
FYI
Mindblowing. I hope Disney sees this as priceless publicity and they find the backbone to run the movie. It's scary to witness the RAT party pulling out all the stops to supress it. What's next, the return of the fairness doctrine? They'd sure like that.
Oh lordy Howlin- you just reminded me of Inauguration Day 2001...remember when he just WOULDN'T leave the airplane hangar? It went on for hours..endlessly.
It's still going on.
Then it was funny..in a pitiful sort of way.
Now it's chilling..
I e-mailed ABC and got a computer generated reply....
The Rats get a little more goofy as time goes by.
Not just ping lists and talking among ourselves.
We need to send (copy and paste) this letter to our e-mail lists. Make sure that people know this kind of fascism and media control is being intimidated by Senate Democrats.
And I think we should call our Senate Republicans tomorrow.
Reid is Senate Minority Leader, not Senate Democratic Leader ... why would his sign anything that way?
%%%%
Leftist fight with words. They are extremely sensitive to words, and they HATE the fact that they are in the MINORITY in Congress. So to them that word is unacceptable, almost a pejorative. They avoid using it at all costs.
BTTT
Posted on 05/28/2005 9:14:12 PM PDT by doug from upland
READ THE LAWSUIT AT HILLCAP.ORG
MIDI - TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART
Hillary is dangerous
She is very dangerous
(Be afraid)
Every day she's planning for that day that she will take the White House and her power back
(Be afraid)
Every day she calculates a new position and the next person she'll attack
(Be afraid)
Every day she works hard fooling voters that she is no Marxist
(Be afraid)
Every day she makes a clever move as she's getting just that much closer
Be afraid...people
Each and every day we're warning you
Be afraid...people
In 2008 we could be screwed
It will always seem like bad weather
Although the sun may be out
She's more dangerous than ever
Of that, you should not have a doubt
Is there a chance to stop Hillary?
Yes, there's just one that I see
If you're asking me, Doug, now what can be done?
Peter Paul will do his part
Legally he'll drive.......a stake in the vampire's heart
Hillary is dangerous
(Be afraid)
In the Oval Office she would use her power and who'd be there for restraining her?
(Be afraid)
In the Oval Office they'd bow to their queen and there would be no containing her
(Be afraid)
Every day she works hard fooling voters that she is no Marxist
(Be afraid)
Every day she makes a clever move as she's getting just that much closer
Be afraid...people
Each and every day we're warning you
Be afraid...people
In 2008 we could be screwed
It will always seem like bad weather
Although the sun may be out
She's more dangerous than ever
Of that, you should not have a doubt
Is there a chance to stop Hillary?
Yes, there's just one that I see
Every one of you could become Billy Dale
And she could set you up and this time not fail
And she would use her power like all tyrants do
There's no place to hide if she says she wants you
But Peter will do his part...a legal stake into her heart
Into that black heart
If you're asking me, Doug, now what can be done?
Peter Paul will do his part
Legally he'll drive.......a stake in the vampire's heart
If you're asking me, Doug, now what can be done?
Peter Paul will do his part
Legally he'll drive.......a stake in the vampire's heart
You should have heard John Kerry on Chris Matthews. I had to turn the channel.
Martina McBride + National Anthem = Goose Bumps
(Thursday Night Football)
I can't wait for the New York Times to condescend to explain to us red state simpletons how this isn't outright naked censorship. That ought to be worth a few laughs.
If I were any of the suits at ABC, I'd be praying real hard for Republican victories in November and in 2008. If the Dims seize power, they'll make sure ABC is thoroughly punished for this, even if they yank the series like I expect them to do no later than tomorrow. Anyone even remotely connected to this show will be investigated and demonized to death by the IRS, the FCC, the SEC, you name it.
LOL, I love it when people I don't like fight each other.
What was that old saying about getting into an argument with people who buy ink by the gallon?
It's called the CLINTON CRIME MACHINE.................
That's what we've been led to believe.
I wouldn't know about it first hand....lol.
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