LAT: ABC Writes Out Fox

http://www.latimes.com/business/custom/cotown/la-fi-abc11mar11,1,296901.story?coll=la-headlines-business-enter

CALIFORNIA
ABC Writes Out Fox
By Scott Collins, Times Staff Writer


TV shows often feature plots ripped from the headlines, but an upcoming episode of David E. Kelley's legal drama "Boston Legal" was a bit too lifelike for ABC executives.

<snip>

But that script didn't pass muster with the standards department at Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, which ordered Kelley to remove multiple references to Fox News.

<snip>

Although networks' standards departments routinely ask for changes in scripts, the revisions ABC wanted were fairly extensive. ABC said the decision had nothing to do with politics.

<snip>

ABC also rejected an ad for the DVD version of "Outfoxed," an anti-Fox News documentary released last year. The distributor wanted to run the ad during "Boston Legal," partly because the documentary is mentioned during Sunday's episode. Brockman said the ad contained unacceptable content.

<more>

the MSM version of don't ask don't tell...

They make me sick.

http://filmbrain.typepad.com/filmbrain/2004/05/michael_eisnerd.html

excerpt:

According to an article in the New York Times (and a letter from Moore on his website), Eisner requested that Moore pull out of the deal with Miramax, as he was afraid it would endanger tax breaks that Disney receives from the state of Florida, where Bush's brother, Jeb, is governor. Disney denies this is the reason, stating that "Disney caters to families of all political stripes and believes Mr. Moore's film, which does not have a release date, could alienate many."

Moore, in an interview yesterday, said the following: "At some point the question has to be asked, `Should this be happening in a free and open society where the monied interests essentially call the shots regarding the information that the public is allowed to see?' "

change the names to protect the guilty (innocent?).

is that they simply prefer not to have the competition mentioned on their network if they don't have to.

Apparently, mentioning "Outfoxed" is not taboo, so what's the problem?.

The "coincidence" of the "Fahrenheit 9/11 incident" (see post 7) did cross my mind when I read this article.

However, there is something that certainly happened here that should be unacceptable. Clearly, this show has chosen to make a "social statement" in this episode that strongly implicates the actions of Fox news. No matter what excuse is made, the message intended certainly will NOT be as clear and strong with the Fox references deleted.

So, to accept this, one would have to agree that financial gain trumps the truth. Not wanting to "promote" their competition in this situation is truly a pathetic (weak) and dangerous excuse.

Personally, I go with post 7 above; and avoiding the possible wrath of the devoted Fox news watchers as the real (predominant) reasons.

that may be nice to believe, but every single thing you read or see has been "censored" by somebody.

All the networks have censors, standards and practices, or whatever they call them this week, and every show on TV has to get past them. And there are advertisers, product placements, and a whole bunch of other gray suits hanging around who are not to be pissed on.

This one just happened to make the news because it has some political overtones, and I would not be surprised in the least if it's a leftist propagandist who got it out.

We're so used to complaining about the other guys' bullshit propaganda that we tend to forget that we have quite a bit of our own.

In other words, it contained the truth that FoxNews is the official propaganda arm of the Bush White House.