Screaming Penguin - Source Does Matter

Some time back the Sinclair Broadcast Group refused to air Nightline with Ted Koppel because the program was a reading of the names of the American Iraq war dead. There was no other political commentary AT ALL, yet Sinclair called that program a left biased anti war statement and refused to air it (and there was some discussion at the time here).

Sinclair is back in the news because a few days before the election Sinclair plans to air an anti Kerry "documentary" called "Stolen Honor" about Kerrys anti war stance (and how purportedly horrible they proclaim that was, see the PBS Frontline "The Choice" program for a real documentary on this matter).

If this program they plan to air is not produced by a journalistic entity and indeed is an anti Kerry political statement as it is billed to be (I havent seen it) then it is a huge disservice to the customers of Sinclair and another huge mistake by the company.

Now we again visit the fact that this is a private company. And thus they have the right to air whatever they want. However I think this is a mistake because if it is obvious political bias it does not belong on public airways or on a normal over the air network. If this were the "SBG" channel then fine, air whatever and we will know that it comes from a certain angle to begin with (such as Fox News Network) but to air a single political position and purport it to be a "documentary" is just plain wrong.

Should it be illegal? Nope. But Sinclairs frachise agreements with networks that grant them frachisee status should be reconsidered by those companies AND customers should demand better by contacting investment firms and advertisers that do business with Sinclair and so on.

And yes this would be just as wrong if it were an anti Bush "documentary" on public airways and aired on regular network affiliate stations. For instance if Fahrenheit 9/11 were played on some liberal broadcast group days before the election.

We should all use the means available and contact the advertisers and the networks themselves and any investment funds we participate in and tell them this political posturing by a large media corporation for the benefit of a particular political position disguised as journalism is flat out wrong and we wont support it any further.

Sinclair Info Center

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