SINCLAIR TO AIR ' A POW STORY': (WILL AIR PART OF STOLEN HONOR)

YAHOO Business ^ | 10/19/04

[areafiftyone]

BALTIMORE, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sinclair Broadcast Group (Nasdaq: SBGI - News) announced today that on Friday, October 22, 2004 at 8:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. central time) certain television stations owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. will air a special one-hour news program, entitled "A POW Story: Politics, Pressure and the Media." In order to minimize the interruption of normally scheduled programming in those markets where Sinclair owns and/or programs more than one television station, the news special will be broadcast on only one of those stations. A complete list of stations which will be airing the program and the times of such broadcasts is attached.

The 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. The program will also examine the role of the media in filtering the information contained in these documentaries, allegations of media bias by media organizations that ignore or filter legitimate news and the attempts by candidates and other organizations to influence media coverage.

Contrary to numerous inaccurate political and press accounts, the Sinclair stations will not be airing the documentary "Stolen Honor" in its entirety. At no time did Sinclair ever publicly announce that it intended to do so. In fact, since the controversy began, Sinclair's website has prominently displayed the following statement: "The program has not been videotaped and the exact format of this unscripted event has not been finalized. Characterizations regarding the content are premature and are based on ill- informed sources."

While the news special will discuss the allegations surrounding Senator John Kerry's anti-Vietnam War activities in the early 1970s raised by a number of former POWs in "Stolen Honor," it will do so in the context of the broader discussion outlined above. The program will be hosted by Jeff Barnd, the Emmy award-winning co-anchor of Fox 45's 10:00 News which airs on WBFF-TV, Sinclair's flagship station in Baltimore, Maryland.

Joe DeFeo, Sinclair's Vice President of News, commented that, "As with all news programming produced by Sinclair's News Central, `A POW Story' is being produced with the highest journalistic standards and integrity. We have not ceded, and will not in the future cede, control of our news reporting to any outside organization or political group. We are endeavoring, as we do with all of our news coverage, to present both sides of the issues covered in an equal and impartial manner."

In fact, Sinclair has been in private communication with Senator Kerry's campaign, including a recent face-to-face meeting with senior campaign officials, for approximately two weeks in order to negotiate participation in the special by either Senator Kerry or his designee. Although the Kerry campaign declined to participate, Sinclair has left the invitation open and will make every effort to accommodate the Senator up to the air date for the program should he become willing to present his viewpoint for Sinclair's audience.

David Smith, CEO of Sinclair, noted that, "The experience of preparing to air this news special has been trying for many of those involved. The company and many of its executives have endured personal attacks of the vilest nature, as well as calls on our advertisers and our viewers to boycott our stations and on our shareholders to sell their stock. In addition, and more shockingly, we have received threats of retribution from a member of Senator John Kerry's campaign and have seen attempts by leading members of Congress to influence the Federal Communications Commission to stop Sinclair from broadcasting this news special. Moreover, these coordinated attacks have occurred without regard to the facts since they predated the broadcast of our news special."

Mr. Smith further stated, "We cannot in a free America yield to the misguided attempts by a small but vocal minority to influence behavior and trample on the First Amendment rights of those with whom they might not agree. I have been encouraged, however, by the thousands of e-mails and other messages I, and others, received supporting Sinclair's efforts to hold firm to its ideals in the face of a firestorm of controversy which, ironically, was actually based on misinformation. We also took comfort in the positions of other media organizations which supported our right to present this story notwithstanding any disagreement they may have with the content, as well as in the words of Michael Powell, Chairman of the FCC, who refused to block the program, noting that to do so would be 'unconstitutional' and 'an absolute disservice to the First Amendment.'"

Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies, owns and operates, programs, or provides sales services to 62 television stations in 39 markets. Sinclair's television group includes FOX, WB, ABC, CBS, NBC, and UPN affiliates and reaches approximately 24% of all U.S. television households.

     Market & Stations To
     Air "A POW Story"
     Baltimore             WBFF   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Birmingham            WTTO   Friday 10/22 7PM
     Buffalo               WUTV   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Cedar Rapids          KGAN   Friday 10/22 7PM
     Champaign, IL         WICD   Friday 10/22 7PM
     Charleston, SC        WMMP   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Charleston, WV        WCHS   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Cincinnati            WSTR   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Columbus              WSYX   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Dayton                WKEF   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Des Moines            KDSM   Friday 10/22 7PM
     Flint                 WSMH   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Greensboro            WXLV   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Greenville/Asheville  WLOS   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Kansas City           KSMO   Friday 10/22 7PM
     Las Vegas             KVWB   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Lexington             WDKY   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Madison               WMSN   Friday 10/22 7PM
     Milwaukee             WVTV   Friday 10/22 7PM
     Minneapolis           KMWB   Friday 10/22 7PM
     Nashville             WZTV   Friday 10/22 7PM
     Norfolk               WTVZ   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Oklahoma City         KOKH   Friday 10/22 7PM
     Paducah               KBSI   Friday 10/22 7PM
     Pensacola/Mobile      WEAR   Friday 10/22 7PM
     Peoria                WYZZ   Friday 10/22 7PM
     Pittsburgh            WPGH   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Portland              WGME   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Raleigh               WLFL   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Richmond              WRLH   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Rochester             WUHF   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Sacramento            KOVR   Friday 10/22 7PM
     St. Louis             KDNL   Friday 10/22 7PM
     San Antonio           KABB   Friday 10/22 7PM
     Springfield, MA       WGGB   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Springfield, IL       WICS   Friday 10/22 7PM
     Syracuse              WSYT   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Tallahassee           WTWC   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Tampa                 WTTA   Friday 10/22 8PM
     Tri Cities            WEMT   Friday 10/22 8PM

[areafiftyone]

THEY CAVED IN! Their stock was going into free fall and investors were pressuring them!

[been_lurking]

Contrary to numerous inaccurate political and press accounts, the Sinclair stations will not be airing the documentary "Stolen Honor" in its entirety. At no time did Sinclair ever publicly announce that it intended to do so. In fact, since the controversy began, Sinclair's website has prominently displayed the following statement: "The program has not been videotaped and the exact format of this unscripted event has not been finalized. Characterizations regarding the content are premature and are based on ill- informed sources."

You must be one of the ill-informed.

[finnman69]

It doesn't sound like they caved at all. They are running the program.

[kingattax]

screw em.....GW doesnt need that to win.

[Dane]

Uh it doesn't look like they caved to me, just consolodated the schedule to make it national.

[aynrandfreak]

I'm glad it's on Friday instead of Thursday. That will give them a bigger audience than going up against "The Apprentice".

[Coop]

How did they cave? This looks consistent with what Sinclair has been saying. They're pressing forward, in spite of the full fledged assault on their network. Good for them!

[areafiftyone]

DRAT - Still nothing in NYC yet!

[jackbill]

BS. If you had been paying attention, you would know that Sinclair NEVER said that they were going to show Stolen Honor in its entirety. They've always maintained that they were planning a news program around Stolen Honor and that they had not decided on a script.

They still don't have a script. They didn't cave. You just weren't paying attention.

[Recovering_Democrat]

The market works...don't worry about it.

[areafiftyone]

Something happened. Their stock just shot up!

[nonkultur]

How did they cave? They are doing an entire commentary of how the media hid this portion of John Kerry's past.

"The 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."

Sounds like they are going to poke at Michael Moore and "Going Upriver" as well.

[vollmond]

They're newsing it up, and giving it the TV news magazine treatment. Good move on their part, and it will be even more effective if they cut in what Kerry says now, with what he said back then.

[GOPJ]

If Sinclair gives in to the pressure, it'll never stop. It's a terrorist/bully tactic. Apply pressure and see who folds. Sinclair could be the next FOX -- but it'll take backbone.

The experience of preparing to air this news special has been trying for many of those involved. The company and many of its executives have endured personal attacks of the vilest nature

[Dane]

BS. If you had been paying attention, you would know that Sinclair NEVER said that they were going to show Stolen Honor in its entirety. They've always maintained that they were planning a news program around Stolen Honor and that they had not decided on a script

"Stolen Honor" was only 45 minutes in the first place.

If the powerful documentary featuring highly decorated Vietnam POWs recounting how Lt.(jg) John Kerry's antiwar activity affected them was seen by the huge audience it deserves, Massachusetts's junior senator wouldn't get elected to a sanitation commission. In Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal, 13 POWs, whose cries of pain, defiance, and despair went unheard during their hellish captivity, share their stories about the betrayal they felt when a fellow officer claimed American forces were guilty of widespread war crimes. Over 30 years ago, antiwar veterans (both faux and real) basked in the media spotlight; now proud veterans who endured their slanders, along with years of cruelty and abuse, are having their say. These indisputable heroes include two Medal of Honor winners, one of whom explains, "This is an effort that was long in coming, but would not have come about if not for the Democratic candidate 'reporting for duty.'" The 45-minute film opens with scenes of the dank cells at the Hanoi Hilton where the oppressive silence would only be broken by "cries of pain." One POW recalls the intense pain of the torture they suffered, explaining that "the rope was the worst." Following one such session, designed to win a confession of war crimes, another explains that for days afterward he was unable to move his body from his shoulders down. Ken Cordier, held for over six years, explains that they would be brutally manacled until they "screamed loud and long enough" to be released in exchange for information and confessions. Any injury was specifically targeted in order to break the captives more quickly. Tapes of Jane Fonda accusing them of being war criminals were played in their cells.

LINK

[fleur-de-lis]

Then why are their previously scheduled programs called "The Point: Stolen Honor". Sounds like Stolen Honor to me.

[jackbill]

Sounds like "The Point: Stolen Honor" to me.

[Catie]

The Posts's TV listings are still showing "Stolen Honor'" on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. on WNUV, another Baltimoe area station owned by Sinclair. Hope things haven't changed.