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Grojlach · 10-12-2004, 05:15 AM

What liberal media conspiracy?

Stations told to air anti-Kerry film
Saturday, October 09, 2004
Elizabeth Jensen
LOS ANGELES TIMES

NEW YORK — The conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group, whose television outlets reach nearly a quarter of the nation’s homes with TV, is ordering its stations to pre-empt regular programming days before the Nov. 2 election to air a film that attacks Sen. John F. Kerry’s activism against the Vietnam War, network and station executives familiar with the plan said yesterday.

Sinclair owns WSYX (Channel 6) in Columbus.

Sinclair’s programming plan is highly unusual even in a political season that has been marked by media controversies.

Sinclair has told its stations — many of them in political swing states such as Ohio and Florida — to air Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal, sources said. The film, funded by Pennsylvania veterans and produced by a veteran and former Washington Times reporter, features former POWs accusing Kerry — a decorated Navy veteran turned war protester — of worsening their ordeal by prolonging the war.

Sinclair will pre-empt regular prime-time programming from the networks to show the documentary, which may be classified as news programming, according to TV executives familiar who are with the plan.

Executives at Sinclair did not return calls seeking comment, but the Kerry campaign accused the company of pressuring its stations to influence the political process. "It’s not the American way for powerful corporations to strong-arm local broadcasters to air lies promoting a political agenda," Kerry spokesman David Wade said. "It’s beyond yellow journalism; it’s a smear bankrolled by Republican money, and I don’t think Americans will stand for it."

Sinclair owns 62 stations, including ones in Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Las Vegas.

Station and network sources said they have been told the Sinclair stations will pre-empt regular programming for one hour between Oct. 21 and Oct. 24 for the documentary.

No one familiar with the plan was willing to criticize it publicly, some because they said they don’t know all the details of what Sinclair plans for the panel that follows the documentary.

But a number of people privately expressed outrage at the seemingly overt nature of the political attack, which comes at a time when the media are under assault as never before.

Cable’s Fox News Channel was attacked earlier in the summer by a coalition of liberal groups for what they said was its efforts to boost Republicans; in recent weeks, CBS’ Dan Rather has been criticized by conservatives, as well as some nonpartisan journalists, for its 60 Minutes II report that used now-discredited documents in a report claiming President Bush received favorable treatment when in the Texas Air National Guard in the 1970s.

Democrats have for some time accused Sinclair, a publicly traded company based in Maryland, of a having a rightwing agenda.

The company made headlines in April when it ordered seven of its stations not to air Ted Koppel’s Nightline roll call of military dead in Iraq, deeming it a political statement "disguised as news content."

http://www.dispatch.com/election/ele....html&rfr=nwsl

[ 10-12-2004, 05:37 AM: Message edited by: Grojlach ]

10-12-2004, 05:15 AM	#1
Grojlach Zartan Join Date: May 2, 2001 Location: Ulpia Noviomagus Batavorum Age: 44 Posts: 5,281	What liberal media conspiracy? Stations told to air anti-Kerry film Saturday, October 09, 2004 Elizabeth Jensen LOS ANGELES TIMES NEW YORK — The conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group, whose television outlets reach nearly a quarter of the nation’s homes with TV, is ordering its stations to pre-empt regular programming days before the Nov. 2 election to air a film that attacks Sen. John F. Kerry’s activism against the Vietnam War, network and station executives familiar with the plan said yesterday. Sinclair owns WSYX (Channel 6) in Columbus. Sinclair’s programming plan is highly unusual even in a political season that has been marked by media controversies. Sinclair has told its stations — many of them in political swing states such as Ohio and Florida — to air Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal, sources said. The film, funded by Pennsylvania veterans and produced by a veteran and former Washington Times reporter, features former POWs accusing Kerry — a decorated Navy veteran turned war protester — of worsening their ordeal by prolonging the war. Sinclair will pre-empt regular prime-time programming from the networks to show the documentary, which may be classified as news programming, according to TV executives familiar who are with the plan. Executives at Sinclair did not return calls seeking comment, but the Kerry campaign accused the company of pressuring its stations to influence the political process. "It’s not the American way for powerful corporations to strong-arm local broadcasters to air lies promoting a political agenda," Kerry spokesman David Wade said. "It’s beyond yellow journalism; it’s a smear bankrolled by Republican money, and I don’t think Americans will stand for it." Sinclair owns 62 stations, including ones in Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Las Vegas. Station and network sources said they have been told the Sinclair stations will pre-empt regular programming for one hour between Oct. 21 and Oct. 24 for the documentary. No one familiar with the plan was willing to criticize it publicly, some because they said they don’t know all the details of what Sinclair plans for the panel that follows the documentary. But a number of people privately expressed outrage at the seemingly overt nature of the political attack, which comes at a time when the media are under assault as never before. Cable’s Fox News Channel was attacked earlier in the summer by a coalition of liberal groups for what they said was its efforts to boost Republicans; in recent weeks, CBS’ Dan Rather has been criticized by conservatives, as well as some nonpartisan journalists, for its 60 Minutes II report that used now-discredited documents in a report claiming President Bush received favorable treatment when in the Texas Air National Guard in the 1970s. Democrats have for some time accused Sinclair, a publicly traded company based in Maryland, of a having a rightwing agenda. The company made headlines in April when it ordered seven of its stations not to air Ted Koppel’s Nightline roll call of military dead in Iraq, deeming it a political statement "disguised as news content." http://www.dispatch.com/election/ele....html&rfr=nwsl [ 10-12-2004, 05:37 AM: Message edited by: Grojlach ]