CBS affiliate bans local media from next CT Sen debate

[Rose Siding]

The Hartford CBS affiliate has banned representatives of the news media - other than its own - from Wednesday's 3 p.m. taping of the debate that is to be moderated by national CBS newsman Bob Schieffer before an audience of specially invited guests at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts.

After a news blackout of 27 hours, WFSB plans to show the canned one-hour event Thursday at 7 p.m.

"We're renting the hall, it's our debate, and we'll invite who we want to invite" - that was Channel 3's position, as paraphrased by Richard Foley, campaign manager for Republican candidate Alan Schlesinger. Polls show Schlesinger running a distant third in the race, and so, Foley said, "we feel that we cannot make too many demands."

He noted that the full day's delay would enable any candidate who had "a Gerald Ford moment" - a reference to Ford's notorious 1976 misstatement that Poland was not Soviet-dominated - to cook up a face-saving explanation even before his gaffe goes on the air Thursday. "You could be un-spinning it ... before you even spin it."

http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-wfsbdebate1017.artoct17,0,1988214.story?coll=hc-headlines-home

[babylonsister]

1. Talk about manipulating the news! Did Joe throw a hissy fit to

get his way?

[vireo]

2. Reminds me of Reagan

"I paid for this microphone!"

Typical Republican "ownership" mentality.

[rox63]

3. 27 hours so they can edit it to favor the candidate of their choice? n/t

[KoKo]

4. Could this be called Election Tampering? CBS declares how a debate

will be shown? Tape delay to edit out clueless statements. CBS has joined ABC in the DARK SIDE.