Sinclair Broadcast Group to Boycott Nightline (killed in combat episode)

Poynter on Line

4/29/2004 10:59:30 AM

NewsBlues.com is reporting that Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its ABC-affiliated stations not to carry tomorrow's "Nightline," which will air the names and photos of soldiers who have been killed in combat in Iraq.

Sinclair General Counsel Barry Faber tells the site: "We find it to be contrary to the public interest."

The boycott will affect eight ABC-affiliated Sinclair stations.

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=45

why do they keep lying. just come clean. they support shrub and will hide information to protect him.

is good for the USA. Tra la la.

I've just emailed all these people in 2 minutes. Copy 1 state into your 'To". Short subject and short 'body'. Send, then back browse and roll me over and do it again.

Master so far:

Alabama
ccarter@wtto21.com, cdietz@wtto21.com, cboswell@wtto21.com, gprivett@wtto21.com, iharper@wtto21.com, scastleberry@wtto21.com, webmaster@wabm.com, aoswalt@sbgnet.com, rhaut@wtto.sbgnet.com, mojones@wtto.sbgnet.com, promotions@wabm.com, sports@wabm.com, internships@wabm.com, cslaight@wtto.sbgnet.com, contests@wabm.com


CA
news@kovr13.com, webmaster@kovr13.com, programming@kovr13.com, lchun@kovr13.com, sports@kovr13.com


Florida
marmstrong@newscentral.tv, cbell@newscentral.tv, kemery@newscentral.tv, jgladstone@newscentral.tv, mglaros@newscentral.tv, ehart@newscentral.tv, editorial@sbgi.net, morrisjones@newscentral.tv, jleiberman@newscentral.tv, spadgett@newscentral.tv, vreid@newscentral.tv, jschwartz@newscentral.tv, jwieland@newscentral.tv, comments@weartv.com, newstips@weartv.com, news@weartv.com, sports@weartv.com, newsdirector@weartv.com, infocus@weartv.com, programming@weartv.com, sales@weartv.com, promotions@weartv.com, wear@weartv.com, contests@weartv.com, employment@weartv.com, webmaster@weartv.com, astrum@weartv.com, bsolarski@weartv.com, sstraughn@weartv.com, dshugart@weartv.com, snissim@weartv.com, sbaumgartner@weartv.com, cgarman@weartv.com, jwillets@weartv.com, mbarrows@weartv.com, cbassett@weartv.com, creeves@weartv.com, kdaniel@weartv.com, mnicholson@weartv.com, pneumann@weartv.com, lmbell@weartv.com, dthomas@weartv.com, amcintosh@weartv.com, jsigman@wtwc40.com, pkearney@wtwc40.com, bmiller@wtwc40.com, dmcsorle@wtwc40.com, btucker@wtwc40.com

IL
kevinh@wmbd.com, karend@wmbd.com, nancyl@wmbd.com, derekb@wmbd.com, cbolak@wyzztv.com, hermanm@wmbd.com, chrism@wmbd.com, brentl@wmbd.com, billm@wmbd.com, cmoffitt@kbsi23.com, amuster@kbsi23.com, jchronis@kbsi23.com, cgirard@kbsi23.com, kirbym@wmbd.com, news@wmbd.com, steveh@wmbd.com, news@wics.com, weather@wics.com, sports@wics.com, healthbeat@wics.com, education@wics.com, gmcentyre@wics.com, calendar@wics.com, webmaster@wics.com, comments@wics.com, programming@wics.com, promotions@wics.com, sales@wics.com


N. Carolina
ecowart@wupn48.com, ffraboni@wupn48.com, rhamilton@wupn48.com, dejackson@wupn48.com, mpera@wupn48.com, drobinson@wupn48.com, lsimpson@wupn48.com, news@wlos.com, comments@wlos.com, programming@wlos.com, community@wlos.com, carolinakitchen@wlos.com, webmaster@wlos.com

Oklahoma
programming@kocb34.com, sales@kocb34.com


S. Carolina
webmaster@wtat24.com, comments@wtat24.com, jobs@wtat24.com, promotions@wtat24.com, programming@wtat24.com, sales@wtat24.com, contests@wtat24.com


TX
krrt@krrt.com, sales@krrt.com, webmaster@krrt.com, kabbtv@kabb.com, sales@kabb.com, weather@kabb.com, maxsports@kabb.com, engineering@kabb.com, production@kabb.com, webmaster@kabb.com

Just wrote my letter.

contributor!!!!!!!!

To honor our fallen soldiers?

Editorialized in favor of not showing American coffins and what-have-you. My letter to them yesterday….


I find it so telling on how conservatives can rally for war yet are repulsed by the side effects.

Yes Virginia, people die and contrary to what conservatives would like you know, they die on both sides. So in effect Virginia, the horror of war is inescapable….it just doesn’t matter what side of the fence you’re on, war is an equal opportunity killer.

Thus Virginia, the question arises, while you’re being the so-called patriot that you are in supporting the troops from afar and rallying for the reasons of war….Why Virginia, do you then turn away from the sacrifices of war? Is it appropriate that said sacrifice be reserved for just the immediate family? Is it appropriate that they and they alone weep in private? For whom was the sacrifice made?

It is said Virginia, that there are those that would make political hay out of said sacrifices and they would be right, for War is politics…..just with bloodshed….The loss of life, the maiming of thousands, are not your casual oops to be swept aside without corresponding debate.

hypocracy of their views. :thumbsup:

This Sinclair incident will hopefully become the poster child for stopping concentration in media ownership - in the same way that Janet Jackson's fake boob was the poster child for obscenity regulations.

In the past, most concerns about TV ownership was that owners would manipulate the local news. Now, we see they can also censor national media and keep it out of their markets.

Excerpt from CNN.com:

"Sinclair owns and operates, programs, or provides sales services to 62 stations in 39 markets, according to its Web site.

In addition its ABC outlets, Sinclair's television group includes 20 Fox, 19 WB, six UPN, three CBS and four NBC affiliates, and two independent stations.

It reaches approximately 24 percent of all U.S. television households, according to the Web site."

Correction above

They are the same assholes who didn't run Sharpton's appearance on SNL because of "equal time laws". They are the same assholes who provide us with Mark Hymon and total conservative shill on our local news. We have to hear his sorry ass commentary if we want to watch our local news.

AAARGH! I am so pissed right now.

That way you'll be sure to get on the news.

me on hold for over five minutes before I hung up.

It is totally unbelievable a parent company would dictate that ABC stations cannot show a tribute to our fallen hero's in Iraq. Families had to actually ask to have their children who died in non-combat related incidents shown. They WANT to have their children honored. This is a disgrace beyond words. I told the stations NOT to follow the directive - I said "be hero's too, not cowards".

According to campaign finance records, four of Sinclair's top executives each have given the maximum campaign contribution of $2,000 to the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign.
The executives have not given any donations to the campaign of Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee, the records showed.

Lying, back-stabbing right wing idealogs at it again!

I wouldn't buy your stock if it was the last one available - in fact I am now dedicating myself (along with millions of others) to see that your business fails.

why ? because the public will be more likely to care about what is going on when they see the dead are not just an increasing number, but actual people with names and faces and therefore maybe less likely to support war or to at least consider the consequences ? that is contrary to public interest ?

http://www.sbgi.net/contact/contact.shtml

Mobile, AL / Pensacola, FL- WEAR TV
Springfield, MA- WGGB
Greensboro, SC- WXLV
Columbus, OH- WSYX
Charleston / Huntington, WV- WCHS
Asheville, NC & Greenville / Spartanburg / Anderson, SC- WLOS

When I used to live in Asheville, this is the station that had the returd that used to get on late at night for opinion pieces and declare that all the protests that were going on regarding the Iraq war were incited by "at least 5 different communist groups". This is depressing. I had hoped it was somewhere else, not so close to home.

latest stunt was to go to Iraq and sit with his flack jacket and helmet and tell us how wonderful things were in Iraq.

I refuse to watch our local news because his commentarys are so completely offensive.

Is he affiliated with any Baltimore area news stations? I swear there's a guy by the last name of Hymon who always does the most vomit-inducing commentaries on one of the local stations . Total freeper asshole...could it be the same guy?

***ON EDIT: Further evidence down in this thread shows it is indeed the same smarmy bastard I was thinking of.

he is a high up in sinclair, not an actual journalist or anything just a rich guy who feels he should have his say.

I REALLY want to see tens of thousands marching to protest this INSANE form of censorship. I will march.

Over 2.5 million potential viewers in a crucial swing state.

I just called HQ, as I did when they dropped Bill Maher before ABC canceled him after 9/11.

Can't let those swing states hear anything negative about our Glorious Leader and our Godly Crusade against those Heathens.

I hope that this backfired on these jerks. If NPR had any guts they'd run with this story in the same viewing areas that are blacked out.

Is there any suprise that the ABC station owned by Sinclair, here in Columbus Ohio, is co-owned with a Fox affiliate?

A fellow campaign-organzier is getting people together to stand in front of the ABC affiliate and read the names right before the nightly news begins.

Sinclair Broadcast Group,

We are compiling your advertisers list and will post this on the internet for a total boycott of everything to do with Sinclair Broadcast Group. Hopefully we can encourage moral people NOT to vacation in your broadcast areas.

You are a disgraceful and immoral group of people

YourNameHere


investor@sbgi.net, webmaster@sbgi.net

SUBJECT: Regarding your shameful decision to not honor our fallen soldiers

BODY: Cowards.

complain that they are not honoring our fallen troops. These people died to protect your freedom of the press and you won't even show their names etc. etc.

Here are some local papers that I know of, I just threw this together and have to be at work in 20 min, so forgive if not perfect:

Asheville Citizen-Times:
http://www.citizen-times.com/contact/letters.shtml

Greenville News:
letters@greenvillenews.com

(both of these are owned by Gannett which is decently liberal, at least in Asheville, they own USA today.)

Anderson-Independent Mail;
williamsbc@independentmail.com (editor)

Asheville Tribune
tribuneeditor@bellsouth.net
(this is the local conserve. rag, but I bet they will protest this decision, their front page story is about their investigation of outsourcing by the VA)

Mountain X-press:
this is the very liberal independent rag
couldn't find an e-mail
(828) 251-1333
or
P.O. Box 114
Asheville, NC 28802

also BTHN@mfso.org, mfso.org, and armytimes.com

Greensboro, NC

ABC Affiliate: WXLV-45

Local paper: News & Record, Letters to the Editor at edpage@news-record.com (250 word limit, must include name, city and contact phone number for publication).

Does Sinclair represent the bests interests of the public?

Uhhhh,...nope.

Screw Sinclair.

anyone know this ?

st. louis, mo kdnl
columbus, oh wsyx
asheville, nc wlos
greensboro, nc wxlv
charleston, wv wchs
mobile, al wear
springfield, ma wggb
tallahassee, fl wtxl

interesting side note: they own 20 fox affiliated stations

These are small enough town that a boycott of the newspaper and THEIR advertisers can have an impact!

I just sent this message to: investor@sbgi.net

"Is it true that your stations will not air the Nightline tribute to our fallen soldiers?
If so, then perhaps we should all begin organizing a boycott of your station’s advertisers.
Are you really trying to have us believe that these brave soul’s ultimate sacrifice should go unrecognized?
What kind of unAmerican corporation are you running?"

Hey, we do what we can, right?

I can’t believe you call yourself a broadcast group. I live in Springfield, Illinois and refuse to watch my local news because of the commentaries of Mark Hymon. You refused to air Al Sharpton on Saturday Night Live and now you are refusing to honor the dead soldiers on Nightline.



You should show courage and admit you will do the bidding of the conservative right in this country. The other alternative is to acknowledge that this is a divided nation and instead of alienating ½ of your viewers you should air programs that appeal to them sometimes. The fact that you refuse to air Nightline should be an embarrassment and tells me your political interest supersedes your patriotism and the desire to honor those fallen soldiers who have died in the name of freedom. What freedom is there if companies like yours engages in censorship? You should be ashamed of yourselves and your political motives are now apparent to me.



The audacity at which you do the political bidding of the right is amazing to me. It is corporations like yours show the decline of the American media.

and clicked the Sinclair Broadcast Group. On their main page are 4 circles showing 4 stations you can link to. 2 are Fox affiliates.

Nuff sed.

not to mention life and limb .. m-fers .. I am so angry today ... thought I had 'worked through it'. :nuke:

SMITH, DAVID D MR
COCKEYSVILLE,MD 21030

SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP/EXECUTIVE

12/8/2003

$2,000

Bush, George W


SMITH, FREDERICK G MR
HUNT VALLEY,MD 21080


SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP/BUSINESSMA

10/1/2003

$25,000

Republican National Cmte

SMITH, FREDERICK G MR
HUNT VALLEY,MD 21080

SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP/BUSINESSMA

2/17/2004

$25,000

Republican National Cmte

Cactus Jack Cafferty on CNN mentioned this this morning, and is also talking about Sinclair officers' donations to the RNC and to the Bush campaign. Love him or hate him, Cactus Jack is on the money today...

I'm trying to raise a shout about this. I'm working with another member of the Young Democrats at Virginia Tech. We're informing our members, posting on our web spaces, and going to write to the campus newspaper. I need reference links to sources that are as neutral as possible, strongly liberal, and strongly conservative to assemble a convincing case.

My my, aren'e they being "strict" with their wayward "children"..

The deaths are a FACT
The soldiers were REAL
There is nothing shameful about saying their NAMES..

But then, propaganda is always one-sided, and anyone who deviates from the "mission" must be silenced..

Here's hoping that Koppell FINALLY "gets it".. There can be NO room for "pleasantries and platitudes" with the rightwing.. He is either WITH US or he is AGAINST us.. Where are ya, Ted???

http://www.sbgi.net/business/code.shtml

"The Corporation prohibits any director or employee from accepting or agreeing to accept from any entity, other than the Corporation, any money, service, or other valuable consideration in return for, or in connection with, the broadcast of any matter over the station."

Bushco's tax cuts and the GOP's pro-conglomerate agenda is surely a "valuable consideration" that is affecting their broadcast decision. Truly outrageous! I will write and remind them of their so-called code of ethics.

http://www.sbgi.net/business/television.shtml



Sinclair's television group includes 20 FOX, 19 WB, 6 UPN, 8 ABC, 3 CBS, 4 NBC affiliates and 2 independent stations and reaches approximately 24% of all U.S. television households. To view information about stations in each of our markets, use the menu below.

Hey, I love your fancy pants! Stuff like that gets me get through another day of our country under seige. (is that hyperbole, I can't tell anymore)

It's just one freaking outrage after another. It's worse than Reagan, and I NEVER thought I'd say that.

I hope this comes back to bite 'em in their tidy whites.

Sometimes a phrase comes along, and I get "inspired "... All praise be to Google also, for having so many great pics :evilgrin:

good grief!

I just called ABC-45, of course, they are not showing it either. I then got the number and called Sinclair.

A woman finally answered the phone after about 10 rings. After I blasted on her for Sinclair being friends of the administration, and killing Bill Maher's show , I asked her why.The girl that finally answered the phone, said "the person that is repsonsible for that decision is not here (to which I said, I'm sure he's not) and that if you sent your email address- they would send the official release explaining their decision." So I did. Here are parts of the "official repsonse":

"Despite the denials by a spokeswoman for the show the action appears to
be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of
the United States in Iraq.

While the Sinclair Broadcast Group honors the memory of the brave
members of the military who have sacrificed their lives in the service
of our country, we do not believe such political statements should be
disguised as news content. . . .

We understand that our decision in this matter may be questioned by
some. Before you judge our decision, however, we would ask that you
first question Mr. Koppel as to why he chose to read the names of 523
troops killed in combat in Iraq, rather than the names of the thousands
of private citizens killed in terrorist attacks since and including the
events of September 11, 2001. In his answer, we believe you will find
the real motivation behind his action scheduled for this Friday."


And this is MY repsonse back to the email I received:

"Thank you for sending this statement.

When is honoring our fallen troops by recalling their names ever a political statement ? Is the Vietnam memorial a political statement ? Are the names listed on memorials throughout this country recalling the war dead political statements ? Is denying the country as losing countless young men and women in a foreign land a political statement ?

Sinclair Broadcast Group's censoring of this broadcast and going back to the days of Bill Maher IS and WILL CONTINUE TO BE the BIGGEST political statement of them all. I see political motivation alright, but it's not because of Ted Koppell."

They've fallen so far off the right-wing cliff they are in free fall!

I called WXLV. Left a polite but pointed voice mail for the station manager.

to keep our corner of the world dark. I keep saying N.C. could go Blue this time. Also so many colleges around our area. Wouldn't want those young kids to see the truth. Notice the other stations are in key places too. Mmmmmm, Bushco may just lose this RED state.
I want Blowback from this censorship bull crap.

When a station can start censoring news to people on major networks it is wrong.....Even if you do not have a ABC station near you censored. I would see what they do own near you in TV stations and write that station.

Wrote a note to local station and here is a list from SBG website of other ventures they are into. Start boycotting.
__________________________________________________________________
Note send to WB33 in Norfolk. Although this is not ABC, I don't know in the future what they will censor here.

It has come to my attention that Sinclair Broadcast Group believes in censorship. They are going to censor the showing of nightline on ABC stations they own on Friday night.

This is a show to honor our military dead in IRAQ. This is wrong to censor information. We live in a free society or we are suppose to.

Since SBG owns you also, I am suggesting you find a different owner that does not censor information to the public.
Who knows in the future what I will not be able to watch on your station based on bias of your parent company.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


http://www.sbgi.net/business/television.shtml
http://www.sbgi.net/business/news.shtml
http://www.sbgi.net/business/dtv/index.html
http://www.sbgi.net/business/ventures.shtml

Sinclair Ventures, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. We are strategic investors and our decisions to invest in a company must satisfy Sinclair Broadcast Group's strategic goals.

For more information, please contact:
Len Ostroff
Chief Operating Officer
Sinclair Ventures, Inc.
10706 Beaver Dam Road
Hunt Valley, Maryland 21030
Phone: 410-568-1500

Sinclair Ventures, Inc. currently holds equity interests in the following companies:


http://www.g1440.com/
http://www.jadoopower.com/
http://www.visionair.com/
http://www.appforge.com/
http://www.sterlingcap.com/
http://www.acrodyne.com/
http://www.mileone.com/
http://www.allcapital.com/

Sinclair is rightist scum. But why would they wish to diminish the soldier's lives and sacrifices? The answer is obvious--they don't care about them. They only care about their agenda.

They don't pay their reporters anything, they don't invest in equipment, and they're only #1 in markets where they have a monopoly.

They get mediocre profits for a lousy product. In short, they don't know shit about business or television.

I just sent a letter to WLOS. I hope my local station gets out of indentured servitude someday.

Fuck Sinclair.

:argh:

But you're absolutely right.

Same tactics, same goal...

fuck 'em, let em sqawk!

I love the sound of it, it means they're in psychic pain....

This Week concludes, each and every week, with "In Memoriam", which sadly has included soldiers killed in Iraq every week for the past year.

The NewsHour on PBS has a similar feature every night.

And these morans are telling us the Nightline feature is "politics disguised as news content"?

What else would you expect from Sinclair? Maryland Gov.* Bob Ehrlich (R-Empty Suit) flew around the state during his campaign on helicopters chartered by -- you guessed it -- top Sinclair execs (the evil empire is, alas, based in my home town of Baltimore).

I understand that you have been ordered by your corporate owners to not air Friday's ABC "Nightline" program. Sinclair Broadcasting is on record as saying that the program's content will be "contrary to the public interest".

Friday's "Nightline" program will broadcast the photographs and names of the servicemen who have lost their lives in Iraq. As a service to the nation ABC has extended the program to the length necessary to include all who have died in the war. ABC should be commended for doing the right thing.

Characterizing the content of tomorrow's program as being "contrary to the public interest" is dishonest because it assumes that our nation doesn't want to see the faces and hear the names of our war dead. On the contrary, we want to see their faces and hear their names because they have honored us by their sacrifices and we owe them a high honor in return. We want to see them as the real people they were, think about their lives, their families, what their futures might have held, and thereby learn the real cost of this war. We are adults, we are Americans, and we can take it.

Sinclair Broadcasting's decision to not air "Nightline" is the result of discussions that have weighed the content of the program against the loss of either advertising revenue or political capital that might result from airing it. Sinclair is afraid of losing something - either money or influence - and is willing to deny its viewers the great value of tomorrow's "Nightline" to protect its interests. That's shows cheapness and weakness.

Somewhere in your offices, probably in a dusty frame on a corridor wall, is the license we citizens have granted you. Please take it down, dust it off, and read it. Your signal belongs to us, not Sinclair. We want to see "Nightline" tomorrow night. We expect to see it, because we expect you to do the right thing and air it for all of us. Those who are as fearful of reality as Sinclair Broadcasting seems to be can watch something else instead.

Thanks for sharing it.

I wrote the Greensboro station and said I guessed that instead of airing Nightline they were probably going to show an hour of Sinclair CEO's ripping up the constitution and burning the flag. Not quite as mature as yours, eh?

I especially like the bit about the license...very nice.

:dem:

or other loved one and they refused to acknowledge. This garbeg is really going to backfire on these loosers.

I can't imagine they will approve.

AND I AM PISSED! If they can't stand seeing these young men and women's faces, the chickhawks shouldn't send them off on pointless wars.

If Bush's religion allows him to garner endorsements from religious leaders despite the number of deaths he has inflicted on our citizens and the Iraqi civilians (I don't include the idiots blowing themselves up), I have to question the leadership of our nation's churches as well as that of our government.

U.S. SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN

don't know when to pick their battles. The conventional wisdom is that many won't tune in, and that those who do will watch only a portion. The enablers are so frightened of the effect reality might have on the sleeping masses, they compound the issue with stunts like this. Hopefully their decision will be widely reported and scrutinized.




... hopefully

is 1-314-436-3030. You have to listen to the wing nut
manager spew his ridiculous reasons for pulling the show
before you can leave a comment.

The political debates in their comment forums usually cover both sides, but the reaction to this one is overwhelmingly on the side of "Nightline".

How dare they? THEY are the ones using the fallen troops for politcal reasons. The families of the fallen, I would guess, would welcome the recognition of their loved ones ultimate sacrifice. I hope the military families will make their voices heard to these corporate suits. This was, no doubt, an edict from on high... as in the White House.

out of sight, out of mind. They want to keep the focus on the goal, "the big picture". You start putting names and faces to those numbers and you've got a problem. It takes the war out of the theoretical and brings it home.

<<I'm writing to express my extreme shock and sadness at your corporate decision NOT to honor our fallen troops, by pulling the Nightline broadcast featuring their names and photos. My only conclusion is that your Board of Directors have strong GOP ties.. otherwise, I can see why no breathing, thinking human could be so cold and callous about our fallen troops.

Nightline ran extensive coverage of the victims of 9/11, including reading the names of those victims. So, your corporate charge that this is no more than poltical pandering, or that ABC did not give the same treatment to the victims of 9/11, is outrageous.. and frankly, just pathetically sad.

My family and friends who have loved ones serving are incredibly hurt by this corporate/poltical decision. Shame on you. Your lack of goodwill toward the troops will reverberate, taking on a life of its own.. making this the largest public relations nightmare your corporation has ever experienced. >>

I have a feeling it will be bounced back.. they can't handle the truth.

I think a strong, overwhelming e-mail campaign telling them that we will boycott if they support this stance might do some good.

I like the idea of sending a message to the sponsors!
This is so unbelievable. :shrug: I truly am amazed at the censorship we are now experiencing. :scared:

I guess they are prepared for the onslaught of angry Americans.

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=SINCLAIR+BROADCAST&txtCand=&txt2004=Y&Order=N

SMITH, DAVID D MR is the CEO.

Whores

for the unseemly displays in their windows. It's such a buzzkill when we're trying to get a war on, you know. /sarcasm :eyes:

any other email contact info for SBG? i'll call tomorrow, but it's too late now and i don't want to leave a message that will just be deleted. i want to have someone at least take the time to pick up the phone before they ignore me!:grr:

hours later, first time that's ever happened, but I contacted all the newspapers above, and the 2 North Carolina stations, and FAIR, and ArmyTimes magazine, and the VFW Washington office, and
maybe some others, I am losing track.

I'm gonna write my congress people tommorrow and the FCC. Did anyone hear if Air America said anything about it today? I wrote Center for American Progress and asked them to mention it in their daily e-mails.

If anyone else thinks of anyone else we can do please come back and post here. This just reeks so bad I can't stand it.

How utterly disgusting. What? Are they that phucking afraid that this will harm Bush's ratings somehow? This really makes my blood boil. Does anyone know the 8 cities that won't get to see this?

"blacked out" areas more eager to see what they are missing. Though this behavior is insidious, it will ultimately backfire. Not being allowed to see something only gives it cache. Furthermore, the states affected have a long tradition of respect and mourning for war dead. It would be foolish to "tread" on it.

These addresses were posted at Atrios and Kos:

CEO of Sinclair:
dsmith@sbgnet.com

VP of Programming and Promotions:
bbutler@sbgnet.com

???
mhyman@sbgnet.com
jleiber@sbgnet.com

for which states are to see this "blackout"?

Ohio is where I'm from and I will not be able to see it.

Ohio has lost quite a few soldiers over there, I work with a lady that manages a McDonald's in the local Wal-Mart supercenter that I work at whos son died over there. I worked with a guy that went over there a few months back.

And to think that is not an honor to show them on tv is a sham and a diservice to Americans and the families of the fallen.

and to think I could be drafted within the comming months, could die over there and would become just another number like these soldiers have been treated.....................makes me very sad and dissapointed. I fear for my country and the way it is bieng run.

Ohioans UNITE!
These are the contacts for all of Ohio's stations.

1731 Soldiers Home Road <----------------------how fitting!
Dayton, OH 45418
(937)263-2662
(937)263-4500


5177 Fishwick Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45216
(513)641-4400



1261 Dublin Road
Columbus, OH 43215
(614)481-6621


Ohio is a battleground state, maybe this is why we are being kept in the dark. Kerry seems to like us, he is here a awful lot!

Or someone who can frame their decision with these contributions.

Shameless corporate whore M.Fs!! :grr:

Their investor email address bounced back my email.. but oddly, it took like 20 minutes for it to happen.. almost like they review, then refuse.

First draft of my letter to David D. Smith and Ted Koppel. (I've been reading a bit too much Hunter Thompson recently)

To:
David D. Smith
President and Chief Executive Office

cc: Ted Koppel, Nightline


Dear David,
I applaud your recent decision to "pre-empt" the ABC News show "Nightline." That stupid hack Koppel won't get away with this. What you did took real guts. I mean, what the hell was Koppel thinking? This is America, goddammit, and in America you can't just go spewing that kind of crap willy-nilly all over the airwaves. It's offensive to good, honest citizens like myself. Lord knows, we like our war footage raw. We want to see the dead bodies, the explosions, the gore... as long as it isn'tour people getting blown to hell. Yes sir, we love our war footage, David. And you show it to us, night after night. So where in God's name does Koppel get off doing something like this? I agree with you, David, that it smells like a terrible stunt in the service of a deranged Communist agenda. And so I'd like to propose that you do the right thing - something that seems to be entirely in line with your beliefs:

Let's dismantle that idiotic Vietnam war memorial in Washington, DC. Blow it up, kablooey! It makes perfect sense. It's a list of names too, isn't it? Hell, we've been looking for a use for all that leftover napalm from our great triumph over the primitive savages in Vietnam. How long does Napalm keep, I wonder? Can it penetrate granite? They didn't mention that statistic last year, when your stations and others were running 24/7 commercials for every weapons system ever produced by the United Status. I guess napalm is out of style these days. Maybe you know what the shelf-life of naplm is, David. I figured you might, since surely you've had a long and illustrious career in the armed forces which you claim to love so much.

Of course, I'm being sarcasting. And I'm lying. But in the end, I'm a liar who's lying to a whore. What you have done is both despicable and stupid. Who are YOU, David D. Smith, to decide what's right and wrong for America? Perchance did I miss the election in which you rose to that esteemed post?
It is with your irrational penchant for censorship in mind that I request the following: Immediately preceding the reading of the names of the war dead, I ask that Ted Koppel read the names of you, your fellow Sinclair executives, and the executive staff of each and every one of your stations. After all, it's only fair for Ted to give play to both sides of the issue. It'd be a grand juxtaposition. The cowards vs. the brave. The living warmongers vs. the dead war heroes.

Poor, poor David. You've really opened up a can of worms, haven't you? You should just be glad that Koppel didn't deicde to read the names of all the dead Iraqi civilians. You'd have to "pre-empt" him for the next six months, and re-runs of Walker: Texas Ranger only stay interesting for so long.

Regards,

Yibbehobba

his censorship and disrespectful decision!

on Google by the Washington Dispatch.The paper claims that Nightline is being "disrespectful" to troops that made the ultimate sacrifice by reading their names and showing their photos on the program.Oops, down the rabbit hole again!:eyes:

Go ask Alice--I feel myself shrinking. Up is down and down is up.
I hope it backfires, that's if everyone knows in the blackout areas.
Let's all spread the word in our areas, just in case they all watch FOX. It's propaganda alright--Bushco, Inc.

Sinclair offered Koppel an interview that would have run against his own show!!!

They are totally in the wrong on this and they have given Koppel more publicity for the show than would have been generated otherwise.

that not saying the names won't make the war dead go away. Denial ain't a river in Egypt.

I'm so disgusted at this I keep punching my file cabinet at work!

The Right Wing Dictatorship in Action

According to campaign finance records, four of Sinclair's top executives each have given the maximum campaign contribution of $2,000 to the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign.

The executives have not given any donations to the campaign of Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee, the records showed.

Lying, back-stabbing right wing idealogs at it again!

I am writing to comment on Sinclair Broadcasting Group's recent decision not to air an episode of ABC Nightline. For those unfamiliar with the issue, the entire show will be dedicated to displaying pictures of our courageous men and women who have given their lives in the Iraq war. Sinclair accuses Ted Koppel and ABC of using these images for a political purpose that is contrary to the public interest. This is absolutely outrageous. How is this for political: Sinclair, whose executives are large contributors to Bush and the Republican Party, feels threatened that America's view of our war dead might somehow be transformed from just a number into actual people with names and faces.

It is very telling that Sinclair has deemed this a political stunt. But Nightline is not the guilty party; as Nightline seeks to honor our fallen soldiers, it is Sinclair who can only see the issue through political goggles. I would encourage the Telegraph's readers to visit Sinclair's website (www.sbgi.net) and see their politically charged statement firsthand.

because they're Canadian.

and it felt good! i used the emails provided earlier in the post, not the ones on the Sinclair webpage. those have been disabled i think.

crap, this address just bounced back too: jleiber@sbgnet.com

these apparently worked though...

VP bbutler@sbgnet.com
CEO dsmith@sbgnet.com
hhyman@sbgnet.com

don't let them get away with this crap!!

MCCAIN LETTER TO SINCLAIR BROADCAST ON PREEMPTION OF NIGHTLINE
For Immediate Release
Friday, Apr 30, 2004

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) issued the following letter today to Mr. David Smith, President and CEO of Sinclair Broadcast Group, in response to the preemption of this evening’s Nightline program:

I write to strongly protest your decision to instruct Sinclair’s ABC affiliates to preempt this evening’s Nightline program. I find deeply offensive Sinclair’s objection to Nightline’s intention to broadcast the names and photographs of Americans who gave their lives in service to our country in Iraq.

I supported the President’s decision to go to war in Iraq, and remain a strong supporter of that decision. But every American has a responsibility to understand fully the terrible costs of war and the extraordinary sacrifices it requires of those brave men and women who volunteer to defend the rest of us; lest we ever forget or grow insensitive to how grave a decision it is for our government to order Americans into combat. It is a solemn responsibility of elected officials to accept responsibility for our decision and its consequences, and, with those who disseminate the news, to ensure that Americans are fully informed of those consequences.

There is no valid reason for Sinclair to shirk its responsibility in what I assume is a very misguided attempt to prevent your viewers from completely appreciating the extraordinary sacrifices made on their behalf by Americans serving in Iraq. War is an awful, but sometimes necessary business. 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. It is, in short, sir, unpatriotic. I hope it meets with the public opprobrium it most certainly deserves.

http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=NewsCenter.ViewPressRelease&Content_id=1276

Nothing like a little censorship to REALLY ratchet up the PR for this Nightline episode. They just turned this into a Mega-controversy! Everyone should be thankful that the morons at Sinclair did this!!! Ha Ha!

KDNL pulling the show in St. Louis. They did note that Sinclair had donated $59,000 to the Bush campaign. Good.

I'm still infuriated about this company censoring the news division of a major network because it might somehow affect their personal beliefs or bottom line. This is the single most disgraceful thing that has happened in years and I will not be happy until this company pays a severe price for this.

There was a thread in GD about apublic interest group that is trying to get their license REVOKED.SOMEONE PLEASE PULL UP THAT THREAD. It has contact information.

INDIVIDUAL LETTERS count more than groups.Groups can just be called "libral focus groups."

Time is NOW to point out that this company does not broadcast in the public interest!!EVERYTIME that Hyman comes on with commentary during NEWSTIME, YOU SHOULD WRITE A LETTER especially against your "local" outlet which is tied into their propaganda system.

NO REASON THAT THIS COMPANY SHOULD REACH 24% OF THE NATION.