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Did Senate Democratic Leadership Just Threaten ABC?

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  • Did Senate Democratic Leadership Just Threaten ABC?

    September 7, 2006

    Mr. Robert A. Iger
    President and CEO
    The Walt Disney Company
    500 South Buena Vista Street
    Burbank CA 91521

    Dear Mr. Iger,

    We write with serious concerns about the planned upcoming broadcast of The Path to 9/11 mini-series on September 10 and 11. Countless reports from experts on 9/11 who have viewed the program indicate numerous and serious inaccuracies that will undoubtedly serve to misinform the American people about the tragic events surrounding the terrible attacks of that day. Furthermore, the manner in which this program has been developed, funded, and advertised suggests a partisan bent unbecoming of a major company like Disney and a major and well respected news organization like ABC. We therefore urge you to cancel this broadcast to cease Disney’s plans to use it as a teaching tool in schools across America through Scholastic. Presenting such deeply flawed and factually inaccurate misinformation to the American public and to children would be a gross miscarriage of your corporate and civic responsibility to the law, to your shareholders, and to the nation.

    The Communications Act of 1934 provides your network with a free broadcast license predicated on the fundamental understanding of your principle obligation to act as a trustee of the public airwaves in serving the public interest. Nowhere is this public interest obligation more apparent than in the duty of broadcasters to serve the civic needs of a democracy by promoting an open and accurate discussion of political ideas and events.

    Disney and ABC claim this program to be based on the 9/11 Commission Report and are using that assertion as part of the promotional campaign for it. The 9/11 Commission is the most respected American authority on the 9/11 attacks, and association with it carries a special responsibility. Indeed, the very events themselves on 9/11, so tragic as they were, demand extreme care by any who attempt to use those events as part of an entertainment or educational program. To quote Steve McPhereson, president of ABC Entertainment, “When you take on the responsibility of telling the story behind such an important event, it is absolutely critical that you get it right.”

    Unfortunately, it appears Disney and ABC got it totally wrong.

    Despite claims by your network’s representatives that The Path to 9/11 is based on the report of the 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Commissioners themselves, as well as other experts on the issues, disagree.

    Richard Ben-Veniste, speaking for himself and fellow 9/11 Commissioners who recently viewed the program, said, “As we were watching, we were trying to think how they could have misinterpreted the 9/11 Commission’s findings the way that they had.” [“9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased,” New York Times, September 6, 2006]

    Richard Clarke, the former counter-terrorism czar, and a national security advisor to ABC has described the program as “deeply flawed” and said of the program’s depiction of a Clinton official hanging up on an intelligence agent, “It’s 180 degrees from what happened.” [“9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased,” New York Times, September 6, 2006]

    Reports suggest that an FBI agent who worked on 9/11 and served as a consultant to ABC on this program quit halfway through because, “he thought they were making things up.” [MSNBC, September 7, 2006]

    Even Thomas Kean, who serves as a paid consultant to the miniseries, has admitted that scenes in the film are fictionalized. [“9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased,” New York Times, September 6, 2006]

    That Disney would seek to broadcast an admittedly and proven false recounting of the events of 9/11 raises serious questions about the motivations of its creators and those who approved the deeply flawed program. Finally, that Disney plans to air commercial-free a program that reportedly cost it $40 million to produce serves to add fuel to these concerns.

    These concerns are made all the more pressing by the political leaning of and the public statements made by the writer/producer of this miniseries, Mr. Cyrus Nowrasteh, in promoting this miniseries across conservative blogs and talk shows.

    Frankly, that ABC and Disney would consider airing a program that could be construed as right-wing political propaganda on such a grave and important event involving the security of our nation is a discredit both to the Disney brand and to the legacy of honesty built at ABC by honorable individuals from David Brinkley to Peter Jennings. Furthermore, that Disney would seek to use Scholastic to promote this misguided programming to American children as a substitute for factual information is a disgrace.

    As 9/11 Commission member Jamie Gorelick said, “It is critically important to the safety of our nation that our citizens, and particularly our school children, understand what actually happened and why – so that we can proceed from a common understanding of what went wrong and act with unity to make our country safer.”

    Should Disney allow this programming to proceed as planned, the factual record, millions of viewers, countless schoolchildren, and the reputation of Disney as a corporation worthy of the trust of the American people and the United States Congress will be deeply damaged. We urge you, after full consideration of the facts, to uphold your responsibilities as a respected member of American society and as a beneficiary of the free use of the public airwaves to cancel this factually inaccurate and deeply misguided program. We look forward to hearing back from you soon.

    Sincerely,

    Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid
    Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin
    Senator Debbie Stabenow
    Senator Charles Schumer
    Senator Byron Dorgan

    What are your thoughts did Senate Democratic leadership imply ABC's broadcast liscense was at risk?


    Regardless of the impropriety of Democratic leadership imposing upon ABC to edit content (which ABC already is doing apparently) the call to cancel this program outright is a bit over the top, no?

    I had no intention of watching this but after all this hullaballoo I may just tune in afterall.
    "Just puttin on the foil" - Jeff Hanson

    “In a democracy, I realize you don’t need to talk to the top leader to know how the country feels. When I go to a dictatorship, I only have to talk to one person and that’s the dictator, because he speaks for all the people.” - Jimmy Carter

  • #2
    yay! just what we need, ANOTHER thread for US-only political circlejerk-spinmeißtering from a wannabe-scandal!

    Comment


    • #3
      mountains out of molehills. this is far more benign than anything that happened to cbs for the superbowl incident and stern on the radio.
      "I hope I get to punch you in the face one day" - MRT144, Imran Siddiqui
      'I'm fairly certain that a ban on me punching you in the face is not a "right" worth respecting." - loinburger

      Comment


      • #4
        MRT I agree completely re: Stern and CBS issues. Those should have never ever happened. Complete horse****.

        OTOH as people here always want to point out political speech more than any other should be the most protected of all. So what gives was there an implied threat or not?
        "Just puttin on the foil" - Jeff Hanson

        “In a democracy, I realize you don’t need to talk to the top leader to know how the country feels. When I go to a dictatorship, I only have to talk to one person and that’s the dictator, because he speaks for all the people.” - Jimmy Carter

        Comment


        • #5
          Further the threat even if veiled is an empty one. ABC as far as I know is not granted license to use free airwaves but their affiliate stations are.
          "Just puttin on the foil" - Jeff Hanson

          “In a democracy, I realize you don’t need to talk to the top leader to know how the country feels. When I go to a dictatorship, I only have to talk to one person and that’s the dictator, because he speaks for all the people.” - Jimmy Carter

          Comment


          • #6
            First I've heard of it....I am admittedly biased against the current Administration, so the first question that sprang to my mind was:

            "Is there a basis of truth in the guy's claims?"

            If past performance is a guide with Shrub and Company, it's not outside the realm of possibility....

            -=Vel=-

            EDIT: And I don't watch TV/listen to much radio...what was the deal with Stern/CBS?
            The list of published books grows. If you're curious to see what sort of stories I weave out, head to Amazon.com and do an author search for "Christopher Hartpence." Help support Candle'Bre, a game created by gamers FOR gamers. All proceeds from my published works go directly to the project.

            Comment


            • #7
              Stern was basically persecuted and fined by the FCC to the point where he got fed up and decided to get off the airwaves and instead go on sattelite radio.

              CBS was basically lambasted for Janet Jacksons Boobiegate.


              Both were horse**** IMO.
              "Just puttin on the foil" - Jeff Hanson

              “In a democracy, I realize you don’t need to talk to the top leader to know how the country feels. When I go to a dictatorship, I only have to talk to one person and that’s the dictator, because he speaks for all the people.” - Jimmy Carter

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Velociryx
                First I've heard of it....I am admittedly biased against the current Administration, so the first question that sprang to my mind was:

                "Is there a basis of truth in the guy's claims?"
                Maybe there is maybe there isn't but I think that is rather immaterial to whether ABC has the right to air programs even if there is 'artistic liscense'. To have pressure applied from governmental officials stinks heavily. Its not quite the same as if private citizens and/or action groups complain but to have government officials in their official capacity wieghing in requesting programs to be cancelled (and modified) seems more than a bit dicey.
                "Just puttin on the foil" - Jeff Hanson

                “In a democracy, I realize you don’t need to talk to the top leader to know how the country feels. When I go to a dictatorship, I only have to talk to one person and that’s the dictator, because he speaks for all the people.” - Jimmy Carter

                Comment


                • #9
                  Damn liberal media!

                  Oh... wait...
                  "Stuie has the right idea" - Japher
                  "I trust Stuie and all involved." - SlowwHand
                  "Stuie is right...." - Guynemer

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I don't think it was a threat. it was a reminder.
                    "I hope I get to punch you in the face one day" - MRT144, Imran Siddiqui
                    'I'm fairly certain that a ban on me punching you in the face is not a "right" worth respecting." - loinburger

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      It does seem dicey...I agree. Before I come down on them too hard though, I would be curious to learn more...for example...if it cost 40 Million to make, and they're showing it commercial free, then they're getting the 40-mil from somewhere else....maybe some Repug Mouthpiece organization?

                      If so, then they're spot on...it's already politicial. If not, then they're clearly w@nkers (they may be w@nkers anyways...)

                      -=Vel=-
                      The list of published books grows. If you're curious to see what sort of stories I weave out, head to Amazon.com and do an author search for "Christopher Hartpence." Help support Candle'Bre, a game created by gamers FOR gamers. All proceeds from my published works go directly to the project.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I think the trash that Disney wants to air on ABC this Sunday should not be aired.

                        This piece of Republican propaganda garbage is an insult to those who died on 9/11/01, and an insult to the surviving families.




                        Would it be morally permissible for a company to air similar trash, that say, would portray American World War II soldiers as barbarians?
                        A lot of Republicans are not racist, but a lot of racists are Republican.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          MrFun is a tool.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Mr. Fun, if your question is...should the barbaric acts committed by our soldiers in WWII be brought to light (and I'm sure there were some), then I would say...absolutely yes! I'd support that one hundred percent.

                            However...I'd also say that's a somewhat different question than what we have here, and it is true that the Republicans are in power right now (and by a comfortably wide margin). It is also true that their tactics have been...shall we say, "less than gentlemanly" and in my mind, it is not out of the question that one or more Republican "mouthpiece groups" put money together to pay for what is essentially a bit of political propaganda.

                            Well and good. If they want to make political propaganda, I've got no problems with that, but IF that's what this is (and I don't know...primarily, I would think we would need to find out who funded the picture), then let's call it that. Let's call it that and steer clear of using it as a teaching tool.

                            If it's not, then let's get that out in the open too.

                            This Administration is overly fond of secrets...I for one, am weary of all that. So let's see who funded the picture. That should clear it up in short order, I would think. Yes?

                            -=Vel=-
                            The list of published books grows. If you're curious to see what sort of stories I weave out, head to Amazon.com and do an author search for "Christopher Hartpence." Help support Candle'Bre, a game created by gamers FOR gamers. All proceeds from my published works go directly to the project.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Velociryx
                              Mr. Fun, if your question is...should the barbaric acts committed by our soldiers in WWII be brought to light (and I'm sure there were some), then I would say...absolutely yes! I'd support that one hundred percent.
                              You miss his point. Dems are upset because the ABC movie, which is putting itself up as an accurate portrayal has added lines supposedly said by Clinton administration officials that they never actually said, making them look worse.
                              “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
                              - John 13:34-35 (NRSV)

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