Posted on 10/23/2004 9:22:33 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
BALTIMORE, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sinclair Broadcast Group (Nasdaq: SBGI), which has been vilified in many places regarding its decision to air a special one-hour news program, entitled "A POW Story: Politics, Pressure and the Media," was gratified to read an article published by the New York Times newspaper on Thursday, October 21, 2004, advocating the broadcast of the documentary, "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal." This is Sinclair's third news special of 2004. "Stolen Honor" will be discussed in the Sinclair news special, but it was erroneous news reports indicating that Sinclair intended to broadcast the documentary in its entirety which set off a recent controversy.
In an Article entitled "An Outpouring of Pain, Channeled Via Politics," New York Times television reviewer Alessandra Stanley opines that it is "too bad" that Sinclair is not airing the entire documentary. In fact, although Ms. Stanley's review of the film is far from completely positive, she nonetheless expresses the view that "Stolen Honor" should not be shown by Sinclair, but rather "should be shown in its entirety on all the networks, cable stations and on public television." Sinclair is pleased to note that the New York Times, which has generally been very negative about Sinclair's plans in regard to this documentary, employs at least one writer who continues to understand the importance of free speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Further, an editorial in today's Wall Street Journal ("Sinclair and Watergate") commented unfavorably on the attempts to influence the press through a variety of pressure tactics, including threatened shareholder litigation. While Sinclair, a staunch believer in the First Amendment, appreciates the sentiment of the Journal's editorial stance, we take exception with the inference that our failure to broadcast "Stolen Honor" in its entirety resulted from our having "bent under enormous political pressure." In fact, as noted in a separate article also in today's Wall Street Journal, "Political Shows Prove Costly to Sinclair CEO," Sinclair had never confirmed reports that it was planning to air the entire documentary and actually posted a message on its corporate website stating, "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."
Sinclair's "A POW Story" is expected to include not only interviews with the creator and some of the former POWs featured in the "Stolen Honor" documentary, but also interviews with Richard Klass, President of the Veterans Institute for Security and Democracy, an organization which has filed against Sinclair at the Federal Communications Commission, George Butler, the director of the documentary "Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry," considered a very favorable presentation of Senator Kerry's war record, and Bobby Muller, a Vietnam war veteran who the Kerry campaign recommended Sinclair include in its news special.
The Sinclair news special will air this evening, October 22, 2004, on the stations and at the times listed below.
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.
The New York Times saying nice things about Sinclair. I can well imagine the Sanhedrin and the Romans saying nice things about Jesus after He was crucified too.
Well, youreally cant blame them for caving, their stock was going down , lawsyuits were threatened, its ghard to fight when you have it coming at you from all sides.
The DNC and the Dem anti-Americans did a great hatchet job on them. They were frightened as hell to see Stolen Valor aired and in the end it did them no good once again the internet has come to our rescue.
.
Concur. I am just finding it amazing how the day after the truth seems to be trickling out. They knew exactly what they were doing. They never said they would show it, but, sure lead us down that path.
We assumed because he was a Bush supporter, and appeared to be a fair person, that what we would watch would be in fact a fair documentary. It turned into "please forgive sinclair" fest, with added Kerry spice. I was angered. I felt suckered into it and now I am determined to watch as this unfolds.
Sorry for the long winded post.
I had heard their stock went down 50%. Add law suits and all... I still believe they would have recovered had they at least been "fair and balanced".
You hit it on the nail. But what about the viewers. I mean we should have been at least considered.
We are the ones who make their channels profitable. I for one am a huge 7th Heaven fan, and would hate to boycott that show. It is about the only one with any type of family values.
They have sunk their own ship, and now they wont be trusted, nor if something happens in the future and they need the support of their viewers they will be lift to fly in the wind. imho
http://www.buttondepress.com/BostonManifesto/stolenhonor.wmv See the real thing now for free (spread the word).
Even the idiot NYT knows what can happen when gummit and trial lawyers team up to stifle free expression.
That's a tactic that can just as easily work against them too.
They were gung ho to nail Novak over the Plame/Wilson business but now their own reporter is looking at jail time for contempt.
I am hoping that the Swift Boat Vets will be bold enough to tell people where they can watch Stolen Honor, for free, in their next ad.
There has been enough publicity about it now that many would watch, given the chance.
The hard-core lefties, of course, won't. But anyone else can, and in their homes, where they don't have to run into the lefty goons.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.