Des Moines! Cedar Rapids! 'Stolen Honor' Heads Up!!

[reprehensor]

Conservative TV Group to Air Anti-Kerry Film

NEW YORK — The conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group, whose television outlets reach nearly a quarter of the nation's homes with TV, is ordering its stations to preempt regular programming just days before the Nov. 2 election to air a film that attacks Sen. John F. Kerry's activism against the Vietnam War, network and station executives familiar with the plan said Friday.

Sinclair's programming plan, communicated to executives in recent days and coming in the thick of a close and intense presidential race, is highly unusual even in a political season that has been marked by media controversies.

Sinclair has told its stations — many of them in political swing states such as Ohio and Florida — to air "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal," sources said. The film, funded by Pennsylvania veterans and produced by a veteran and former Washington Times reporter, features former POWs accusing Kerry — a decorated Navy veteran turned war protester — of worsening their ordeal by prolonging the war. Sinclair will preempt regular prime-time programming from the networks to show the film, which may be classified as news programming, according to TV executives familiar with the plan.

Executives at Sinclair did not return calls seeking comment, but the Kerry campaign accused the company of pressuring its stations to influence the political process.

more@link

Sinclair in Des Moines

Sinclair in Cedar Rapids

Let them know that you are on to them.

[Bluzmann57]

1. Thankfully we have no Sinclair stations here

in the Quad-Cities, but I have already emailed KGAN in Cedar Rapids and told them that there will be an all-out economic lockdown on their station if they broadcast this pack of lies. We all must mobilize and bring these right wing bastards to their knees!

[Blue Gardener]

2. Several LTTE's about KGAN lately in the CR Gazette

All protesting them having that idiot Mark Hyman(?) spout his right-wing views on their newscasts. I have quit watching their newscast because of it, and judging by the letters, I'm not the only one.

[Bluzmann57]

3. Very good

Cedar Rapids always has been a pretty good progressive city and it seems that it still is. Sinclair is going down!

[IA_Seth]

4. EMAIL KGAN!

This is what I sent (adapted from another posters email sent out in CA).
--------------------
A decision to follow Sinclair's reported mandate that your stations show "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal" during prime time before the Presidential election will result in me never again watching your network, and a general boycott of any of your local sponsors.

To screen this piece of blatantly politically-motivated film in the days leading up to the election would violate your mandate for impartiality. I could no longer ever trust your news or integrity. I will be disappointed, but I cannot be a number that you will cite as someone to advertise to. I plan on being in Cedar Rapids for the rest of my life, so my only hope is that one of three things happens -

1. You decide not to air "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal" (my preferred option)

2. You lose your FCC license for blatant politcking.

I am not alone in my strong feelings against these actions.
----------------------

[justgamma]

7. Do you have a list of their advertisers? n/t

[IA_Seth]

8. I don't. I am working on it, but any help would be nice! n/t

[justgamma]

9. Try this

http://www.boycottsbg.com/advertisers/Default.aspx

[IA_Seth]

10. Here is a follow up I got from our Linn County Chair....

Boycott Sinclair Broadcast Group - Advertisers
Return Home

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Select a Market _National Asheville Baltimore Birmingham Bloomington Buffalo Cape Girardeau Cedar Rapids Champaign Charleston, SC Charleston, WV Cincinnati Columbus Dayton Des Moines Flint Johnson City Kansas City Las Vegas Lexington, KY Madison Milwaukee Minneapolis Nashville Norfolk Oklahoma City Pensacola Pittsburgh Portland Raleigh Richmond Rochester Sacramento San Antonio Springfield, IL Springfield, MA St. Louis Syracuse Tallahassee Tampa Winston-Salem Direct Link to this Market
Market Information: KGAN
600 Old Marion Road, NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 54202
[phone]
Mark Classon

Remember: Many of these people are ON OUR SIDE - don't be a jerk when you call or email them. Invite them to join in us in defending our democracy. If you don't know how to express yourself strongly without making threats then we do not need you help. Remember that there are real human beings on the receiving end of your letter, often a secretary - so don't take your anger with a right wing CEO out on some poor soul who makes $9/ hour answering phones - it just isn't right.
Email all advertisers in this market
Advertiser Phone 1 Phone 2 Phone 3 Website Contact Email
1st Avenue Chrysler Inc [phone] Website
AR-Jay Center 1-800-728-5885 319-393-5885 Website [e-mail]
BankIowa 800-433-0285 319-395-9100 877-275-7016 Website [e-mail]
Bayer - Aleve 800-331-4536 Website
Benefiber 800-452-0051 Website
Burke Corporation [phone] [phone] Website [e-mail]
Cadillac 800-333-4CAD Website
CapitalOne 800-955-7070 Website [e-mail]
Cedar Rapids Lumber Co. 319.361.0467 Website
Cedar Rapids Rough Riders (hockey) [phone] Website [e-mail]
Central Iowa Power Cooperative [phone] Website [e-mail]
Cookies Food Products, Inc. [phone] Website [e-mail]
Dekalb Seed [phone] Website
Denny's Muffler Center [phone] Website
Denver Mattress Co. 319.373.5314 Website
DHL 800-CALL-DHL Website
Ford 800-392-3673 Website
Foster's Heating & Air Conditioning [phone] Website
Furniture Row (515)-276-0415 Website
FurnitureRow Outlet 515.276.0415 515.254.1788 515.276.0859fax Website
General Mills/Pillsbury - Totino's 800-775-4777 Website
Good's 309-852-5656 309-854-5306 Website [e-mail]
Goodfeet [phone] [phone] Website [e-mail]
Govert Chevrolet-GM Certified Used Vehicles 319.223.5141 Website
Graphics 2000 702-798-6181 Website [e-mail]
Green Valley Cabinets 319.545.6360 Website
Inches-A-Weigh [phone] Website
iwireless 888-684-0500 888-550-4497 Website
Lebeda Mattress Factory Website [e-mail]
Levitra 888-825-5249 Website
Lynch Ford [phone] Website [e-mail]
Ma and Pa's Construction Co [phone] Website
Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative 800-927-6068 319-462-3542 Website [e-mail]
Menards - Tammy Polzine [phone] Website
Nexium 800-236-9933 Website
Perkins Restaurants 877-325-7881 Website
Pfizer - Rolaids 212-733-2323 Website
Randy Kuehl Honda 1-800-297-1995 [phone] Website
Sara Lee Bakery (800) 654-SARA Website
Skogman Realty 319-366-6427 319-297-7550 319-363-8286 Website [e-mail]
Slumberland [phone] 651-482-7500 Website [e-mail]
Subway [phone] Website
Tegeler Design and Remodeling 1-800-488-1983 Website
Theisen's 563-556-4738 Website [e-mail]
Tylenol 800-962-5357 Website
Windex 800-494-4855 Website
Zimmerman Ford 319-366-4000 Website [e-mail]




HERE IS SINCLAIR'S INFO:
Corporate Headquarters
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
10706 Beaver Dam Road
Hunt Valley, Maryland 21030
410-568-1500 (Main Telephone)
410-568-1533 (Main Fax)

Investor Relations Contact
Lucy A. Rutishauser
VP Corporate Finance and
Corporate Treasurer
[e-mail]

Board of Directors:
David D. Smith
Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer

Frederick G. Smith
Vice President

J. Duncan Smith
Vice President and Secretary

Robert E. Smith
Director

Daniel C. Keith
President and Founder of the Cavanaugh Group, Inc.

Martin R. Leader
Director

Lawrence E. McCanna
Managing Partner, Gross, Mendelsohn & Associates, P.A.

Basil A. Thomas
Of Counsel, Thomas & Libowitz, P.A.

HERE ARE THE BIGWIGS IN THE TELEVISION BROADCASTING DEPARTMENT:

M. William Butler
VP/Group Programming & Promotions

Steven M. Marks
Chief Operating Officer/Television

Delbert R. Parks III
VP/Operations and Engineering

Joe DeFeo
VP/News Director

Darren Shapiro
VP/Sales

Gregg Siegel
VP/National Sales

Jeff Sleete
VP/Marketing

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[CornField]

5. Just phoned KGAN

Are you planning on airing this? Yes, we are.

Who would I need to speak with to voice my opposition? If you go to our web site...

No, I'd like the name of the individual who makes such decisions, please. (pause) There is no one here at our station that is making this decision. You'd need to contact Sinclair directly. We are being forced to show it.

Edited to add: KGAN has been hit hard because of the 60 Minutes/Dan Rather stuff. Unless those who have boycotted it return because this is being shown, another economic boycott will put them down the toilet. (They've always been the ugly step-sister in Cedar Rapids.)

[Rambis]

6. That is a cop out

I don't believe they can "force" KGAN to run anything. They want to run it plain and simple.