Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its seven ABC stations not to broadcast

Submitted by charlie.collins on Fri, 04/30/2004 - 08:21

Tagged:

Politics

Who is politicizing what? Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its ABC stations NOT to air an upcoming Nightline. Why, they certainly must have good reason for such a drastic measure. They are denying the comsumers of their networks the access to a very popular news program, so surely they have very solid footing to deny it. The show they have a problem with is titled "The Fallen." Its a pretty simply show. Nightline newsman Ted Koppel will read the names of the U.S. troops killed in action while their pictures are shown to viewers. HOLY SHIT, hes going to do WHAT? Isnt that anti American or something, you mean to tell me he is going to SHOW the pictures of the servicepeople killed in Iraq and READ their names. HOW HENIOUS CAN THE FUCKERS AT NIGHTLINE GET! Is there commentary, no. Is there some sort of political position being spouted, no. Are these the actual people that died in our current "war", yes. Am I making this stuff up, no. So back to why the Sinclair folks are against it, well its simple really, they said - "We find it to be contrary to public interest". Mr. Koppel and 'Nightline' are hiding behind this so-called tribute in an effort to highlight only one aspect of the war effort and in doing so to influence public opinion against the military action in Iraq. Exactly what public interest is it contrary to then? Our nation is involved in a serious military conflict, and according to the Orewellian McCarthyistic Sinclair Group during said conflict the public should be unaware of whats happening and BASIC FACTS such as who has died? We just need to stop all this bullshit and CALL THIS COUNTRY THE UNITED STATES OF REPRESSED INSECURE CHRISTIAN ZEALOT ASSHOLES AGAINST TRUTH AND REALITY, I mean UNITED STATES OF REPUBLICANS, and get it over with. (And that little outburst is directed at Republicans because they earned it, it seems the Sinclar executives happen to be Republican and just may be politicizing something themselves, hmmmmm.) And dont get me wrong here, its a private company this Sinclar thingy so certainly they should be totally allowed to air whatever they want. The issue here is that they are an ABC affiliate. The people paying to see the shows and or the advertisers are expecting ABC, not Sinclair filtered for political agendas ABC. And ABC as a company sold its programming to affliates under the guise and some sort of agreement that the affiliates would show it (imagine that). What Sinclair needs to do is completely STOP being an ABC affiliate and make their own network (oh wait, there already is one that totally makes up shit and has an extreme right "conservative" bias, guess they will have to compete with Fox). Freedom? Yeah right. 7 ABC affiliates ordered not to air Nightline: CNN

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Re: Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its seven ABC stations

Submitted by jeepmutt (not verified) on Fri, 04/30/2004 - 09:21.

Um, it's a for-profit organization making a decision for itself. That's called freedom. It's a common policy not to show dead soldiers on TV. nothing new at all. Nightline is intentionally doing something that most shows have agreed not to do. They're doing it for shock and awe in the everlasting ratings war. They can. Others can not broadcast it. Methinks you're making a mountain.... Nothing to see here.... Move along... No human rights are being endangered.... No fascist Republicans are taking our souls.... No commie Democrats are selling our souls...

Re: Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its seven ABC stations

Submitted by jheimann (not verified) on Fri, 04/30/2004 - 09:32.

Sorry, atrox, gotta agree with jeep on this one. In a free and capitalist society private for-profit groups can make these kinds of decisions. Their advertisers and viewers have the option to no longer do business with them. Freedom at its finest! I also think that there is political motivation behind it, and to not think so is naive. Why did they not do the same thing for the soldiers killed in Afghanistan? I don't remember Mr. Koppel reading off the names of the 9/11 victims either. Looks to me like the liberal media wants to highlight the bad of the war rather than the good. Yeah, and let's not forget that it's sweeps...

Re: Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its seven ABC stations

Submitted by Shmooze (not verified) on Fri, 04/30/2004 - 11:07.

I think that Nightline did air the names of the victims at the one year anniv. of 9/11. I am puzzled by this wanting to hide the dead. For me personally, I thought those photos last week of the coffins in the plane were extremely patriotic. To think that we treat our soldiers with such respect and care is a source of pride for me. I am weary of the 'liberal media' tag. I think that the media is interested in any story that sells. They are hounding Kerry over stupid issues (my opinion) from 1971 simply because it's a hot button that sells. I think over the last decade one of the most effective spins the Republicans have made is this whole 'liberal media' bias. It's perfect, news in your favor, great...no problem. Any news not in your favor is liberal bias and can be discounted. How effective is that?? Has the guy who came up with that strategy been rewarded cuz he really should be.

Re: Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its seven ABC stations

Submitted by atrox (not verified) on Fri, 04/30/2004 - 12:30.

ACTUALLY NIGHTLINE DID READ THE NAMES OF 9-11 VICTIMS. (Read the article eh.) Case in point. Its not political at all, but YOU and the company are making it so.

Re: Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its seven ABC stations

Submitted by atrox (not verified) on Fri, 04/30/2004 - 12:48.

_Bullshit_ on 2 counts, point taken on 1 count. 1. Private company. This is where you have a point. And I stated in the article that sure its a private company and they should be able to do what they want. At the same time I DO think there is an issue with an "affiliate" selectively showing part of a networks shows. That may not be illegal but its certainly underhanded. And I certianly have the right to voice my displeasure. Sure by your logic all media companies could filter all TV, newsprint and radio from the source before it got to its destination, and I would call bullshit each time. They are the distributor of the content, they should either distribute it or decide to stop altogether, not selectively show some and or censor some. 2. Its by no means "common policy" not to show dead soldiers. Its done all the time every day. Its not considered exactly coothful to display blown up body parts but its quite common to display the faces of those lost. In virtually every conflict and or disaster I can recall its done. Oklahoma (not the national championship disaster, the federal building one), TWA 800, 9-11 and yes Afghanistan and Iraq (the Washington Post, NYTimes and USA Today have picturs of the fallen all the time, to name a few). 3. The facts of point 2 also dispel the _bullshit_ of point 2. "Nightline is intentionally . . ." blah blah, bullshit. They are doing it just as they did for the 9-11 victims as a memorial. Sure its for ratings, no revelation there.

Re: Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its seven ABC stations

Submitted by John McCain (not verified) on Fri, 04/30/2004 - 12:53.

"Your decision to deny your viewers an opportunity to be reminded of war's terrible costs, in all their heartbreaking detail, is a gross disservice to the public, and to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces," McCain, a Vietnam veteran, wrote in a letter to David Smith, president and CEO of Sinclair Broadcast Group. "It is, in short, sir, unpatriotic. I hope it meets with the public opprobrium it most certainly deserves."

Re: Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its seven ABC stations

Submitted by jeepmutt (not verified) on Fri, 04/30/2004 - 14:38.

1. dammit, I hate it when you agree... 2. bullshit on your bullshit... or more to the point, bullshit on your understanding of my point (indicated by you actually agreeing later in your bullshit.) What I meant, and did not acurately say, is the actual dead soldiers. That is to say their "blown up body parts." So we agree on what it is common policy to not show. Faces from 'stock' photos, yes. Dead soldiers. No. 3. My whole point was that Nightline is doing it for ratings... So what is the bullshit? Memorial my ass. Honestly, I still don't get what your panties are in such a bunch about here. Kroger has the right to sell or not sell Maxim. They also have the right to sell Maxim with a cover on it so as not offend us easily offended... These guys are just taking a stand on something, (you call it politicizing it,) and doing something that they have the freedom to do. Yes, you have the right to piss and moan, and we all know you will ;) I still don't see how they are in the wrong here. *You* think that they should show all or nothing. That's a load of crap... What I can sell either Penthouse and "Skank Titties on my Cock" along side Reader's Digest, or I can't sell Reader's Digest at all? Remember the saying: "I may not agree with what you say, but I'll defend your right to say it." So you don't agree, who cares? They still get to say it.

Re: Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its seven ABC stations

Submitted by atrox (not verified) on Fri, 04/30/2004 - 18:18.

"What I can sell either Penthouse and "Skank Titties on my Cock" along side Reader's Digest, or I can't sell Reader's Digest at all?" You cant EDIT "Skank titties on my cock" to make your cock bigger. You can either sell it or not, but the cock is what it is, you shouldnt be selling PART of it.

Re: Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its seven ABC stations

Submitted by atrox (not verified) on Fri, 04/30/2004 - 18:25.

And whether or not you want to ignore it, they (the sinclair clowns) ARE politicizing it. They have decided not to show the episode (which does not have body parts but has FACES and NAMES as we have agreed, I think, is pretty normal practice) because its "not in the public interest". My point was simply let the public decide whats in their goddamn interest, not media middleman corporation X. Sure its their corp, but then we digress back into the issues of having their OWN network or filtering/censoring another one. If they were in my area censoring what I see on ABC I would be pissed and would be calling them. I am not saying pass a law to outlaw this, hell no, I am saying its deplorable and they SHOULDNT do it BECAUSE THEIR CUSTOMERS DONT WANT IT, REGARDLESS OF THEIR DUMBASS POLITICAL AGENDA. The article even states that they are being deluged by letters and phone calls in opposition to not showing the program. Hell if it were ABC in my town and they decided Monday Night Football was "not in the public interest" I would be pissed, frankly thats far less important that mucking with a NEWS program that is dealing with the WAR we are in.

Re: Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its seven ABC stations

Submitted by jeepmutt (not verified) on Sat, 05/01/2004 - 05:41.

The only thing going against all of your arguments is that it is their company. They get to do what they want. Period. Yes, you can write them and protest, yes you can shake your fists furiously at the sky, hell, you can even write your local politician, (this is a topic they might even be interested in.) It comes down to the fact, that the media is owned by large corporations that wanna make money. They want you to believe what they believe and support what they support. (I've always been amused by the dichotomy between the "liberal media" and the "republican-big-company" that owns damn near all media outlets.) I guaran-damn-tee you that this "polictical agenda" wouldn't be there if a) somebody didn't think that it'd make them a few bucks (in free advertisements alone) or b) if, after truly doing something that they believe in with all their hearts and souls, it cost them a few bucks. Either way, either it'll pay (or has already) or it won't.

Re: Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its seven ABC stations

Submitted by John McCain (not verified) on Mon, 05/03/2004 - 09:02.

actually the analogy should be you can sell whatever magazines you want, or not sell them, its your grocery store, but you shouldnt remove sections/chapters from the magazine and still sell it. either do it, or dont.

Re: Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its seven ABC stations

Submitted by jeepmutt (not verified) on Mon, 05/03/2004 - 09:18.

Not at all. If they were cutting up part of the show and blocking out the rest, then that's one thing, but they're taking a whole issue of one mag off the shelf. I'd say that this has happened many, many times before.