Balt Sun:Sinclair's TV program on Kerry is called illegal donation to Bush

Sinclair's TV program on Kerry is called illegal donation to Bush

Stations in Md.-based chain told to air show on anti-war activism


By David Folkenflik
Sun Staff
Originally published October 12, 2004

The Democratic Party took aim at Sinclair Broadcast Group yesterday, saying a program the Maryland-based corporation plans to air criticizing John Kerry's anti-war activism amounts to an illegal corporate campaign contribution to President Bush. The show is to focus on Kerry's denunciation of the Vietnam War three decades ago.

Although not yet complete, it is based on a documentary called Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal. It alleges that North Vietnamese captors used Kerry's statements about atrocities committed by American troops during the conflict as an excuse to torture U.S. prisoners of war. Sinclair Vice President Mark Hyman dismissed the Democrats' grievances as unfounded. "This is news," Hyman said. "It is what it is."

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But (Carlton) Sherwood was fired by a Washington television station in the early 1980s after a story he did on the Vietnam War memorial came under severe attack. He later joined the Washington Times. He could not be reached yesterday for comment.

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Conservative sympathies have emerged in other ways, too:

# After the September 2001 attacks, Sinclair executives ordered news anchors at its local stations to run editorials announcing support for the Bush administration's response. Some news staffers, such as those at Sinclair's two Baltimore stations, WBFF and WNUV, objected, saying such statements could undermine public faith in their political objectivity. The editorials were read nonetheless, with language stating the support for Bush came from station management.

much, much more...

http://tinyurl.com/5stgk

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Sinclair stations make over 60% of their advertising revenue from their 6:00 pm news broadcasts.

Let's contact the news divisions and tell them what they can do with their advertisers' products!

...a la Goebbels

is stealing from the public...

recently announce they were not going to do a segment on the Iraq war because it was "too close to the election".

campaign contribution. The fine should be at least treble what the Kerry campaign would have to pay to buy this air time.