Anti-Kerry film to air in prime-time

Liudmilla · Post by **Liudmilla** » Mon 11 October 2004 1:49 pm

Anti-Kerry film to air in prime-time
Nation's largest TV chain orders all 62 stations to show movie without commercials next week.
October 11, 2004: 1:24 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of the largest chain of television stations in the nation, plans to air a documentary that accuses Sen. John Kerry of betraying American prisoners during the Vietnam War, a newspaper reported Monday.

The network has ordered all 62 of its stations to air "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal" without commercials in prime-time next week, the Washington Post said, just two weeks before the Nov. 2 election.

Sinclair's television group, which includes affiliates of all the major networks, reaches nearly a quarter of all U.S. television households, according to the company's Web site. But the affiliates owned by the major television networks reach a larger percentage of U.S. homes because they are in the largest markets.

A dozen of Sinclair's stations are in the critical swing states of Ohio, Florida, Iowa and Wisconsin.

The company made news in April when it ordered seven of its ABC-affiliated stations not to air a "Nightline" segment that featured a reading of the names of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq; a Sinclair executive called that broadcast "contrary to the public interest."

Calls to Sinclair by CNN/Money were not immediately returned Monday.

Media Matters for America, a liberal watchdog group, has written a letter to Sinclair asking the company to cancel reported plans to air the film between now and the Nov. 2 election, the group said in a statement.

"Sinclair's plan to air anti-Kerry propaganda before the election is an abuse of the public airwaves for what appears to be partisan political purposes," Media Matters CEO David Brock said in the letter.

The letter warned Sinclair that its plan could constitute a violation of broadcast regulations requiring equal time for political candidates, as well as the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, the group said.

Sinclair's top executives include members of the controlling Smith family, who have been strong financial supporters of President Bush's campaign, the Post said in its report.

Sinclair executives have given nearly $68,000 in political contributions, 97 percent of it going to Republicans, since the beginning of the year, according to the Los Angeles Times.

According to the report, "Stolen Honor" focuses on Kerry's antiwar testimony to Congress in 1971 and its effect on American POWs in Vietnam, and was produced independently of Sinclair.

The anti-Kerry film states that the senator's testimony hurt the American war effort and undercut morale among the troops.

Sinclair (SBGI: down $0.08 to $7.42, Research, Estimates) stock fell in afternoon trading on Nasdaq.

Ephraem · Post by **Ephraem** » Wed 13 October 2004 4:08 pm

The Sinclair Broadcast Group are also responsible for prohibiting their ABC affiliates from airing the Nightline memorial to those Americans who gave their lives for this country in this Iraq conflict. Sinclair knows Bush is a coward who can't face a servicemans' funeral or countenance a flag draped coffin, and covers his ass for him.

If you've been paying attention, none of this will catch you off guard. The producer of this film, Carlton Sherwood, is a former Bush administration official. This film is basically a feature length extension of the untruthful propaganda as told by the Swiftboat Veterans for (sic) Truth. Kerry testified for and on the behalf of groups of fellow Vietnam veterans, not against them, and placed the blame on US officials--not the soldiers. But that will be distorted by those who've won't forgive Kerry for coming out against the Vietnam disaster.

Stolen Honor producer Carlton Sherwood is also in bed with the Rev. Sun Myung Moon. Sherwood is the author of the pro-Unification Church book Inquisition: The Persecution and Prosecution of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon. You can find it on Amazon, if you're into that kind of thing.

Nicholas · Post by **Nicholas** » Wed 13 October 2004 4:26 pm

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

OUR OPINION: Stolen honor, stolen choices
Unless a coalition of United States senators get their way, a 42-minute film about John Kerry's effect on American POWs during and after the Vietnam War is going to be aired by 62 television stations across the country sometime before Nov. 2.

The stations, owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., serve about a quarter of the nation's homes with TV sets ... which means pretty much a quarter of the nation's homes. The film, "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal," was made by a man named Carlton Sherwood, a Vietnam vet, and is, according to most reports, vehemently anti-Kerry. In it, according to those who've already seen it, former Vietnam prisoners of war allege that Kerry's anti-war activities after he returned home from Vietnam prolonged their own ordeal for two years by boosting the morale of the North Vietnamese military.

Improper use

The 18 senators involved in the coalition signed a letter to the Federal Communications Commission asking for an investigation, and what they want to know is whether Sinclair's plan to air the film would be an improper use of public airways. Sinclair has said it will preempt regular programming to show the film, which is what's prompted the call for an "investigation."

No doubt you've already figured out that the senators are all Democrats. California's senior senator, Dianne Feinstein, is of course among them. They're seeking an investigation because they're fearful that the film will sway enough "undecided" voters to affect Nov. 2's outcome, and their intent is to intimidate Sinclair into canceling its plan.

Consider, now, the mindset involved here. The Democrat senators believe that government has the right to determine and control content on privately owned television stations. Underlying this belief is that viewers can't be trusted — i.e., they're too stupid — to determine for themselves whether the material "Stolen Honor" presents is worthy of their consideration.

Liberal mode

But those viewers are not a captive audience; they can simply change the channel, or hit the off button. TV markets Sinclair serves are the same as TV markets across the country; a vast variety of choices regarding content are available. And exercising choice over what to watch is basic to individual freedom. But the coalition senators, in true liberal mode, want to limit those choices by filtering out messages they don't agree with.

Did John Kerry's activities following his return to America from Vietnam affect the treatment and prolong the imprisonment of the POWs? We don't know; we weren't there. But the POWs were, and some — perhaps even a majority — believe so. Is hearing and watching them say so too inflammatory and one-sided for the electorate to properly, and fairly, digest? In the partisan judgment of the coalition, the answer is yes.

And what were members of that coalition doing when Dan Rather used "60 Minutes" to publicize forged documents impugning George W. Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard? Calling on the FCC to investigate CBS? Well, no. They were applauding.

Steve Williams

Chrysostomos · Post by **Chrysostomos** » Wed 13 October 2004 4:58 pm

Frankly, this potential upcoming 42 minute infomercial is
a desperate attempt by the Republicans.

Enough of this mud-slinging!

First-off, could possibly John Kerry have matured, maybe
reflected upon his past, and has different views now?

I am surprised that the Democrats haven't come out with
an infomercial from the Drug dealers against Bush, or
MADD against Bush campaign. Denegrating him for a
time when he had a battle with alcohol and possible
drug abuse. But they haven't stooped to that level now
have they?

I can see it now:

Drug Dealer: I knew President Bush before he was president.
He was one of my best customers. He was an on again, off
again type guy. He's not the type of guy I'd want to continue
to be President. Gee, look at the first debate, for all we
know that could be the effects of drug residue.

(See the insanity of this type of drivel?)

I am tired of these swift boat, anti-swift boat, and all this
mud-slinging, from both sides. It's sad, and if and when
this shows, it shows you how desperate things have become.
It's like grasping for ropes of sand.

I'll be glad when this election is over.

Out....

Ephraem · Post by **Ephraem** » Wed 13 October 2004 5:11 pm

Sinclair executives have instructed station managers to classify the film as "news," thus skirting the FCC's political broadcasting regulations, which are "requiring broadcasters to provide equal time to major candidates in an election campaign." Awfully dirty, don't you think? The Sinclair media corporation is private, but the air waves belong to the public, and they're entrusted to the government for regulation.

The FCC has regulations like this in order to protect the public against media manipulation, which is exactly what Sinclair has set out to do. It will be interesing to see how the FCC handles this, and whether FCC chairman Michael Powell (son of Colin Powell) finds his conscience.

Deregulation, anyone?

Nicholas · Post by **Nicholas** » Wed 13 October 2004 5:42 pm

The difference is that Kerry is touting his Viet Nam service everywhere he goes. Why are the liberal Democrats crying foul when they have had people put out books right before the election & have newscasters report lies? At least this is a documentry by a Viet Nam vet and is topical now during the election as well. It will not be as topical if Kerry loses.

Liudmilla · Post by **Liudmilla** » Thu 14 October 2004 6:32 am

Don't know if it's true but I heard that Kerry was invited to take part and to "refute" but he declined the invitation...........