DU Researchers -- let's expose Sinclair Broadcasting

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In-depth reporting will not come from the media. If there's anything to expose, it will have to come from individuals. If anyone has the time to do any research, it would be very interesting to see what we can come up with. I'll post all the stuff I've come up with so far in separate posts. In may not be much, but its a start to the brainstorming process. Posts below taken from my responses to symbolman thread.

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1. President sidesteps broadcast/cable to talk to Sinclair/others directly

President takes message directly to station groupsKaty Bachman. Mediaweek. New York: Oct 20, 2003.Vol.13, Iss. 38; pg. 12
Copyright VNU eMedia, Inc. Oct 20, 2003

Rod Daniels, anchor at WBAL, Hearst's ABC affiliate in Baltimore, cues the Bush Q&A.

Sidestepping the national broadcast and cable news networks, president George W. Bush last week held a series of interviews with five TV groups to discuss his assessment of the war in Iraq and its aftermath.

"I'm mindful of the filter through which some news travels and sometimes you just have to go over the heads of the filter and speak directly to the people," said Bush in an interview with Laurie Kinney, Hearst-Argyle Television's Washington, D.C. correspondent. Hearst, Belo Corp., Cox Television, Tribune Broadcasting, and Sinclair Broadcasting each had eight minutes with Bush and fed their coverage to their sister stations. NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC and ABC Radio also aired some of the coverage.

Jennifer Hitchcock, Hearst's deputy bureau chief in Washington, said Hearst had been making the case for three years that the president could reach his intended audience via the TV groups, including WMUR, Hearst's ABC affiliate in Manchester, N.H., in advance of the '04 New Hampshire primary. "Our 25 news-carrying TV stations reach more people than a prime-time news program on cable news and that caught their attention," said Hitchcock.

Station groups also believe they bring a different approach to covering the White House. "I don't understand why the networks should have exclusivity. We don't want to be like the networks and report like they do," said Carl Gottlieb, managing editor for Sinclair's News Central news feed to its affiliates. "I'm hoping this is only the beginning."

Just in time to cover the election, Meredith Broadcasting announced last week it would open a news bureau in D.C. by the end of this month. "Since the 9/11 attacks, there has been increased interest in national stories and in the activities inside the Beltway," said Micah Johnson, Meredith's vp of news operations. -KB

on edit: I'm doing research now and will provide other info as I find it.

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2. Sinclair techniques (how to disseminate a message of hate)

Our Newest Journalism.Authors:Frank, ReuvenSource:New Leader; Jul/Aug2003, Vol. 86 Issue 4, p32, 3p, 1bwDocument Type:ArticleSubject

IMAGINE for a moment that you are a contemporary American Joseph Goebbels, and your job is not to formulate, but to disseminate, a message of hate.

The challenge is the same for you as it is for someone trying to draw attention to a movie or to extol the virtues of a brand of soup: How do you cover the daunting variety of avenues through which the public can be reached? No one route or three routes or dozen routes can reach everybody, yet that is precisely your task.

So there you are, trying to carry out your assigned mission and spread your ugly message to almost 300 million people, in 50 states, over thousands of VHF and UHF radio and TV stations, as well as cable networks and local cable outlets. But you have to get past hundreds of self-important executives, heading hundreds of impenetrable bureaucracies, before you can saturate the country.

America is not America for nothing, however. The first of what promises to be a mighty handful of centralized and centrally controlled news-emanation factories has been discovered by an enterprising reporter from the Washington Post. It sits in Maryland, in the suburbs of Baltimore, and provides packaged newscasts to localities thousands of miles away. It is a miracle of modern communications technology. Those who have seen it have seen the future. And it works. Boy, does it work! It is tailor-made for some future Minister of Propaganda.

What happens at this state-of-the-art facility near Baltimore is a species of the Newest Journalism. It is called "CentralCasting"--one word, unlike Central Casting, the legendary Hollywood office that supplied "types" for minor roles in movies. The facility itself is called News Central. Its owner is Sinclair Broadcasting...."

<snip>

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3. Mark Hyman uses News Central to give daily biased editorial

<snip>

Editorial commentary could be similarly controlled. Sinclair's News Central provides a daily one-minute segment written and delivered by Mark Hyman. Although he is not so identified, the Washington Post discovered that Hyman is Sinclair Broadcasting's vice president for corporate relations. His observations are usually of the order that taxes are too high, government is too big, plus other opinions that would not be out of place in the locker room of any exclusive country club. Because Sinclair owns its stations, it has the power to force-feed them segments like Hyman's The Point.

[NMDemDist2]

4. the heck with sinclair, where did the production $$$ for the smear

come from?

a rumor has it that the producer got a contract from Ridge's DHS and never did the work or returned the $$

follow the $$$$ people, it's the first rule

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5. Sinclair invests in company that profits from outsourcing

If you go to their Website and check out Sinclair Ventures (wholly owned by Sinclair Broadcasting), you can check out the companies that Sinclair invests in.

The very first company on the list is G.1440 Technology Consulting Group . They are the Global Provider for outsourcing software called Sitel.

A little research on the Sitel website shows why it would be in their best interest NOT to elect a President who cuts the tax loopholes to companies that outsource to other countries. Check out one of the "case studies" they reference on their website:

SITEL designed a proof of concept (POC) model that allowed both the Company and SITEL to test the operations internally from the SITEL facility in Panama City, Panama. The POC model gave the Company the opportunity to see first hand how the operations would be run before roll out of an expanded business model.

SITEL was awarded the business and currently delivers services with 350 full time employees, providing phone, e-mail, and white mail support. We have since developed new cross-marketing initiatives and outbound sales opportunities; increased customer satisfaction and service level standards; and have shown cost savings over previous in-house operations.

http://www.sitel.com/CaseStudy.asp?csid=6&pid=139

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6. Sinclair invests in another company financed by Texas oil company

2nd on the list of companies that Sinclair Broadcasting invests in is:

Jadoo Power Systems: Jadoo Power Systems designs, develops and manufactures power systems that utilize proton exchange membrane fuel cells for portable applications. Jadoo's products provide low-cost, efficient and environmentally-friendly alternatives to existing power sources. Current and future product lines include battery replacement systems for professional video cameras, surveillance systems, military power units, and telemetry systems that monitor natural gas pipelines.
http://www.jadoopower.com/investor.html

On Jadoo's website is a list of their investers: Right under "Sinclair" is:

Contango Capital Management was formed to bring capital to innovative entrepreneurs who are working hard to answer the energy challenges facing our world today and in the near future. Located in Houston, Texas, Contango Capital Management invests in early-stage technology-based and service companies in the energy industry, and was formed to pursue the multiple short term and long term opportunities that are arising out of the significant changes that are taking place in the energy industry today.
http://www.contangocapital.com/alliances.html


On Contago Capital Management's website is a list of their affiliates. Check this "affiliate" out:

Contango Oil & Gas is a Houston-based, independent natural gas and oil company. The Company explores, develops, produces and acquires natural gas and oil properties primarily onshore in the Gulf Coast and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Contango also owns a 10% partnership interest in a proposed LNG terminal in Freeport, Texas.
http://www.contango.com/profile/cast.htm

I sure wish my job was an investigative journalist because I think some intersting information/connections could be made here between Sinclair and their political motivation for keeping Bush in office.

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7. Sinclair invests in co. that profits from Dept/tHomeland Security grants

VisionAir provides software for law enforcement. On its website it helps companies figure out how they can apply for the 2.1 billion dollars worth of grants (and use it to buy VisionAir software) that the Department of Homeland Security issued to states earlier this year.

Who knows what the connection here might be, but it sure seems newsworthy to me, by Sinclair's standards.

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8. Sinclair urging people to contact John Kerry to persuade him to participate

From front page of their website:

We welcome your comments regarding the upcoming special news event featuring the topic of Americans held as prisoners of war in Vietnam. The program has not been videotaped and the exact format of this unscripted event has not been finalized. Characterizations regarding the content are premature and are based on ill-informed sources.

Massachusetts Senator John Kerry has been invited to participate. You can urge him to appear by calling his Washington, D.C. campaign headquarters at
[phone].

if you would like to make further comments on this matter, you may do so at:
[e-mail]

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9. I think I'm the only one interested in this thread...

but just in case someone else is: Demecrats.org website has lots of good juice on Sinclair now on website (thanks for link from LBN secion). Put together, this could be some pretty compelling evidence to the FEC that Sinclair is not interested in "news" and this so-called documentary is nothing more than an advertisement for the GOP.

http://www.democrats.org/news/200410110001.html

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10. No!!!

Don't stop! You are doing great!!

I think I'm gonna jump in after my laundry is done, so I can focus on this!!

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11. Kick!

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12. Bling Bling

Get this info over to GD2004. There are a few investigations going on there. I think it might come in handy there.