ABC trying to block the Victim Naming Special?

[freeflydrew 0]

It's interesting that the high up execs, that have all donated $2000 to the Bush-Cheney campaign, are all about the Victim Naming special not being aired on television... I personally believe that it's a nice idea to honor the kids in Iraq who have died, and although I wouldn't necessarily watch the show, I don't see why it should be censored:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/29/abc.nightline/index.html

7 ABC affiliates ordered not to air 'Nightline'
Order draws sharp response from network and angry calls
Thursday, April 29, 2004 Posted: 11:37 PM EDT (0337 GMT)

Ted Koppel

(CNN) -- Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its seven ABC stations not to broadcast Friday's "Nightline" that will air the names and photographs of the more than 500 U.S. troops killed in the Iraq war.

In a statement online, the Sinclair group said the "Nightline" program "appears to be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq."

Sinclair's decision, announced Thursday, drew angry calls from the public and a sharp response from ABC News.

"We respectfully disagree with Sinclair's decision to pre-empt 'Nightline's' tribute to America's fallen soldiers," ABC News said in a statement. "The 'Nightline' broadcast is an expression of respect which simply seeks to honor those who have laid down their lives for this country."

Some of the stations have received many calls and e-mails in response to Sinclair's decision.

"I have not gotten one positive response," said an assignment desk editor at WSYX, the ABC station in Columbus, Ohio.

WEAR in Pensacola, Florida, has been inundated with phone calls and e-mails. A man who answered the phone in the station's newsroom said people mostly wanted to know why the decision was made.

On the Web site for WLOS in Asheville, North Carolina, the station invited viewers to e-mail the station and said it would forward the messages to Sinclair.

The company's other ABC stations are in St. Louis, Missouri; Charleston, West Virginia; Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Springfield, Massachusetts.

The show, titled "The Fallen," will air at 11:35 p.m. Friday. In it, newsman Ted Koppel will read the names of the U.S. troops killed in action while their pictures are shown to viewers.

As of Thursday, 533 U.S. troops have been killed in action in the Iraq war; another 204 troops have died from nonhostile incidents.

Sinclair general counsel Barry Faber confirmed the company told its ABC affiliates not to air Friday's Nightline.

"We find it to be contrary to public interest," he said.

ABC said that on the first anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks it aired the names and pictures of all those who died on that day.

"ABC News will continue to report on all facets of the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism in a manner consistent with the standards which ABC News has set for decades," it said.

Sinclair's statement said ABC is politicizing the war.

"Mr. Koppel and 'Nightline' are hiding behind this so-called tribute in an effort to highlight only one aspect of the war effort and in doing so to influence public opinion against the military action in Iraq," the statement said.

According to campaign finance records, four of Sinclair's top executives each have given the maximum campaign contribution of $2,000 to the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign.

The executives have not given any donations to the campaign of Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee, the records showed.

Sinclair owns and operates, programs, or provides sales services to 62 stations in 39 markets, according to its Web site.
In addition its ABC outlets, Sinclair's television group includes 20 Fox, 19 WB, six UPN, three CBS and four NBC affiliates, and two independent stations.
It reaches approximately 24 percent of all U.S. television households, according to the Web site.
ABC News will show the tribute live on its large television screen in New York's Times Square.

What's up with that, huh?

[quade 3]

Sinclair Broadcast Group is NOT owned by ABC. Sinclair only owns some stations that carry the ABC Network.

It's like you owning the satellite dish in your home and telling your kids that they can't watch certain channels during certain times because you're afraid of what they'll see. However, in the case of you doing that in your home, it's totally appropriate.

When a business does this, it's called corporate censorship.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[TomAiello 25]

Quote

It's like you owning the satellite dish in your home and telling your kids that they can't watch certain channels during certain times because you're afraid of what they'll see. However, in the case of you doing that in your home, it's totally appropriate.

When a business does this, it's called corporate censorship.

What's it called when a business does it in response to government action?

I think I disagree with your assessment of this as censorship. Censorship means saying "you can't say that." When an individual, group, or corporation refuses to broadcast something the message is more like "you can say whatever you want, but _I_ am not going to say that."

Calling this censorship is a bit like saying that if I don't pay for your views to be promulgated I am censoring you. Two different things, there.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[EricTheRed 0]

Quote

Sinclair Broadcast Group is NOT owned by ABC. Sinclair only owns some stations that carry the ABC Network.

It's like you owning the satellite dish in your home and telling your kids that they can't watch certain channels during certain times because you're afraid of what they'll see. However, in the case of you doing that in your home, it's totally appropriate.

When a business does this, it's called corporate censorship.

Yes, and a damn good reason to put limits on media consolidation.
From the Toronto Star

Quote

U.S. soldiers were sent to war. Hundreds will not return home. Recognizing their sacrifice by simply reading their names is the least anybody can do.

illegible usually

[quade 3]

Well, ok, you can call it whatever you'd like.

The facts remain that Sinclair is about as middle of the road as Rush Limbaugh. For them to pick and choose what parts of the ABC Network feed they will or won't broadcast based on thier political views is, in my opinion, a breach of the public trust.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Kennedy 0]

Well, ok, you can call it whatever you'd like.

The facts remain that Ted Kopel is about as middle of the road as Al Franken. For them to pick and choose what parts of the news they will or won't broadcast based on thier political views is, in my opinion, a breach of the public trust.


Face it, it happenes everyday, and it usually goes the other way.

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*

[quade 3]

Are you telling me that the reading of the names (which has historical precedent BTW) is, in and of itself, a political act?

Come on! Town criers have been reading lists of war dead since at least the middle ages -- probably well before that.

How is reading the list of war dead any different than reading the list of 3000 9/11 victims? It's done as an HONOR.

Get real.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[quade 3]

Also worth reading . . .

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040501/D829NUL04.html

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Michele 1]

My only issue with the entire thing is that they didn't include the dead in Afghanistan, and centered only on Iraq. To me, that is demonstrative of bias, but that's all right, I didn't watch it any way, and had no plans to. Nor do I usually watch Koppel.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[pajarito 0]

I agree.

[quade 3]

Yes, it's a little disheartening that the coverage and focus has slowly changed from the war on terrorism to the war to free Iraq, but that's mostly been a function of what the Administration has been -doing-. There -are- far more troops in Iraq than Afganistan, so it should be a little understandable that it is what the media chose to focus on.

I should also point out that it was one year ago -today- that GWB landed on the aircraft carrier and gave the speech in front of the sign that said, "Mission Accomplished". If there was -any- subtle (or maybe not so subtle) message in addition to honoring the dead, it would be the timing of the reading, but my guess is this was mostly lost on the masses as this point hasn't really been talked about by even Sinclair Boradcasting Group (the program's largest detractors).

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[kallend 1,672]

Quote

Yes, it's a little disheartening that the coverage and focus has slowly changed from the war on terrorism to the war to free Iraq, but that's mostly been a function of what the Administration has been -doing-. There -are- far more troops in Iraq than Afganistan, so it should be a little understandable that it is what the media chose to focus on.

I should also point out that it was one year ago -today- that GWB landed on the aircraft carrier and gave the speech in front of the sign that said, "Mission Accomplished". If there was -any- subtle (or maybe not so subtle) message in addition to honoring the dead, it would be the timing of the reading, but my guess is this was mostly lost on the masses as this point hasn't really been talked about by even Sinclair Boradcasting Group (the program's largest detractors).

There were more US troops killed in Iraq in April 2004 than in March-April 2003.

The carrier landing thing was just a photo-op.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[b1jercat 0]

When you think about it, the mission ( starting a crusade in Iraq and throwing billions of dollars in a black hole ) certainly was accomplished. In fact I'm willing to bet some of that money is already hard at work trying to get Duyba reelected.

blues

jerry

[Jib 0]

Quote

Also worth reading . . .

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040501/D829NUL04.html

Quote

"The Sinclair Broadcast group is trying to undermine the lives of our soldiers killed in Iraq. By censoring 'Nightline' they want to hide the toll the war on Iraq is having on thousands of soldiers and their families, like mine," wrote Jane Bright of West Hills, Calif. (Her son, Sgt. Evan Ashcraft, was killed in July near Mosul, Iraq.)

The converse seems true as well, but irrespective the reason, they've probably highlighted it more than the broadcast would have.

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the depth of his depravity sickens me.
-- Jerry Falwell, People v. Larry Flynt