Accidental Houston Chronicle memo admits to tainting the news with political agenda

recieved in an email from a copy of the Chronicle website last Thursday ^ | houston chronicle memo

[weegee]

Dan Patrick was talking about it on the radio Monday afternoon (I didn't have 700KSEV on before 3PM, I didn't get up to turn the dial after Rush today).

I heard some of what he was saying before I got to read the whole Chronicle memo.

Dan went head to head against Ken Lay on the stadium back in the 1990s and rallied a 49% to 51% vote on an issue that some politicos thought would be a clear victory.

700AM KSEV (the outcasts who were fired from KPRC 950AM Clear Channel) were the guys that got a woman who was unjustly evicted from her home (and lost her home at below market value to the evictor) back into her standing (with furniture to replace that which she lost).

When the blowhards at KPRC came on the air, they said that they didn't want to talk about bill numbers, get people out rallying, or talk politics all day. Unspoken was that the manager at the time wanted no mention of God (he's now gone, Dan talked about this on his own program's 1 year anniversary).

Another radio forum to turn to is 1430AM KCOH on weekday mornings. It is a black station (that has been since the 1950s) and it strives to meet the communty. The morning host gets hassled on air at times for being largely conservative (President Bush is often referred to by callers as "your boy"). Good stuff and I think that I've heard Joyce call in for those who know her from KSEV (and oler KPRC).

[weegee]

Oh, that someone would resurrect The Post.

At least Lynn Ashbey was man enough to admit that the downtown developers were looting this town and saw it to be worse than the looting of Jesse Jones, Hoffeinz, et al of decades past.

Lynn also voted alternately in opposite party primaries (to receive both parties campaign literature). He seemed a little more virtuous in that he might actually vote for the better candidate (in his mind) in a primary rather than just sabotage an electon by giving support to a weak candidate.

Lynn Ashbey also worked (for what it's worth) with the creator of Mad Magazine/Comic Harvey Kurtzman. I have a couple of books of "caption this" photos from the 1960s that I need to get him to sign.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Sure Andy and I are friends! Well he's a little weird but I like his wife and his grandson is a hoot! Saw him in Gerlands last night doing the same thing I was .... calling home for instructions.

BTW Andy is my County Commissioner.

[AndyMeyers]

GOPcapitalist:

Yes it is the "Star".

The commentator is radio "personality" Jon Matthews who is not viewed as a conservative by the conservative readers of his column in the "Star".

[rustbucket]

Thanks for posting this. Even without it, the bias of the Comical has been pretty obvious. I'd subscribe to an alternate paper if there were a decent one.

[GOPcapitalist]

Yes it is the "Star". The commentator is radio "personality" Jon Matthews who is not viewed as a conservative by the conservative readers of his column in the "Star".

That is just as I suspected. That thing's a moderate squishy fishrap in disguise as a "conservative" leaning paper. I live in Harris County so fortunately we don't have it (though I'd trade you any day if Fort Bend wanted to take the Houston Chronicle for us!).

But I have seen and read it in the past when Bev Carter was stirring up sentiments against real conservatives for not being like herself. Some of the stuff they print is VERY borderline libelous. It's almost like having our very own local Molly Ivins inside the GOP's liberal wing.

[GOPcapitalist]

Works for me. Got any ideas on what the graphics should include?

[GOPcapitalist]

Do you know any of the local talk radio guys? If so, cut and paste the memo into an email and send it!

[Txslady]

I emailed the Houston Chronicle and told them that it was too late! It was posted and copied and the truth is out there.

[Dog Gone]

Thanks, Humidston. I am going to watch this VERY closely.

This is Chinatown.

[Peacerose]

bttt

[rwfromkansas]

Hey, if I was working there, this would have been no "accident." I would have made sure it got in the PUBLISHED paper, though probably somebody would have caught it before being printed.

I absolutely hate bias....I do not care if it is liberal or conservative. The OPINION PAGE IS THE ONLY.....THE ONLY.....PLACE WHERE BELIEFS OF JOURNALISTS CAN COME INTO PLAY.

[GOPcapitalist]

Seen any new excuses lately?

[#3Fan]

So it's light rail and Civil War. And nothing but Civil War this year. I'd still call you one-issue.

[arasina]

Seems to me that you just don't like what they intend to report.

I dislike any reporting that is done with an agenda and a slant toward a particular point of view. I worked in a television newsroom for over 20 years and know it is done on a daily basis in the guise of "investigative" reporting.

[mad puppy]

Light-rail should be a part of that mix.
Indeed it should, but I have yet to hear what a rail line connecting three destinations (Downtown, the Medical Center, and the Astrodomain) will do to reduce traffic, since it is unlikely anyone would want to go from one such area to the other. They say they intend it to be a "starter set" from which they will build a truly comprehensive rail system.

Because Houston is so decentralized, "truly comprehensive" in my mind would have to be as dense as the Paris Metro -and all of Paris could fit comfortably insde Loop 610.

-----

I live just outside of Denver, which is obviously no where near Houston. About the only similarities are 1) a wide spread metro area, 2) traffic congestion and 3) light rail. If done right, I contend that the light rail makes sense. I rode it for several months while working downtown a couple years ago. It was better then buses. Better then driving and having to park, and I had free parking! Taking the light rail to watch the Rockies lose isn't bad either.

Denver is expending, significantly, its light rail AND widening a major highway connecting Denver with the area south of Denver. It's a pain right now with all the construction, but in time, I've gotta believe this will only help relieve traffic. This, of course will cause more people to move here, making traffic bad again.

One additional commonality.... politicians in there greasing wheels and getting greased, big time. Anyone remember Federico Pena?

[GladesGuru]

"Light-rail should be a part of that mix."

I agree. Light rails are ever so much easier to carry when riding Liberals out of town.

In this important, but neglected area of anthropological research, the physical properties/social usages of the rail has been sorely neglected.

For economic reasons, ease of hand transportation, and cultural continuity, there is much to justify the traditional fence rail.

Additionally, there is the potential splinter factor - just the perfect point upon which to transport Liberals as they ride out of town.

;-)

[Fred Hayek]

Houston also had another valid proposal where the freight railroads were willing to work with the MTA. It never got off the ground, I suspect that Kathy Whitmire was still fixated on the "monorail".