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.
Actually, in hockey terms, the goal goes to JimRob and the Webmasters, keeping the archives intact. All I did was type "Fahrenheit" in the browse section, and I went to "older articles". But I do vividly remember that the DNC "leadership" from both houses was there.
That really helped them in the general election. NOT!
We shall see if they broadcast this program as created by Cyrus.
I understand that.
my point remains - how many people will seek out the uncut version? people like us will, but what good is that, we already know these truths.
the point of airing an unedited program like this on a network, is not so people like us see it. we already know the truth. its the vast uninformed sheeple masses that we need to reach, that's why the Dems want it edited.
Where were they when Farenheit 911 came out?
%%%%%%
Many congressmen and Senators went to opening night in DC!
Is there anyone Disney can turn to for any type of legal action?
That's a great post and pithy.
Send it to oreilly@foxnews.com
That...is precisely what my son said...er..hollered...on the phone.
So many of them (our soldiers) love..in a very real way..the freedoms we have here. They have fought in a country that hasn't even a concept of what FREEDOM is..they come home and tell us over and over...you don't appreciate and value what we have here.
My head is just spinning. How can this happen here?
It seems the dim's are scared of losing another block in the MSM stronghold they think they own. I don't recall BJ coming to GWB's aide when the trash called Fahrenheit 911 was released.
If I recall correctly it was characterised by GW as, "I am not going to fire a one million dollar tomahawk at a $10 tent and hit a camel in the butt." Beautiful words by a gret POTUS that needs us to stand with him now!!!! Vote republican and defeat the donks!!!!!
This is getting really ugly but frankly, Kean deserves all the crap that is going to come his way over this documentary.
He laid down with dogs, and now the fleas are biting him.
Yeap and Carl from Newsmax has the tape to prove it. He was in the audience when Clinton said so at one of his speeches.
Bill Clinton admits letting OBL go in February 2002 at a speech in Long Island.
FNC has played the audio which I've heard.
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1462003/posts
I wonder why.
Watch the show and see...
True Americans.
Keep the pressure on FOX to report the editing....Fair and balanced....etc.
I am only to your post #258, but I have a question. Could the reaon that this letter is signed "Senate Democrat Leader" rather than "Minority Leader" is that he is trying to dodge charges of ABUSE OF HIS OFFICE? I want to know why something like this isn't grounds for censure or expulsion from the Senate. It is pure coercion, and should be seen and treated as such. I say refer them all to the Ethics Committee!!
I don't remember the Senate Republicans writing any such letter when Michael Moore released his "Fahrenheit 911" with its at least 57 fabrications, mostly bashing the Bush Admin. We are on the precipice of civil war if the DemonRATs want to keep this up. They must never again be allowed to control the US Military.
Oh wow! A memory to treasure always:)
I saw you..and the raincoat!!
the manner in which this program has been developed, funded, and advertised suggests a partisan bent unbecoming of a major company like Disney
WAIT, "Unbecoming" is a chauvinist word, remember the 04 election?
AGREED!!!
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