delete - dupe

[Coexist]

My apologies to radfringe, his original post on this here, but that has gotten so long, I am afraid it won't be seen.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/25/122426/519/18/463728

Important Updates to Siegelman Blackout Story in AL

by Mogolori
Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 12:36:27 PM EST

The break in the story comes from Scott Horton at Harper's, as relayed by Larisa Alexandrovna at her blog at-Largely.

Here's the nut:

Off the Air in Alabama

"I am now hearing from readers all across Northern Alabama—from Decatur to Huntsville and considerably on down—that a mysterious “service interruption” blocked the broadcast of only the Siegelman segment of 60 Minutes this evening. The broadcaster is Channel 19 WHNT, which serves Northern Alabama and Southern Tennessee. This station was noteworthy for its hostility to Siegelman and support for his Republican adversary.

The station ran a trailer stating “We apologize that you missed the first segment of 60 Minutes tonight featuring ‘The Prosecution of Don Siegelman.’ It was a techincal problem with CBS out of New York."

I contacted CBS News in New York and was told that “there is no delicate way to put this: the WHNT claim is not true. There were no transmission difficulties. The problems were peculiar to Channel 19, which had the signal and had functioning transmitters.” I was told that the decision to blacken screens across Northern Alabama “could only have been an editorial call.”

Channel 19 is owned by Oak Hill Capital Partners, who can be contacted through Rhonda Barnat, 212-371-5999 or [e-mail]. Oak Hill Partners represents interests of the Bass family, which contribute heavily to the Republican Party. Viewers displeased about the channel’s decision to censor the broadcast should express their views directly to the station management or to the owners."

This is a very disturbing development that deserves this community's follow-up. CBS Corp. is denying an affiliate's attempt to assign blame to the network for the blackout. This may be an important piece of a developing scandal.

[Rageneau]

1. Their license should be forfeited for this violation of public trust

But it won't be. More likely, the station owner will get the Medal of Freedom.

[Coexist]

3. I don't know - this could be the seeds of a pretty big scandal

imho, this actually gives the Siegelman story some legs.

Sometimes the cover up gets more press than the crime.

[alfredo]

2. What else you expect out of Talibama?

[road2000]

7. That's a low blow.

We elected Siegelman -- the Democrat -- to the top four offices in the state.

[alfredo]

8. I don't have room to talk, I'm from Kentucky.

[LSK]

4. nevermind

[Coexist]

6. lala has a great article up - she mentions the Bass family (and DU!)

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/60_Minutes_broadcast_on_prosecution_of_0225.html

The White House has put pressure on CBS to kill the show, those close to the case say. Journalists covering the story have been attacked. The case's most prominent whistleblower, Dana Jill Simpson, recently testified to Congress, under oath, about Rove's involvement in politicizing the Bush Justice Department.

Her house mysteriously caught fire after she came forward.

WHNT in Huntsville Alabama was purchased by Oak Hill Capital Partners from the New York Times Company early last year. Oak Hill is owned by the Bass brothers, Bush fundraisers at the "Pioneer" level – raising over $100,000 for the Bush-Cheney campaigns in both 2000 and 2004. Lee Bass is perhaps the best known member of the Bass family for his role in George W. Bush’s failed energy venture called Spectrum 7 and later for his bailing out of Harken Energy.

The Oak Hill connection emerged last night on Democratic Underground.

[spanone]

5. i'm positive that the bu$h* fcc is on top of this.....aren't you?