Media Matters Fact Checks Sinclair Show - CONTACT FCC

[Tesibria]

http://mediamatters.org/items/200410230001

On October 22 at 8 p.m. ET, Sinclair Broadcast Group aired a program titled A POW Story: Politics, Pressure and the Media ...

...At the end of the program, Sinclair urged viewers to contact the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to express their view that it was appropriate for Sinclair to air this "news program." But it was not this program that generated such controversy. Rather, A POW Story apparently represented Sinclair's attempt to repair the damage wreaked on its stock price in the wake of an October 9 Los Angeles Times report that Sinclair was "ordering its stations to preempt regular programming just days before the Nov. 2 election to air a film that attacks Sen. John F. Kerry's activism against the Vietnam War." Following a massive grassroots advertiser boycott effort, threatened shareholder litigation, and numerous other actions taken to stop Sinclair from airing Stolen Honor, the company announced on October 19: "Contrary to numerous inaccurate political and press accounts, the Sinclair stations will not be airing the documentary 'Stolen Honor' in its entirety." Rather, the broadcast group, said, it would run A POW Story, "a news special will focus in part on the use of documentaries and other media to influence voting, which emerged during the 2004 political campaigns, as well as on the content of certain of these documentaries."

• FALSE CLAIM #1: The Los Angeles Times reported that Sinclair "urged" its stations to air Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal; but Sinclair had not yet determined the broadcast's content or format

From A POW Story:

JEFF BARND (program host): It started nearly two weeks ago, after The Los Angeles Times reported that Sinclair Broadcast Group urged all 62 of its stations to air the documentary Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal. ... Sinclair had yet to determine how the documentary would be presented over the public airwaves.

FACTS: The Los Angeles Times reported that Sinclair was "ordering" its stations to air Stolen Honor according to "network and station executives familiar with the plan." And Sinclair's intention to broadcast the entire film was made clear not only by news reports, but also by television listings; Sinclair vice president Mark Hyman defended the company's decision to air the film.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

[Gman]

1. As I have said repeatedly here on DU since 2001

These people stole an election for President of the United States of America in 2000 and overthrew the government. By definition, they are capable of literally anything.

They will stop at absolutely nothing. It will only get worse from here. If they steal this election through tactics like this and others with impunity, we as a country have some decisions to make as to what we are willing to ultimately do about this and to what extents we will go in a counter-revolutionary way.

[Moderator]

2. Per DU copyright rules

Please do not post full copyrighted stories here (unless you hold the copyright). We ask that quotes be kept to 4 paragraphs and a link to the original.
Thank you.
(and thank you for bringing this story to DU)

[Tesibria]

3. sorry mod

i did delete parts but, frankly, forgot the 4-paragraph rule.
thanx for the correction

[nibbana]

4. We need to keep pressure on Sinclair advertisers...They need to broadcast

an alternative to the propoganda...
Write the FCC and Sinclair advertisers...