UPDATED: Bill Moyers Documentary Blacked Out in NC

[G_j]

http://www.camelcitydispatch.com/bill-moyers-documentary-blacked-out-in-nc/

By Staff

Legendary journalist Bill Moyers has created a new documentary about North Carolina’s politics in 2013 titled North Carolina: State of Conflict. As of press time Saturday, UNC-TV does not have the show scheduled to air in our state – essentially blacking out the documentary to all but those who are able to access it through the internet.


“First it was Wisconsin. Now it’s North Carolina that is redefining the term ‘battleground state,’” the show’s website says. “On one side: a right-wing government enacting laws that are changing the face of the state. On the other: citizen protesters who are fighting back against what they fear is a radical takeover.”

The show’s producers visited North Carolina over the summer, when people were gathering for weekly Moral Monday protests against the agenda of the Republican supermajority-controlled legislature and the McCrory administration. In all, more than 900 people were arrested for engaging in civil disobedience outside lawmakers’ chambers.

“State of Conflict is more than a local story,” states BillMoyers.com. “It offers a case study of what may be the direction of American politics for years, perhaps decades, to come.”

CCD has contacted UNC-TV asking why they have chosen not to air the show, and has not gotten a response. We will publish that response, explanation, or statement when it becomes available. In the meantime, CCD would like to bring our readers Mr. Moyer’s excellent and illuminating documentary in full below.



UPDATE:

With a tip from a reader, CCD has found out that UNC-TV did and will air the documentary exclusively via digital cable services such as Time Warner Cable, but is not available for those who do not have the digital cable service or view through broadcast. The documentary can be found on UNC’s MX service at the following times:



01/03/2014 – 10:00pm – 10:59pm

01/04/2014 – 6:00pm – 6:59pm

As our reader put it best: Yes, however it is/was broadcast over-the-air as a digital subchannel of UNC-TV. If a NC viewer who does not have cable and gets his/her TV via a digital antenna connected to a TV with a digital tuner AND he/she knows HOW to dig in the digital tuning and actually FIND the digital subchannel for UNC-MX, then yes, they could watch it. So UNC-TV is going to say, “We DID air it.”.



UPDATE:



UNC-TV spokesperson Rebekah Radisch returned CCD’s inquiry regarding the airing of Mr. Moyers’ documentary in North Carolina. Here statement in full:
We air Moyers & Company on our UNC-MX channel (currently only available on digital cable). The State of Conflict episode aired on UNC-MX yesterday at 10 PM and airs again today at 6 PM.



CCD is glad that they are airing the show and we are also happy to announce that because of this posting 950 individuals in NC have watched the Moyers’ important documentary since Saturday morning when this piece was first run.



UPDATE:



The people of North Carolina must be interested and hungry for the information in Mr. Moyers’ documentary. As of 6:30pm on a Saturday over 1,775 individual readers have viewed this documentary through our small, local media outlet.



UPDATE:



Perhaps citizens who watch broadcast TV and basic cable were not the only ones blacked out from viewing State of Conflict. DirectTV subscribers were also not able to see the program on their service. From the comments below:

I’m glad you’re glad that it’s being aired, but since you can actually get them to respond to your questions (the general public would never have such luck), could you please ask why it’s not being aired on either their main channel or their Explorer channel, both of which are picked up by DirecTV?

http://vimeo.com/82605522

[WorseBeforeBetter]

1. I get three UNC channels, but not MX.

I'll call them tomorrow, with a gentle reminder about donations.

[LuvNewcastle]

2. When the government feels safe enough to censor media (or try to censor it),

look out. People are so apathetic about what's going on or they're so caught up in other things that the govt. feels confident and bold enough to do shit like this. They know that even if they get caught, there'll be little or no repercussions from it. We're on thin ice.

[G_j]

3. most people will never know they missed it

and may continue to be unaware of the destruction that is going on in our state.

[LuvNewcastle]

9. NC is a beautiful state with a lot of good people. I'm sorry that y'all are having to

go through all this shit. Best of luck in the next elections. Next time, I hope y'all are able to run all those bastards out on a rail.

[nikto]

43. The proof that NC has a lot of good people, will be...

If they are able to throw-off the yoke and change stuff like this.

[abelenkpe]

24. Caught up in other things....

It's really not apathy. People are too busy trying to keep their head above water to pay attention. It's when they're overwhelmed, unemployed and in need of assistance that they finally have the time to discover such shenanigans. And by then it's too late.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. This is what happens when media is consolidated.

and sold to only those who can buy access.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. So true, so true

American society is being corrupted from the top down.

[Recursion]

40. UNC-TV is public television

It's not part of a media empire; it's paid for by its members.

[dixiegrrrrl]

44. PBS and NPR used to to be public telelvision,

but the board of directors was taken over and both have become very titled to the right.
In fact, the right ward tilt of PBS is often a topic discussed here.

[Recursion]

45. PBS doesn't make programming decisions for its affiliates

They distribute content (including, incidentally, Moyers's documentary)

[SCVDem]

52. Sponsored programming?

By the Koch Bros by any chance?

[Recursion]

53. I'm not convinced you understand what PBS is

PBS buys content from producers like Moyers and sells it to affiliates like WUNC.

[YOHABLO]

51. And as far as I remember, we own the airwaves. Go figure.

[marble falls]

5. Thanks for being a citizen broadcaster. NC is an example for us all.

[2naSalit]

6. thanks for posting the video!

Now folks can watch it that couldn't previously.

Must have touched a nerve, eh?

[santroy79]

8. Where are the Duck Dynasty free speech people at now?

[merrily]

11. Still stupid as ever.

Free speech rights are against government, not broadcasters.

But, I understand and agree with your point about double standards.

[TeamPooka]

47. quacking off

[Ron Green]

10. Everyone ought to watch this program -

It's the plan for the RW takeover without guns. But with a smile.

[merrily]

12. I wonder what's is still left to take over.

[niyad]

13. k and r and bookmarking for later viewing

[zentrum]

14. It was on

The NPR/KQED (public radio) station aired it in San Francsico on Saturday. His interviews are so well done--you don't really need the graphics. The sound alone made the situation with Art Pope---NC's own personal Koch devil---perfectly clear.

[Triana]

15. NC Dem and Progressive orgs can/should distribute the link to the program online

Last edited Sun Jan 5, 2014, 01:50 PM - Edit history (1)

to their mailing lists:

http://billmoyers.com/segment/north-carolina-battleground-state/

I've posted it here - twice.

F*ck the media. BE the media. They won't do their jobs and are too easily bludgeoned/owned by moneyed interests to hide this story. Then it's up to others to get it out there.

EDIT:

For instance, email these folks and ask them to distribute the link to the program to their mailing list: http://progressnc.org/contact-us/

[Mira]

16. ...

[G_j]

18. right on

agreed!

[perdita9]

17. Republicans are a threat to freedom

The sooner the population figures that out the sooner this country can start healing.

[ZRT2209]

19. tweet a link to the article/show to every NC biz and individual you can find on twitter

restaurants, bars, hotels - any NC biz on twitter

[EC]

20. Wow, makes them like China and other

countries that monitor and decides what their citizens can see/hear. Isn't Moyers considered news? So is North Carolina interfering with a free press? First Amendment, first amendment......

[Recursion]

41. Hold on... is UNC-TV required to air any documentary anyone wants to show?

It's public television. They take money from people who watch and use that to produce or buy programs those people want to watch. If you want to start saying local PBS affiliates should be forced to run this or that program, that gets problematic too.

[mnhtnbb]

21. I watched it in Chapel Hill on our Time Warner Cable UNC-MX channel.

When I first heard about it, I thought it was being blacked out, too, because
it wasn't carried by the UNC-TV PBS channel. I didn't even know that UNC-TV has
other channels!

It was excellent. Really excellent. If you can watch it streaming, do so.

The right wing knows what it's doing by gaining control of broadcast media.
It shouldn't be so tough to view such an excellent documentary.

[George II]

22. I think saying it's "blacked out" is a little extreme

[Bryce Butler]

23. The documentary is also available on YouTube:

[progressoid]

25. Fuck this pisses me off.

But I did shed a tear of bittersweet joy listening to Rosa Bell Eaton speak.

[KoKo]

26. Thanks...I didn't even know there was UNC MAX

but, I knew his show wasn't on our regular PBS Channel so I watch him online.

I don't know if this is an extra tip..but those who have Roku Boxes and use Private Channel "Nowhereman" for International and other News and Features can get Moyers Audio broadcasts from the Line Up.

For those who don't have expanded Cable and pay for the Time-Warner Box for HiDef this is indeed a Blackout. Especially for many older folks who don't have online access to his show and can't afford the upgrades and the many who have cut back cable because of the bad economic times here.

[young_at_heart]

27. We've lived in Asheville for 16 years and are now angry and sad

Why do people think the Republican party is the best? I think it has to do with brainwashing and religion.....as in "What's the Matter with Kansas?"

[Lex]

31. the majority of conservative lawmakers in the state

are ruining it and selling its resources off to the highest bidders, screwing over everyone but the wealthy--and they are only a majority because the fucking republicans gerrymandered the voting districts.

[Lex]

39. Oh boo hoo, I guess it bothers you that a black man

has a seat in Congress? Cry me a river. MORE PEOPLE VOTED FOR DEMOCRATS IN THE LAST ELECTION but the crooked GOP gerrymandered the vote.

"In North Carolina, the vote was split almost in half with 51% voting Democrat and 49% voting Republican. Assuming that the districts were representative (and not convoluted to protect a particular political party) the 13 seats would be split with six seats going to the Republicans and seven to the Democrats. Instead, there are four Democratic seats and nine Republican seats."

[Ron Green]

32. What the hell are you doing here? Aren't there some other sites where this crap will resonate?

A supermajority of conservative lawmakers is a bought thing; it's not for representing working people.

[Doctor_J]

29. cons get more like Nazis every day

Unfortunately no one stands up to them. There aren't even any allied forces to help us out of this mess.

[leanforward]

30. There is nothing wrong with a majority, but

when that majority is doing anything to disenfranchise voters to include abridging freedom of the press, then lets raise some commotion (speech). It reads to me there is a group of people in NC that are very much afraid of diversity.

[Recursion]

42. I dunno. Do you think if UNC-TV had wanted to broadcast it somebody would have stopped them?

It's public television, you know? They show what they think their members want to watch.

[Uncle Joe]

33. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, G_j.

[G_j]

56. you are welcome

thanks for caring.

[ailsagirl]

34. Oh my YES-- gotta keep that crazed radical Moyers and his lefty views away from folks

Last edited Sun Jan 5, 2014, 11:47 PM - Edit history (1)

[WillyT]

35. K & R !!!

[Lifelong Protester]

36. Just watched it, made me ill

bless you folks in NC fighting the good fight. Pretty soon, all we will have left to withold is our labor.
General Strike.

[G_j]

37. thank you! a few photos from Mountain Moral Monday,

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023410936

[Lifelong Protester]

49. It does my heart good to see this

Eventually, we WILL get through to these moneyed GOONS!

[locks]

46. Terrific show

Was on our second PBS channel 12 in Denver.

[delrem]

48. That is the finest reporting that I've ever seen, and I'm in my 60's.

I look forward to the cartoons that Tom Tomorrow draws and Tomorrow is the best of the kind.

Cartoons like that look back at the absurdity that we've invited upon ourselves. For example doing things like substituting for the look-back that the current US admin said wasn't on the table, when it declared that it was looking "forward".

Thank the great koot humooni that we have a sense of humor and wicked humorists to relieve the pressure of being aware.

There's nothing funny about Moyers' reporting. Moyers' reporting *has to be* a call to action, it *has to* connect with a sense other than the funny bone, to a sense connected to action, to an understanding that the only acceptable response is to work actively, kinetically, to stop these beasts who live in dollars and lies and slime.

[lindysalsagal]

50. Koch brothers bought that state in 2010.

Honestly,they did.Really great show, but scary.

[barbtries]

54. it's on the web page in its entirety

and is well worth watching.
http://billmoyers.com/episode/full-show-state-of-conflict-north-carolina/#.Ush0mrSJrHg.facebook

[dmosh42]

55. Thanks for that. Being on DirecTV in NC, I guess it won't be available. Hmm, my donation to UNC-tv..

is about due!

[ctsnowman]

57. K & R

[NorthCarolina]

58. We had hoped to watch it, but it was not carried by TW Cable here in Charlotte.

Apparently we don't receive the "MX" channel. I know we have been able to watch Bill Moyers journal in the past so not sure if it was blocked by the cable company, or if there was a decision by the cable channel to put it on the MX (whatever that is) channel which has never to my knowledge been carried here in NC.

[woo me with science]

59. Propaganda is now ubiquitous and legal.

[woo me with science]

60. K&R

[woo me with science]

61. kick