Attempted coup to topple CNN unsuccessful in the Netherlands

Europemedia.net ^ | May 5, 2003 | David Minto

[Chirodoc]

Programming Councils in two of the Netherlands northern most provinces – Groningen and Drenthe – attempted to launch a broadcasting coup at the end of last week by advising cable company Essent to drop CNN from its standard TV package.

The councils maintained that CNN, Essent’s international news broadcaster of choice, was too ‘pro-American’ and had failed to report objectively during the recent conflict in Iraq. They suggested the cable operator instead switch to EuroNews, the pan-European and multilingual news channel that, free of territorial dependence, claims also to be without political or religious bias.

According to Expatica.com, Essent issued an immediate response to the councils’ assertion saying that its current broadcast package with CNN is sufficiently balanced. “Earlier studies have not shown that EuroNews and BBC World are more highly valued than CNN," Essent said.

Many European and international commentators, however, have been vociferous in their criticism of American network coverage of the Iraq conflict, with CNN’s employment of retired Generals as commentators and its minimal representation anti-war voices drawing much of the wrath.

Though CNN Europe has different, and many would say more balanced, editorial content than its American counterpart, resistance in Europe to acknowledging it as a primary international news source is still strong in many quarters. Amsterdam viewers, for instance, also have access to BBC World and EuroNews through their cable services, networks currently denied to their Essent subscribing northern countrymen.

[Chirodoc]

If they think CNN is too pro-American, what would they think of Fox?

[dwswager]

This reminds me of liberals talking about how far to the right the republicans have moved. We only look like we are far to the right because the left has moved so far to the left they are about to lap pluto!

[Tall_Texan]

Reminds me of when the liberals complain that the network news is slanted to the right. Usually they complain that the networks are owned by those e-v-i-l corporations (like General Electric, Viacom, Disney...). Totally spurious complaints.

[Paleo Conservative]

We only look like we are far to the right because the left has moved so far to the left they are about to lap pluto!

Not quite that far. Perhaps between Saturn and Neptune.

[shaggy eel]

~

[MissouriForBush]

I had to laugh when I read this article because CNNI (CNN International), which airs across Europe, is extremely Leftist and goes out of its way to present rabidly anti-American bias at all costs. They probably cut to their sister station CNN-USA for much of the live war coverage, however.

In Germany, for example, it is easy to get BBC and CNNI on cable, but VERY difficult to get Fox and UK's Sky-TV.

Needless to say, Fox is my favorite!

[LocalYokel]

Americans: If you think CNN is left, you wouldn't believe CNN International/Europe! It's 2X to the left!

I notice once again that the Left doesn't want to compete in an open market of opinions, their first reaction is to censor any competing viewpoints.

[xp38]

hehehe....order of the planets bump :)

[knighthawk]

If they think CNN is too pro-American, what would they think of Fox?

Let me tell you something about being right winged in the Netherlands.

Here we have a party called LPF (List Pim Fortuyn). It's viewed as 'far-right'. At their online forum a LPF-voter told me he went to a party once, were there were some socialists present. They called him 'ultra-right' for his views. Now this guy one time said to me he saw himself center-left compared to my views!

Those two provinces have traditional socialist following, people are backwards there.