TV Group to Show Anti- Kerry Film on 62 Stations (updated title)

NY Times ^ | October 11, 2004 | JIM RUTENBERG

[neverdem]

Up to 62 television stations owned or managed by the Sinclair Broadcasting Group - many of them in swing states - will show a documentary highly critical of Senator John Kerry's antiwar activities 30 years ago within the next two weeks, Sinclair officials said yesterday.

Those officials said the documentary would pre-empt regular night programming, including prime time, on its stations, which include affiliates for all six of the major broadcast networks in the swing states of Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, Nevada and Pennsylvania.

Called "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal," the documentary features Vietnam veterans who say their Vietnamese captors used Mr. Kerry's 1971 Senate testimony, in which he recounted stories of American atrocities, prolonging their torture and betraying and demoralizing them. Similar claims were made by prisoners of war in a commercial that ran during the summer from an anti-Kerry veterans group, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

Two of the former prisoners who appeared in the Swift Boat advertisement were interviewed for the movie, including Ken Cordier, who had to resign as a volunteer in the Bush campaign after the advertisement came out.

Sinclair's plan to show the documentary was first made public by The Los Angeles Times on Saturday.

Mark Hyman, Sinclair's vice president for corporate relations, who doubles as a conservative commentator on its news stations, said the film would be shown because Sinclair deemed it newsworthy.

"Clearly John Kerry has made his Vietnam service the foundation of his presidential run; this is an issue that is certainly topical," he said. Asked what defined something as newsworthy, Mr. Hyman said, "In that it hasn't been out in the marketplace, and the news marketplace."

Because Sinclair is defining the documentary - which will run commercial free - as news, it is unclear if it will be required by federal regulations to provide Mr. Kerry's campaign with equal time to respond.

But acknowledging that news standards call for fairness, Mr. Hyman said an invitation has been extended to Mr. Kerry to respond after the documentary is shown. "There are certainly serious allegations that are leveled; we would very much like to get his response," he said.

Asked if Sinclair would consider running a documentary of similar length either lauding Mr. Kerry, responding to the charges in "Stolen Honor" or criticizing Mr. Bush, Mr. Hyman said, "We'd just have to take a look at it."

Aides to Mr. Kerry said he would not accept Sinclair's invitation.

"It's hard to take an offer seriously from a group that is hellbent on doing anything to help elect President Bush even if that means violating basic journalism standards," said Chad Clanton, a Kerry spokesman.

Sinclair's plans put Mr. Kerry's campaign in an awkward position similar to the one in which it found itself in August, when the Swift Boat group first began running commercials against him containing unsubstantiated charges that he lied to get his war medals. Mr. Kerry's aides at first held back from responding, so as not to give the group and its charges more attention - a decision that some Kerry aides now acknowledge cost him in public opinion polls.

Mr. Clanton said Mr. Kerry's campaign would call on supporters to stage advertiser boycotts and demonstrations against Sinclair's stations.

A group of Democratic senators, including Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Dianne Feinstein of California, readied a letter calling for the Federal Communications Commission to investigate the move, arguing that the documentary was not news but a prolonged political advertisement from Mr. Bush and, as such, violated fairness rules.

Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, an advocacy group promoting greater media regulation, said he did not think the film would qualify for a news exemption. And, he said, even if it did fall under equal time provisions, those are based on candidate appearances and in this case, since it is Mr. Kerry who appears, "albeit disparagingly," stations would be required to show Mr. Bush or possibly the independent candidate Ralph Nader, if they requested it.

Sinclair was already a galvanizing force for Democrats. The political donations of its executives have gone overwhelmingly to Republicans, according to a review of donations on Politicalmoneyline.com. In April Sinclair refused to run an episode of "Nightline" on its stations in which the anchor Ted Koppel spent the entire program reading the names of American soldiers killed in Iraq.

"Stolen Honor" was produced by Carlton Sherwood, formerly a reporter with The Washington Times. His Web site says he received no money from any political party or campaign but got initial funding from Pennsylvania veterans.

The documentary has been distributed by mail order and via streaming Internet connections. Mr. Hyman said Sinclair was not paying for the right to broadcast it.

[Gabz]

That statement is very telling about Lurch's ability to answer the content in the documentary. It seems apparent that Lurch cannot.

Exactly.

If he is not willing to respond it tells me he has something to hide.

[DSBull]

Everybody sing with me,,,,


Turn out the lights.. John Kerry is over...lied about the Nam and being a hero...His mates were pissed, said he lied and stretched things...Now Kerry is caught with his pants down low..Turn out the lights...

[Cobra64]

"Brilliant. Sinclair is a true patriot." As is Carl Rove. It is really going to get uncomfortable for Kerry in the next few days!!

Too soon! Dammit! Rove and Sinclair should have waited until two weeks before the election when the Dems announced/tried to work W's DWI story. Then again, maybe the Dem tactical story release was too late for the sheeple to absorb. On the other hand, Rove's play now could easily be washed under the MSM bridge to be effective for the W Team.

[vox humana]

Sinclair Broadcasting Group obviously is not a good MSM team player. What is the matter with these people? Don't they know that the News Departments at each network have put out internal memos asking all employees to support the Kerry Campaign in any way possible?

[HawaiianGecko]

This newsstory will be complained about SO loudly that everyone in America will hear about it in just a few days. Hopefully Fox will run various clips of it in all their newscasts. Heck it's all news to me so it must be news!

[Smartass]

Good points. Can FReepers raise enough fuss to demand
those records be released in spite of the outcome of the
election?

[Theresawithanh]

I missed that, too, and his denouncing of Michael Moore's factless documentary, and the repudiation of Moveon's ads comparing President Bush to Hitler, and his retraction of his statement that people like Whoopi Goldberg represent the heart of America.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

John Kerry : You paying attention?

It's me, one of the "war criminals" who was there when you were there.

I was there Oct'68 to Apr'69

Many, Many ghosts have been awaken and have come to haunt you.

The Fallen Brothers and Sisters that you helped the VC kill
and the Fallen Brothers and Sisters who helped commit suicide
and/or die from injuries you caused are calling you.

Listen Closely John, Listen Closely!

Repent now and save your soul!

This is your last chance. to save your soul.

Remember the person you used to be.

Remember when you knew what honor was.

Remember John

OR YOU WILL HEAR THEIR VOICES FOREVER!

[HawaiianGecko]

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Sinclair Broadcast Group

Sinclair Headquarters
10706 Beaver Dam Road
Cockeysville, Maryland 21030
Phone (410) 568-1500
Fax (410) 568-1533
www.sbgi.net

Television

• WTTA - Tampa
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© 2004 Columbia Journalism Review at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism

[RedRepublic]

If this is for real, I'll be really happy to watch the show and will tell all my friends and family to watch it too :-)

[Political Junkie Too]

If I recall correctly, the Sinclair Group was also the syndicate that pre-empted the Ted Koppel Nightline gimmick of reading the names of all the killed soldiers in Iraq a few months ago.

-PJ

[neverdem]

I believe Sinclair had to give the folks who buy commercial air-time sufficient heads-up that the time slots are not available.

[Theresawithanh]

"Mr. Clanton said Mr. Kerry's campaign would call on supporters to stage advertiser boycotts and demonstrations against Sinclair's stations." Sinclair better batten down the hatches, some of those dems like to destroy things.

This is very good news, wish it was being shown in California.

[neverdem]

Your post should be helpful. Thanks

[Dan from Michigan]

They do this stuff to us all the time. They don't like it when it's their boy(John Kerry isn't a man).

[Cobra64]

This newsstory will be complained about SO loudly that everyone in America will hear about it in just a few days. Hopefully Fox will run various clips of it in all their newscasts.

I hope so. Especially if Rush, Drudge and Sean get hold of this (which I am sure they will) then, maybe they can keep it alive and POSSIBLY then the MSM will pick it up, as in reporting. /sarcasm on last sentiment.

[El Gato]

It's October. Surprise! :)

[HawaiianGecko]

"I can't think of a precedent of holding up programming to show a political documentary at a point where it would have the maximum effect on the vote," said Jay Rosen, chairman of New York University's journalism department.

Michael Moore is in negotiations, however, to make his anti-Bush documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" available as a pay-per-view show the night before the election, and the Sundance Channel plans to air clips on Monday from an anti-Bush "Vote for Change" rock concert. 

(Apparently it's OK for Michael Moore and Robert Redford to show anti-Bush documentaries but NOT for news that effects a presidential candidate!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/10/09/state0519EDT0017.DTL

 

[neverdem]

Thanks for the link!

[river rat]

".......basic journalism standards......"

I would LOVE to see the Kerry Kamp's definition of "basic journalism standards....and Rather's......and Jenning's.....and well, you get the idea....

THEIR concept of "standards" or "fairness" is when THEY get to tell the story with THEIR bias or omissions......

F'em.....Those days of MSM monopoly are OVER...

The "king" is dead, long live the King..

Semper Fi