10.11.2004
Anti-Kerry Film To Air In Prime-Time
Read about this last week, but thanks to WickedTribe, I've found it again. Sinclair group, that wonderful right-wing media conglomerate who wouldn't let their ABC stations air the Nightline episode which listed all the dead soldier's names, has done it again. Now, in a move that I would question as "unconstitutional," they're making all their stations air an Anti-Kerry film in prime-time next week (thanks CNN:
The network has ordered all 62 of its stations to air "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal" without commercials in prime-time next week, the Washington Post said, just two weeks before the Nov. 2 election.
Sinclair's television group, which includes affiliates of all the major networks, reaches nearly a quarter of all U.S. television households, according to the company's Web site. But the affiliates owned by the major television networks reach a larger percentage of U.S. homes because they are in the largest markets.
A dozen of Sinclair's stations are in the critical swing states of Ohio, Florida, Iowa and Wisconsin.
The company made news in April when it ordered seven of its ABC-affiliated stations not to air a "Nightline" segment that featured a reading of the names of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq; a Sinclair executive called that broadcast "contrary to the public interest."
Calls to Sinclair by CNN/Money were not immediately returned Monday.
Media Matters for America, a liberal watchdog group, has written a letter to Sinclair asking the company to cancel reported plans to air the film between now and the Nov. 2 election, the group said in a statement.
"Sinclair's plan to air anti-Kerry propaganda before the election is an abuse of the public airwaves for what appears to be partisan political purposes," Media Matters CEO David Brock said in the letter.
The letter warned Sinclair that its plan could constitute a violation of broadcast regulations requiring equal time for political candidates, as well as the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, the group said.
Sinclair's top executives include members of the controlling Smith family, who have been strong financial supporters of Bush's campaign, the Post said in its report.
Sinclair executives have given nearly $68,000 in political contributions, 97 percent of it going to Republicans, since the beginning of the year, according to the Los Angeles Times.
According to the report, "Stolen Honor" focuses on Kerry's antiwar testimony to Congress in 1971 and its effect on American POWs in Vietnam, and was produced independently of Sinclair.
The anti-Kerry film states that the senator's testimony hurt the American war effort and undercut morale among the troops.
Of course, if they'd like to show Fahrenheit 9/11, to show that Bush has directly affected us with his actions, unlike a movie supposing that Kerry, somehow alone, brought down morale during a war 30 years ago, I'd probably just let this slide. I suppose, if it does air, people see it for just what it is: mindless propoganda.
The network has ordered all 62 of its stations to air "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal" without commercials in prime-time next week, the Washington Post said, just two weeks before the Nov. 2 election.
Sinclair's television group, which includes affiliates of all the major networks, reaches nearly a quarter of all U.S. television households, according to the company's Web site. But the affiliates owned by the major television networks reach a larger percentage of U.S. homes because they are in the largest markets.
A dozen of Sinclair's stations are in the critical swing states of Ohio, Florida, Iowa and Wisconsin.
The company made news in April when it ordered seven of its ABC-affiliated stations not to air a "Nightline" segment that featured a reading of the names of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq; a Sinclair executive called that broadcast "contrary to the public interest."
Calls to Sinclair by CNN/Money were not immediately returned Monday.
Media Matters for America, a liberal watchdog group, has written a letter to Sinclair asking the company to cancel reported plans to air the film between now and the Nov. 2 election, the group said in a statement.
"Sinclair's plan to air anti-Kerry propaganda before the election is an abuse of the public airwaves for what appears to be partisan political purposes," Media Matters CEO David Brock said in the letter.
The letter warned Sinclair that its plan could constitute a violation of broadcast regulations requiring equal time for political candidates, as well as the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, the group said.
Sinclair's top executives include members of the controlling Smith family, who have been strong financial supporters of Bush's campaign, the Post said in its report.
Sinclair executives have given nearly $68,000 in political contributions, 97 percent of it going to Republicans, since the beginning of the year, according to the Los Angeles Times.
According to the report, "Stolen Honor" focuses on Kerry's antiwar testimony to Congress in 1971 and its effect on American POWs in Vietnam, and was produced independently of Sinclair.
The anti-Kerry film states that the senator's testimony hurt the American war effort and undercut morale among the troops.
Of course, if they'd like to show Fahrenheit 9/11, to show that Bush has directly affected us with his actions, unlike a movie supposing that Kerry, somehow alone, brought down morale during a war 30 years ago, I'd probably just let this slide. I suppose, if it does air, people see it for just what it is: mindless propoganda.
