Posted on 10/19/2004 5:36:20 AM PDT by Mich0127
If David D. Smith, the CEO of Sinclair Broadcasting, knows what's good for him, he'll forget about airing a documentary critical of Democratic presidential contender Sen. John Kerry.
At least that's what the New York Times appears to be saying in its Monday article.
The Times openly acknowledges the impact this film could have: "Senator John Kerry could find his presidential hopes damaged this week when the 62 television stations owned or managed by the Sinclair Broadcasting Group carry a documentary about his antiwar activities 30 years ago."
The Times is clearly worried that Smith, head of the nation's largest owner of television stations, has already informed his 62 affiliates to pre-empt their regular programming and instead air the controversial "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal."
In "Stolen Honor" 17 former POWs charge that Kerry's anti-war activities were a betrayal that prolonged the war.
Sinclair executives have defended the decision to broadcast the film because, they say, it is a vital and newsworthy project that should be presented to voters before the election.
While the Times admits the film could hurt Kerry's White House chances, especially in key swing states that are vital to his bid, the paper also claims airing the program could hurt Sinclair as much, if not more.
The paper says local advertisers in Portland, Maine, Madison, Wis., Springfield, Ill., and Minneapolis, Minn. – not exactly bastions of conservatism – have pulled their ads from the local Sinclair-owned affiliates.
"I've decided I don't want to advertise on them," Adam Lee, the president of Lee Auto Malls, which owns 10 auto dealerships in Portland, Maine, told the Times. "It's a public trust. It seems they're abusing it. If it were a news show and they were really trying to do a fair and balanced story on both sides, that would be a different matter. I don't think they are. That's not their intention."
And that's the extent of the paper's examples. There are no other quotes from other businesses or advertisers who claim they are pulling ads, though the Times alleged "car dealers, furniture makers, supermarkets and restaurants" were among the disenfranchised advertisers.
Liberal Groups Join to Hurt Sinclair
There's more. The Times admits that a number of left-leaning groups – including Common Cause, the Alliance for Better Campaigns, Media Access Project, Media for Democracy and the Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ – are compiling a list of Sinclair advertisers, with plans to urge them to drop their advertising as well.
"The public airwaves should not be used by television executives to promote their partisan political agenda," Common Cause President Chellie Pingree told reporters in a telephone press conference. "This action crosses a line."
Besides contacting Sinclair advertisers, which include Wal-Mart, Applebee's, Domino's Pizza, Lowe's, Papa John's and Best Buy, these groups also are looking to give Sinclair problems when it seeks to renew each individual station's broadcast license.
It's not about getting those licenses revoked, however – it's about employing a typical left-wing legal tactic: "Such challenges almost never result in lost licenses, but they often result in heavy legal costs for the station having to defend them," said the Times.
Other media are piling on the bandwagon, predicting that Sinclair will suffer mightily for its decision.
CNN/Money reported Monday that Sinclair's decision "has stirred up considerable political controversy, but the planned program may also cause some pain for Sinclair's business."
The newswire says Sinclair will lose out on about $430,000 in revenue if it decides to forgo advertising altogether and pre-empt the entire 90-minute slot with the program.
"That's not quite pocket change, but it won't put a big dent in Sinclair's revenue. The company last year posted a net profit of $24 million on sales of $739 million," CNN/Money reported.
Fair and Balanced
For its part, Sinclair believes it is approaching the issue in the fairest way it can.
The network, on its Web site, has invited viewers to comment on the appropriateness of showing the documentary.
The network has also repeatedly invited Kerry to appear as a guest on the special – in fact, he's the only one who's been asked to appear. So far, however, he's declined.
Executives are also quick to point out that the production of "Stolen Honor" hasn't even been completed yet.
"The program has not been videotaped and the exact format of this unscripted event has not been finalized. Characterizations regarding the content are premature and are based on ill-informed sources," says an announcement on the network's Web site.
The Times article did not address why CBS continues to have anti-Bush newsman Dan Rather anchor its nightly news program.
Yup -
I saw that PBS-TV free 2 hour ad for Kerry
PBS and the Times are going down the tubes
At a homosexual conference a few years ago one top management creep proudly stated that 75% of the editorial staff that set the front page article and headlines in daily budget meeting are homosexuals with radical left agendas
The NYT is garbage
Save your money and buy some Sinclair stock
FREEDOM OF SPEECH only for democrats? Isn't that one sided?
Sinclair has already begun to back down. I can see where this is heading.
Sinclair isn't in any trouble. If one advertiser jumps ship someone else will come in and take that slot. I would rather advertise with them than ABC, CBS or NBC.
OMG will it ever end. Please God help us now.
I just have to have confidence that we will fight this fight and win. The socialists have been trying to take over this country for a very long time. We closed our eyes and were a bit too nice in the past...perhaps thinking they would tire and go away. No chance!
As to the CFR, I have always been concerned because George HW Bush was a member of that group too. And I can remember him talking about world order and allowing the UN troops to train on our soil, etc, etc. The barets that our troops were given bothers me. Sometimes you just don't know who to trust.
And I will no longer buy my cars at Lee Auto Mile or any other Lee dealership.
I just hope they don't crumble, but I don't think they will. The spokesman said earlier that even if it drove them out of business they wanted to show the film. I believe they have strong conviction....I am trusting they will do a very compelling piece.
BTTT!!!!!!!
The Rag seems to think that those who don't kowtow to it's line of political thinking, they will be in deep doo-doo and the Slimes will see to it that it'll happen.
The New York Slimes HAS to be brought down.
MAJOR SHAME on those who still subscribe to it. I cancelled my subscription to the St. Petersburg Slimes 10 years ago and am none the worse for it. In fact, I feel cleaner.
I never feed the hand that bites me.
Leni
A radio news article this morning reported that Sinclair decided not to show the documentary. It stated they had received pressure from stockholders.
What's the deal with the 15% drop in Sinclair's stock, anyone know? Is this real investor nervousness or something else?
BUMP
I read that, but I believe they are not showing it in it's entirety. I am still confused on the details but I pray they don't cave.
Adam Lee, the president of Lee Auto Malls, which owns 10 auto dealerships in Portland, Maine, told the Times. "It's a public trust.Does anyone else see the snake in this arguement?
Fundamentally, the problem is the existence of the FCC and of broadcast licensing. Broadcasting (in the sense of transmitting a signal with the expectation that anyone over a wide area can easily receive it) exists only as a creature of FCC censorship of those whom it does not license. And that censorship is anathema to the First Amendment; an FCC license is essentially a title of nobility.Once the idea of the FCC has been swallowed, the only "snake in the argument" is the fact that claiming to be objective is proof that you are not objective.
Why Broadcast Journalism is
Unnecessary and Illegitimate
Exactly. There were a couple of threads yesterday about the Dixie Chicks calling for a boycott of Sinclair. The same Chicks who got all boo-hoo about their fans boycotting their music because of their comments.
Media bias bump.
Why does the left fear free speech? Perhaps because the truth is not their friend?
Truer words were never spoken. For YEARS conservatives in this country have "put up with" all this slanted jurnalism, and we have yet to mount an effective campaign against the corporations that advertise on these networks.
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