In Honor of Disney Screwing Michael Moore
Posted Wednesday, May 5, 2004 by symbolman

Disney Forbidding Distribution of Film That Criticizes Bush
Posted Wednesday, May 5, 2004 by mediababe

Jim Rutenberg, New York Times

WASHINGTON, May 4 — The Walt Disney Company is blocking its Miramax division from distributing a new documentary by Michael Moore that harshly criticizes President Bush, executives at both Disney and Miramax said Tuesday.

The film, "Fahrenheit 911," links Mr. Bush and prominent Saudis — including the family of Osama bin Laden — and criticizes Mr. Bush's actions before and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Disney, which bought Miramax more than a decade ago, has a contractual agreement with the Miramax principals, Bob and Harvey Weinstein, allowing it to prevent the company from distributing films under certain circumstances, like an excessive budget or an NC-17 rating.

Executives at Miramax, who became principal investors in Mr. Moore's project last spring, do not believe that this is one of those cases, people involved in the production of the film said. If a compromise is not reached, these people said, the matter could go to mediation, though neither side is said to want to travel that route.

In a statement, Matthew Hiltzik, a spokesman for Miramax, said: "We're discussing the issue with Disney. We're looking at all of our options and look forward to resolving this amicably." >>More

The Ted Rall Cartoon that DRUDGE got Censored.
Posted Tuesday, May 4, 2004 by symbolman

Al Gore Launches Cable TV Network
Posted Tuesday, May 4, 2004 by mediababe

CNN/Money

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Former U.S. vice president Al Gore announced Tuesday that he and entrepreneur Joel Hyatt plan to launch their own cable television network by buying cable television channel NewsWorld International from Vivendi Universal for an undisclosed sum.

Gore is expected to be the chairman of the NWI board, while Hyatt will be running the company as the new cable network's chief executive officer, the company said.

"This will not be a political network," the former U.S. vice president said in a statement. But NWI will be developed into a network offering programming for a target audience of 18-34 year-olds, said the company. >>More

John McCain's Letter: Sinclair Broadcasting 'Unpatriotic'
Posted Friday, April 30, 2004 by mediababe

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) issued the following letter today to Mr. David Smith, President and CEO of Sinclair Broadcast Group, in response to the preemption of this evening’s Nightline program:

I write to strongly protest your decision to instruct Sinclair’s ABC affiliates to preempt this evening’s Nightline program. I find deeply offensive Sinclair’s objection to Nightline’s intention to broadcast the names and photographs of Americans who gave their lives in service to our country in Iraq.

I supported the President’s decision to go to war in Iraq, and remain a strong supporter of that decision. But every American has a responsibility to understand fully the terrible costs of war and the extraordinary sacrifices it requires of those brave men and women who volunteer to defend the rest of us; lest we ever forget or grow insensitive to how grave a decision it is for our government to order Americans into combat. It is a solemn responsibility of elected officials to accept responsibility for our decision and its consequences, and, with those who disseminate the news, to ensure that Americans are fully informed of those consequences.

There is no valid reason for Sinclair to shirk its responsibility in what I assume is a very misguided attempt to prevent your viewers from completely appreciating the extraordinary sacrifices made on their behalf by Americans serving in Iraq. War is an awful, but sometimes necessary business. Your decision to deny your viewers an opportunity to be reminded of war’s terrible costs, in all their heartbreaking detail, is a gross disservice to the public, and to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. It is, in short, sir, unpatriotic. I hope it meets with the public opprobrium it most certainly deserves. >>Link to the Letter

Curtain Closes on California Electronic Voting
Posted Friday, April 30, 2004 by mediababe

Adam Tanner, Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California set tough new standards for electronic voting on Friday, barring a third of existing machines from November's ballot and ordering new security measures before thousands of others already purchased can be used.

California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley also called for a criminal investigation into the state's largest e-voting machine supplier, Diebold, a firm he called "reprehensible."

Democrat Shelley said that he would decertify Ohio-based Diebold Inc.'s (DBD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) AcuVote-TSx Voting System, which accounts for a third of all of California's electronic voting machines following glitches in the March ballot. >>More

Koppel Defends "The Fallen"
Posted Friday, April 30, 2004 by mediababe

Al Tompkins, Poynter Online

After almost two and a half decades anchoring ABC News' "Nightline," Ted Koppel says he is surprised that anyone could think that his special "The Fallen," scheduled to air Friday night, is a ratings ploy or an attempt to make a political statement.

Thursday afternoon, I spoke with Ted Koppel by telephone about the special and response to it. This is a transcript of that interview. 

What do you think this program says that needs to be said still?

Koppel: Just look at these people. Look at their names. And look at their ages. Consider what they've done for you. Honor them.

You have been quoted in the press, most specifically The New York Daily News yesterday, as saying that you were initially concerned that this program not make a political statement.

Koppel: Not only initially, I still am. I don't want it to make a political statement. Quite the contrary. My position on this is I truly believe that people will take away from this program the reflection of what they bring to it.

I think it is just as possible for a staunch supporter of the war to come away from this program very moved and content that it was done as it is for someone who is an opponent of the war to come with exactly the same feeling.

I also have no illusions. I think it's entirely possible that people who hold those differing points of view will watch the same program and come away wishing it had not been done.  >>More

ABC Breaks Through Nightline Blackout
Posted Friday, April 30, 2004 by mediababe

Al Tompkins, Poynter Online

ABC spent Friday scrambling to knit together deals that would keep Ted Koppel’s Nightline program on the air even in cities where the Sinclair Broadcast Group's ABC-affiliated stations banned tonight’s program.  Tonight’s program will feature Koppel reading the names of more than 700 U.S. Servicemen and women who have died in the Iraq War.

ABC News tells Poynter Online that it has made arrangements with stations in St. Louis, Columbus, Ohio; Mobile, Alabama; Greenville, South Carolina; The statewide Ohio News Network; and in Massachusetts on the New England Cable News Network. England.

The stations that have stepped in to carry the program include:

• St. Louis:  WPXS-PAX TV (live), KTRS radio AM (live)
• Columbus, OH: Ohio News Network Cable (live). 
• Greenville-Ashville: WHNS-Fox (live)  Owner: Meredith Broadcasting 
• Mobile:  WJTC-UPN (airs at midnight)  Owner:  Clear Channel 
• Springfield, MA: New England Cable Network (airs at Midnight)  >>More

Rep. Sanders (I-VT) Calls on Sinclair Broadcasting to Reverse Decision to Preempt “Nightline’s” Tribute to American Soldiers
Posted Friday, April 30, 2004 by mediababe

WASHINGTON - April 30 - Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT), sent a letter today to the CEO of Sinclair Media calling on them to reverse their decision to pre-empt "Nightline's" tribute to America's fallen soldiers. The “Nightline” program in question will feature Mr. Koppel reading aloud the names of the US servicemen and women who have given their lives in Iraq.

Sanders wrote, “Your company’s shameful and cynical statements disrespect both the victims of terrorism and the brave Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the Persian Gulf. It is an outrage to suggest that giving recognition to the fallen in Iraq is an attempt to sabotage their mission. These American heroes deserve to be heralded, not hidden in the closet. The Nightline show in question will allow all Americans to personalize the service and sacrifice of the pride of the nation.

“Your company’s censorship sets a dangerous precedent that is contrary to the First Amendment and America’s long tradition of access to information. This is an issue that some of my colleagues and I will be addressing with the FCC. Frankly, to censor information you disagree with has very little to do with freedom and what makes this country great. It sounds more like totalitarianism.” >>More

Nightline Snub: Sinclair Shows Where Their Political Interests Lie
Posted Friday, April 30, 2004 by mediababe

Timothy Karr, MediaChannel.org

NEW YORK, April 29, 2004 – Sinclair Broadcast Group on Thursday ordered its eight ABC affiliates to pre-empt Friday's "Nightline" broadcast of the reading of the names of US military personnel killed in Iraq, saying the program is "motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq."

The political leanings of Sinclair executives also may have played a part in the company's decision to block the popular ABC news program. In 2004, Sinclair executives gave 98 percent of their political contributions to GOP candidates. >>More

More Bush Distortions of Kerry Defense Record
Posted Tuesday, April 27, 2004 by mediababe

Factcheck.org

Bush ads released April 26 recycle some distortions of Kerry's voting record on military hardware. We've de-bunked these half-truths before but the Bush campaign persists.

The ads -- many targeted to specific states -- repeat the claim that Kerry opposed a list of mainstream weapons including Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Apache helicopters, and also repeat the claim that he voted against body armor for frontline troops in Iraq. In fact, Kerry voted against a few large Pentagon money bills, of which Bradleys, Apaches and body armor were small parts, but not against those items specifically.

>>Click for More

Greg Palast Soon Appearing Near You!
Posted Saturday, April 24, 2004 by mediababe



Greg Palast will make appearances at several events for the launch of the new EXPANDED ELECTION EDITION of ?The Best Democracy Money Can Buy? in the following cities:

4/25    Cedar Grove, NJ
4/26    Seattle
4/27    Portland 
4/28    Sonoma
4/29    Berkeley
4/30    San Francisco
5/01    Chicago
5/02    New York
5/03    Hartford
5/07    Los Angeles
5/09    San Diego
5/12    Washington, DC

For additional information about events in your area, visit Greg's website.>>Click for More

Diebold May Face Criminal Charges
Posted Saturday, April 24, 2004 by mediababe

Kim Zetter, Wired News

SACRAMENTO, California –- After harshly chastising Diebold Election Systems for what it considered deceptive business practices, a California voting systems panel voted unanimously Thursday to recommend that the secretary of state decertify an electronic touch-screen voting machine manufactured by the company, making it likely that four California counties that recently purchased the machines will have to find other voting solutions for the November presidential election.

The panel also voted to send the findings of its recent Diebold investigation to the state's attorney general for possible criminal and civil charges against the firm for violating state election laws. >>Click for More

Satellite Radio: Hey, Shock Jocks!
Posted Monday, April 19, 2004 by mediababe

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- If traditional radio decides Howard Stern is too hot to handle, satellite radio is waiting. Even if the prince of "shock jocks" stays where he is, the two nationwide satellite radio companies hope the Stern controversy can help them become the radio equivalent of cable TV -- a popular destination for racy, raunchy, unregulated content.

When the National Association of Broadcasters meets Sunday in Las Vegas, much table talk will center on the unprecedented scrutiny from the Federal Communications Commission, record indecency fines and the threat that the FCC could yank licenses for repeat offenders. >>Click for More

We Didn't Know Planes Would be used as Missiles? 1993 Mass Market Paperback Says Otherwise
Posted Friday, April 16, 2004 by mediababe

Into what deep, dark media hole has Yossef Bodansky fallen?
Bodansky was (is?) director of the House Task Force on Terrorism and
Unconventional Warfare. Not a flake. Not an outsider.

In 1993, a book of his published in mass market paperback form "Target
America: Terrorism Today" detailed the intentions of 'Islamists' to
someday use hijacked planes as missiles. According to the book there
were actual training programs in place to prepare people to accomplish
this very exacting mission.

The disappearance of this book from the 9-11 discussion has been total.
It started immediately after the attacks and continues up to today. As
if that were not strange enough, Bodansky also wrote another book which,
while it was briefly a New York Times bestseller, has also mysteriously
gone missing in action. >>Click for More