Anti-Kerry smear film email to all of my lists and friends...

[Fridays Child]

Critical Action Alert: Call, Write, Email

From www.willbardwell.com with added comments:

Conservative TV Group Forces Affiliates To Air Anti-Kerry Film

Sinclair Broadcast Group (http://www.sbgi.net/), a Republican-leaning media conglomerate that reaches nearly a quarter of American households, has ordered its television stations to replace normal prime-time programming in late October with a 42-minute film that attacks John Kerry (see http://www.latimes.com/business/la-na-sinclair9oct09,1,4817545.story?coll=la-home-headlines).

"Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal" will air between Oct. 21-24, depending on individual stations' schedules. (With "proof" consisting of remarks that cannot be substantiated, the film charges that the anti-Vietnam War activities of Sen. John Kerry directly resulted in the torture of American POWs. But absent from the film is any rebuttal by POWs and others in a position to know the truth. Moreover, while the Sinclair Broadcast Group claims that Sen. Kerry has been invited to answer the charges, neither Sen. Kerry nor his campaign have ever been contacted regarding the matter.)

"Stolen Honor" was bankrolled by a conservative group of Pennsylvania veterans and produced by a former reporter for The Washington Times, (Carlton Sherwood. Mr. Sherwood is a high profile defender of the international cult, the Moonies, and of Moonies leader, Reverend Sun Myung Moon. Rev. Moon believes that he is the only, true Messiah. Through his ownership of the Washington Times and his financial support of institutions such as Jerry Falwell Ministries, Moon has infiltrated U.S. politics for the purpose of encouraging deeply religious and patriotic Christian Americans to support his powerful right wing friends in Washington, DC. Chief among those friends are former President George Bush and his wife, both of whom have traveled around the world to sing Moon's praises before audiences of thousands. Mr. Bush calls Moon "the man with the vision.")

Earlier this year, Sinclair ordered its stations not to air an episode of "Nightline" when Ted Koppel read a list of the 700-plus American troops who had died in Iraq. Sinclair justified that decision by saying Koppel was disguising political commentary as news.

That's pretty ironic, since Sinclair is now doing the exact same thing with "Stolen Honor." To air a blatantly biased film like this less than two weeks from Election Day is beyond the bounds of journalistic morality. Imagine if CBS aired "Fahrenheit 9/11" the week before the election.

This is easily one of the most irresponsible, unethical plans I've ever heard of in the fourth estate.

Here's a state-by-state list of SBG's stations, if you'd like to see if you live in one of their markets. Also, check out these stations' Web sites, so you can e-mail individual news directors (For direct links to Sinclair Broadcast Group's television stations, go to www.willbardwell.com):

Alabama
WTTO Channel 21 (WB) Birmingham, Ala.
WABM Channel 68 (UPN) Birmingham, Ala.
WDBB Channel 17 (WB) Birmingham, Ala.
WEAR Channel 3 (ABC) Mobile, Ala.
WFGX Channel 35 (independent) Mobile, Ala.

California
KOVR Channel 13 (CBS) Sacramento, Calif.

Florida
WTWC Channel 40 (NBC) Tallahassee, Fla.
WTXL Channel 27 (ABC) Tallahassee, Fla.
WTTA Channel 38 (WB) Tampa, Fla.

Illinois
WICD Channel 15 (NBC) Champaign, Ill.
WICS Channel 20 (NBC) Champaign, Ill.
WYZZ Channel 43 (Fox) Peoria, Ill.

Iowa
KGAN Channel 2 (CBS) Cedar Rapids, Iowa
KDSM Channel 17 (Fox) Des Moines, Iowa

Kentucky
WDKY Channel 56 (Fox) Lexington, Ky.
KBSI Channel 23 (Fox) Paducah, Ky.
WDKA Channel 49 (WB) Paducah, Ky.

Maine
WGME Channel 13 (CBS) Portland, Maine

Maryland
WBFF Channel 45 (Fox) Baltimore, Md.
WNUV Channel 54 (WB) Baltimore, Md.

Massachusetts
WGGB Channel 40 (ABC) Springfield, Mass.

Michigan
WSMH Channel 66 (Fox) Flint, Mich.

Minnesota
KMWB Channel 23 (WB) Minneapolis, Minn.

Missouri
KSMO Channel 62 (WB) Kansas City, Mo.
KDNL Channel 30 (ABC) St. Louis, Mo.

Nevada
KVWB Channel 21 (WB) Las Vegas, Nev.
KFBT Channel 33 (independent) Las Vegas, Nev.

New York
WUTV Channel 29 (Fox) Buffalo, N.Y.
WNYO Channel 49 (WB) Buffalo, N.Y.
WUHF Channel 31 (Fox) Rochester, N.Y.
WSYT Channel 68 (Fox) Syracuse, N.Y.
WNYS Channel 43 (WB) Syracuse, N.Y.

North Carolina
WLOS Channel 13 (ABC) Asheville, N.C.
WBSC Channel 40 (WB) Asheville, N.C.
WXLV Channel 45 (ABC) Greensboro, N.C.
WUPN Channel 48 (UPN) Greensboro, N.C.
WLFL Channel 22 (WB) Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
WRDC Channel 28 (UPN) Raleigh-Durham, N.C.

Ohio
WSTR Channel 64 (WB) Cincinnati, Ohio
WSYX Channel 6 (ABC) Columbus, Ohio
WTTE Channel 28 (Fox) Columbus, Ohio
WKEF Channel 22 (NBC) Dayton, Ohio
WRGT Channel 45 (Fox) Dayton, Ohio

Oklahoma
KOCB Channel 34 (WB) Oklahoma City, Okla.
KOKH Channel 25 (Fox) Oklahoma City, Okla.

Pennsylvania
WPGH Channel 43 (Fox) Pittsburgh, Penn.
WCWB Channel 22 (WB) Pittsburgh, Penn.

South Carolina
WMMP Channel 36 (UPN) Charleston, S.C.
WTAT Channel 24 (Fox) Charleston, S.C.

Tennessee
WZTV Channel 17 (Fox) Nashville, Tenn.
WUXP Channel 30 (UPN) Nashville, Tenn.
WNAB Channel 58 (WB) Nashville, Tenn.
WEMT Channel 39 (Fox) Tri-Cities, Tenn.

Texas
KABB Channel 29 (Fox) San Antonio, Texas
KRRT Channel 35 (WB) San Antonio, Texas

Virginia
WTVZ Channel 33 (WB) Norfolk, Va.
WRLH Channel 35 (Fox) Richmond, Va.

West Virginia
WCHS Channel 8 (ABC) Charleston, W.V.
WVAH Channel 11 (Fox) Charleston, W.V.

Wisconsin
WMSN Channel 47 (Fox) Madison, Wisc.
WCGV Channel 24 (UPN) Milwaukee, Wisc.
WVTV Channel 18 (WB) Milwaukee, Wisc.

[cheshire]

1. I'm on it. Thanks

[indypaul]

2. How about

DUer's in each of these market areas posting
major advertisers on these stations so they
might be advised of our impressions of where
they place their advertising? Just for a little
market research of course. I'm sure they would
like to hear a viewers opinion.

[Fridays Child]

3. Good idea. Start a thread. Advertisers should know that this could...

...hurt their revenues.