Sci Fi Channel puts its corporate muscle behind effort to investigate UFOs

Miami Herald ^ | Fri, Jun. 20, 2003 | David Bauder

[demlosers]

NEW YORK - In an unusual step for a television network, the Sci Fi Channel is campaigning to persuade the government to be more forthcoming and aggressive in investigating UFO sightings.

Sci Fi has hired former Clinton chief of staff John Podesta as a Washington lobbyist, sponsored a symposium on interstellar travel and is considering a court effort to declassify documents related to a 1965 incident in Pennsylvania.

The network will premiere a documentary, "Out of the Blue," Tuesday at 9 p.m. (Eastern and Pacific time zones) that methodically lays out an argument that there's something out there.

Most TV networks are reluctant to spend money for anything other than self-interest. The few public interest efforts are hardly controversial: Lifetime promoting breast cancer research, for example, or MTV's Rock the Vote campaign to encourage young people to register.

But by fighting for UFO probes, Sci Fi is wading into an area that invites not only dissent, but also ridicule.

"It's very, very tough for people to take this subject seriously," said Ed Rothschild, a lobbyist in Podesta's firm. "We thought the only way it was going to be seriously addressed is to have serious people talk about it, scientists."

Rothschild won't even identify the members of Congress he's talked to about leaning on the government for more openness about UFOs. He's afraid they'll never help if their names come out and they're laughed at.

Even believers are reluctant to talk about the issue.

After hearing that former President Carter once saw a UFO, "Out of the Blue" filmmaker James Fox repeatedly, and unsuccessfully, asked Carter's representatives for an interview. Undaunted, Fox essentially ambushed Carter with a camera one day at a book-signing. Carter confirmed the incident but his brevity and forced smile indicated he wasn't happy to be answering.

Given the "giggle factor" that surrounds UFOs, Sci Fi is taking a chance with its reputation, Fox said.

"I don't think there's a risk because the questions need to be asked," said Thomas Vitale, Sci Fi's senior vice president of programming. "Even somebody who is the biggest skeptic in the world ... still wants the questions answered. And who better to do it?"

The mission isn't entirely altruistic, of course. The Sci Fi Channel, which is seen in about three-quarters of the nation's TV households, polled viewers on the topic. Evidence of keen interest is also seen in the ratings.

Last November's documentary on the celebrated, suspected 1947 UFO crash in Roswell, N.M., was the highest-rated special in the network's 11-year history. It was seen by nearly 2.4 million people, or about 2 1/2 times Sci Fi's usual prime-time audience.

"Our main goal is not to find a UFO," Vitale said. "The goal is finding the truth. We're expanding and exploring the blurry line between what is science fiction and what is science fact."

Vitale wouldn't say how much Sci Fi is spending on this. The network sponsored an archaeological excavation at Roswell, will debut a public service announcement Tuesday and has four new UFO specials in the works.

It is backing an effort to get U.S. Air Force records released on a 1965 incident in Kecksburg, Pa., where some witnesses believe a UFO crashed. This may end up in court, Rothschild said.

Fox, a San Francisco-based journalist, never thought much about UFOs until a visit nine years ago to Nevada, when he and his friends watched a saucer-shaped object hover silently in the sky then dart away.

"When I got home, I was met with laughter," he said. "No one believed me, even my family. I thought, if my own family doesn't believe me, who does?"

Intrigued, he began looking into other UFO incidents. He sold a 1998 documentary to the Discovery Channel and shopped "Out of the Blue" to the same network, but said he was told Discovery no longer buys pro-UFO films. (A Discovery spokeswoman denied this.)

So he went to Sci Fi. Fox considers 95 percent of reported UFO incidents bunk, either hoaxes or easily explained conventional phenomena. And don't count him among people who believe aliens already live among us.

But that still leaves a significant number of mysterious cases. "Out of the Blue" outlines several, concentrating on the most reputable of witnesses - former astronauts, military and government officials, topped off by an ex-president.

Fox's storytelling is sober, not sensational. Summing up incidents at the end of the film, Fox gives the official government explanations of what happened, and they're often more ridiculous than the sightings themselves.

"You get to a point where you can no longer dismiss each and every episode," he said.

Fox and Rothschild can think of several reasons why the government doesn't want to talk about UFOs:

_ The military doesn't want to spend time or money on something that isn't perceived as a threat.

_ Officials may also like the secrecy; it keeps other governments guessing about what kind of new weapon technologies might be in the works.

_ It could also be embarrassing, since it can expose what they don't know and the limitations of human technology.

_ And who wants to set off a "War of the Worlds"-type incident?

Fox envisions the public announcement that could come with such an event: "We don't know where they come from, we don't know what they're doing. We can't stop them if they become hostile and they can fly rings around all of our aircraft.

"Thank you, and good night."

[Quix]

Oh, that's right. These are the folks who searched the site in a systematic etc. way with professional archeologists etc.

[RightWhale]

The signal-to-noise ratio in that field of interest is unbelievablely bad.

That's the truth. Whatever it is seems to be highly marketable. Worldwide.

[Quix]

THIS ROSWELL PROGRAM's on camera interviews from several actors on the scene is quite convincing to me.

What's the trouble with people who treat them with such incredulity??? I guess bias is a real strong blackwashing factor.

[Quix]

Why isn't the government's double talk screamed at more.

1) On the one hand, they insist there's no implications or connection with National Security involved at all.

2) On the other hand, the senior Judge viewing the key FOI requests declared himself that this UFO related info was

THE MOST SENSITIVE, SECRET, VITAL NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION THAT OUR GOVERNMENT CONTAINED COMPARED TO ALL OTEHRS.

Can't have it both ways folks.

[Quix]

And how do skeptics explain the initial published reports vis a vis the military press release that WE HAD RECOVERD A CRASHED UFO DISC???

[LibKill]

Thanks for the ping.

I turned it on, saw that Bryant Noballs was the narrarator, and switched off.

I wish that the SciFi channel would put some of that UFO money into programming.

[RightWhale]

Some of the info might be highly classified. Fine, withhold that particular info. Most of it is probably not classified at all anymore: release it. Shouldn't be a problem.

[Quix]

EVEN BEFORE the next program starts . . . just reviewing this Roswell program and reflecting on last Tuesday's program etc. . . coupled with Von Braun's statement . . .

I suspect that within 6-18 months, the government may well be saying something official. I'd place those odds at say something like . . . 60-80%. Within 24-36 months within say 70-90% probability. It may depend on what the public response is to these programs.

[LibKill]

The existence of extraterrestrial life is not a poll question. The number of people who believe in it is as meaningful as the number of children who believe in the tooth fairy.

If such exists, sooner or later it will land in a populated area and the lid will come off.

Wouldn't that be fun?

[Quix]

"fun"

will probably depend on

the degree to which

the lid coming off will equal:

A) THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

or

B) ID4

I think the puppet masters and perhaps MOST of the ET races are ready to support the global government tyranny . . . and to take either A) or B) tack--whichever seems most fruitful for their goals at the time.

[Quix]

Strongly agree.

BTW, IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON BEING HERE for the live chat regarding the Sci Fi program following, please let me know. I'd like to keep a rough count of how many of us hereon are interested enough to show up.

[Captain Beyond]

Wasn't that one of the first things Bubba had Webb Hubel check out for him. He send him to Area 51 to find out if UFO's are real. It was a photo op right after he was elected. Ole Slick said "I want know if UFO's are real too. So one the first things I did was have Webb check into it for me." Forget terrorists, economy, etc. Slick was looking for alien nooky right from the start of his Presidency.

[Quix]

Understand. I hope you come back for the following program on the hour--I assume. I think it was supposed to be on 21:00 EDT.

And please let me know if you are just lurking THEN even if you prefer to do it via FREEPMAIL.

[LibKill]

"puppet masters"

Whooooo! There was a film (Based on a Robert Heinlein novel) about that. Also a Star Trek (original series) episode.

Alien parasites take over our minds. Yech!

[Quix]

To say that the existence of ET's is not a poll question because it is = to the question of how many believe in fairies . . .

obsfucates, to me.

The issue would turn out to be--whether one or the other were true. I have lots of confidence one will turn out true and not the other one.

Polls of number of people believing can at least indicate to government that perhaps we would NOT have a repeat of WAR OF THE WORLDS supposed panic from the radio program were UFO ET data to be released.

[Quix]

I agree with you.

But perhaps the connecting threads are too problematic. They may be 'terrified' that their collective geece are cooked when the public finds out all the crazy, perhaps treasonous and at least derelict decisions and actions that have been made and taken.

[Quix]

Taking over the body politic throught he likes of her hideous heinous Shrillery Hellery Antoinette de Fosterizer de Sade

IS QUITE SERIOUS ENOUGH.

There are those in the field who insist the ET's and government folks ARE engaged in VARIOUS forms of media, mass and individual mind control.

I've poohpoohed that for a long time. However, I've known some highly classified researchers in brain influences--artificial detection etc. stuff regarding the brain. I won't rule out all the allegations totally.

[LibKill]

Sorry about all that. Let me be clearer.

Polls and percentages of belief do not relate to facts.

At one time, 100% of mankind believed the world was flat.

They were wrong.

In the past, most men of science believed that humans would never fly.

They were wrong.

If many people believe that there is extraterrestrial life, well, the odds are in their favor.

If they also believe that ETs have visited our earth, the odds are less in their favor.

But belief does not affect facts.

[Quix]

Wouldn't doubt that to a point.

Would doubt that the powers that be would trust Bubba with shredded toilet paper from the projects.

Would you?

[Quix]

I quite agree with you.

But the poll numbers can have influence in disclosure aspects.

And perhaps at least in lessening the impact of the government's use of ridicule to silence or neuter witnesses etc.