"Taxi To The Dark Side" and The Discovery Channel

[ThomWV]

About a week ago someone posted the information that the Discovery Channel group had bought up the rights to the movie Taxi To The Dark Side and then had decided not to air the program. I wrote an appropriately nasty note to them. I got an automated response that said they'd be sending a more personal note later. The personal note just came in. Here is what they had to say:

"Dear Viewer:

Thank you for contacting Discovery Communications. We appreciate your
correspondence and for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns
about Taxi to the Dark Side with us. It is these types of comments that
contribute to creating change and improving programming.

Discovery Communications acquired the television rights to the Academy
Award-nominated Taxi to the Dark Side in 2007. In its first, pay tv
window, HBO will debut the film in September, 2008. We are proud that Taxi
to the Dark Side will make its basic cable debut in 2009 on Investigation
Discovery, the network dedicated to providing in-depth programs that
challenge viewers' perceptions on important issues shaping our culture and
defining our world. In the meantime, we encourage audiences to see this
important film in theaters now. It is currently screening in New York, Los
Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, Atlanta, Boston, Seattle,
Washington, DC, Minneapolis, Dallas and select other cities across the
country.

Again, thank you for contacting Discovery Networks. A reply to this message
is not necessary.

Sincerely,

Viewer Relations
Discovery Communications"

[NMDemDist2]

1. well that's better than "We're sitting on it cuz our Corporate Masters won't let us broadcast it"

interesting HBO will run it two months before the GE eh?

[panader0]

2. What is it?

[zippy890]

3. I had never heard of this film

before your post. A huge silence seems to have followed its release.

Americans have head-in-sand syndrome about this.

[northernsoul]

4. More information please

What's the movie about?

[nealmhughes]

5. Here is a synopsis of Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzales' interview earlier this year.

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/2/1/taxi_to_the_dark_side_oscar

It was a great interview. Ever since the taxi driver who was "arrested" in a tribal scuffle as a "terrorist" and then killed by being hanged by his arms in a stress condition for days, this story won't go away -- even when it involves an illiterate Afghanistani taxi driver with no surname. It represents the "everyman" aspect of the War on Terror.

[onenote]

6. in light of the response, was your letter actually "appropriately" nasty

or inapporpriately nasty?