Christian Coalition Action Alert: MSNBC CAVES TO PRESSURE FROM ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS

Christian Coalition Action Alert ^ | June 19, 2002 | Christian Coalition President Roberta Combs

[Gelato]

Christian Coalition Action Alert

June 19, 2002

STOP MSNBC FROM TAKING ALAN KEYES OFF THE AIR

NETWORK CAVES TO PRESSURE FROM ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS

Respected conservative commentator Alan Keyes, a friend of the Christian Coalition, is in danger of losing his show ("Alan Keyes Is Making Sense") on MSNBC. Caving in to pressure from Moslem militants, the network is poised to move Keyes' show from its prime-time slot to a "dead hour" in the mid-afternoon. To stop this, you must take action immediately. Alan Keyes is one of the most articulate, engaging voices in the conservative, pro-family movement. The former ambassador and presidential candidate is scheduled to speak at the Coalition's upcoming Road to Victory Conference (Oct. 11-12) as well as our Christian Solidarity for Israel Rally (Oct 11).

Alan is a fearless defender of Israel. Because he doesn't parrot the pro-Palestinian line like so much of the media, radical Moslems are determined to get him off the air. An Internet petition (on ramallahonline.com among other sites) is being used to attack this courageous, honorable man. Despite his strong ratings, the network's contractual obligation and the fact that he is the only prime-time conservative voice on MSNBC, the network is planning to kick Keyes off his evening spot in mid-July.

Adding insult to injury, it's replacing Keyes with the dogmatically liberal Phil Donahue. Unlike "Hardball" host Chris Matthews and the rest of the MSNBC crew, Alan tells the truth about the international jihad that has targeted Israel for extinction. Unlike so much of the media, he doesn't make excuses for the evil of suicide bombers. Keyes must not be silenced.

Christian Coalition President Roberta Combs expressed outrage over the development. "It is shocking that those who claim to champion diversity would seek to silence one of the few pro-Israel voices in the media," Combs declared. "The American people support Israel overwhelmingly. Whose views count for more at the corporate headquarters of MSNBC - the patriotic majority or a lunatic fringe which hates Israel for the very same reason it hates America?"

ACTION:
To stop this travesty, contact MSNBC President Eric Sorenson immediately. Sorenson can be reached at Erik.Sorenson@MSNBC.COM (fax: 201-583-5179, phone: 201-583-5000). Send a copy of your e-mail to Alan.Keyes@MSNBC.COM, NBC President Bob Wright at Bob.Wright@NBC.COM and actionalerts@cc.org . Do it now! Please forward a copy of this action alert to your friends and mailing lists and ask them to take action. Check our website (http://www.cc.org) for more news on the Christian Coalition's campaign to save Alan Keyes' show.

Christian Coalition of America:  (202) 479-6900

[Gelato]

Respected conservative commentator Alan Keyes, a friend of the Christian Coalition, is in danger of losing his show ("Alan Keyes Is Making Sense") on MSNBC. Caving in to pressure from Moslem militants, the network is poised to move Keyes' show from its prime-time slot to a "dead hour" in the mid-afternoon. . . .

Alan is a fearless defender of Israel. Because he doesn't parrot the pro-Palestinian line like so much of the media, radical Moslems are determined to get him off the air.

[OldFriend]

I sent emails.......we can only hope they have an impact.

[goldstategop]

Like MSNBC wants to offend the Islamokamikazis. Like PBS and ABC? No wonder they want Alan Keyes booted --- he lacks the required sensitivity.

[OldFriend]

Have just begun reading Ann Coulter's book SLANDER........the media must be called to account or we are doomed.

[truth_session]

MSNBC doesn't want to get blowed up.

[goldstategop]

Or have its reporters given the Danny Pearl treatment.

[truth_session]

These fears are not unfounded. As long as these barbarians are alive running around loose, no anti-Islamic reporter can sleep easy lest they R.I.P.

[Snidely Whiplash]

As honorable as Alan Keyes may be, could the reason he's being moved be something a bit more pedestrian, like lack of ratings? I seem to recall that his ratings are pretty abysmal.

Regards,
Snidely

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Say it ain't so, Joe!

[perez24]

I wish them good luck, but the show is very hard to watch..and I typically agree with him!!

[LadyDoc]

I wonder how many complaining actually watched Mr Keyes?

My main problem in watching him was that it was like attending a "continuing education seminar". Very deep discussions. I enjoy them immensely, but you know, after working 8-10 hours, I found I didn't want watching something this hard. I don't want to think, I wanted to relax.

It's like watching C Span: They have excellent talks, but the only day I'm alert enough to enjoy it is Saturday night.

They should put Mr. Keyes on late at night, and rerun them all day Saturday.

But for an audience driven media, I suspect too many, like me, prefer watching other channels after a hard day at work.

[CounterCounterCulture]

I don't know whether the threats of Paleswinians against MSNBC are real or not, but I'm sure MSNBC has a woody for Swill Donaspue and Alan Keyes is the odd man out.

It's a pity. We need all the conservative voices we can get on the air. When people like Alan, Rush, Dr. Laura, and Dennis Prager are gone and replaced with leftist tripe, we all lose.

[Kermit]

The test is going to be, what Donahue's ratings are. Keyes never was a good fit at MSNBC, then again Donahue is a tired, liberal, re-re-tread.

[Commander8]

I stood up for Dr. Keyes in the 2000 GOP Primary when almost every Republican in my neck of the woods were dismissing him as a "loser" and jumping on the bandwagon of those moderate "winners" Bush and Forbes.
I think I'll do it again and give those pointy heads at MSNBC a piece of my mind.

[lodwick]

Thanks for this alert! Letter follows:

Dear Sir,

Please place my vote in the DoNotMove Dr. Keye's excellent program column.

If your goal was to have a more broad viewership, you have done an
excellent job by hiring Dr. Keyes.

Don't jerk with the karma, or move this program to an unwatchable time.

Thank you very much, JL

[Amelia]

Despite his strong ratings...the network is planning to kick Keyes off his evening spot in mid-July.

Fox's "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren" (762,000 viewers, up 68 percent compared with "The Edge With Paula Zahn" the year before) beat CNN's "NewsNight with Aaron Brown" (713,000 viewers, up 71 percent compared with "Spin Room" the year before). "NewsNight" had won the viewership battle in April. Finishing third in May was MSNBC's "Alan Keyes is Making Sense" (235,000 viewers, down 9 percent).

I think they are cancelling because the ratings were NOT strong, in fact Keyes was LOSING viewers.

[FormerLurker]

Thanks for the post.

[FormerLurker]

MSNBC should take a novel approach and not rely on what the ratings say. They may find Keyes to draw more of an audience now that there is this controvery surrounding him. One other thing to consider is whether or not those ratings are valid. I don't see it being impossible for ratings to be skewed one way or the other if someone pulling the strings wants a certain outcome.

[Wordee]

Despite his strong ratings, the network's contractual obligation and the fact that he is the only prime-time conservative voice on MSNBC, the network is planning to kick Keyes off his evening spot in mid-July.

This is not RIGHT. The MAKING SENSE ratings were not HIGH. They were LOW. Keyes made two MISTAKES. MISTAKE NUMBER ONE is because Keyes ATTACKED President Bush while the WAR is still ON. The TERRORISTS are ON the other side. President Bush is ON our side. Keyes did ATTACK some of the terrorists and that WAS good but then he ATTACKED President Bush and that was DUMB. His stupid advicers TOLD him to ATTACK Bush to get the ratings HIGER but it didn't work because people might have thought if he is on our SIDE then how COME he is ATTACKING President Bush. Some of THOSE people quit SEEING the show. Sometimes I have QUIT watching a show where they SAY things that I think ARE bad or against morals. Like for instance THE SOPRANOS. If you LIKE the show I'm sorry. MISTAKE NUMBER 2 was because Keyes was always SCREAMING and yelling at OTHER people on the show. Not everybody likes SCREAMING and yelling. Most people who like SCREAMING and yelling can WATCH wrestling. We STILL watch MAKING SENSE anyway because Keyes is very SMART and a lot SMARTER than Bill O'reilly and Rush Limbagh all rolled up together. He just NEEDS new advicers. SOLUTION NUMBER 1 is turn down Keyes MICROPHONE and SOLUTION NUMBER TWO is no more ATTACKING President Bush. He can still ATTACK Arafats people and TERRORISTS but not President Bush. I hope he can READ this message soon. If he FIXES these MISTAKES now maybe the show can stay ON. Make the volume LOWER and give APOLOGY to Preident Bush.