Tell Sinclair Broadcast Group not to air right-wing propaganda.

[test_specimen]

I haven't seen either F 9/11 or Sinclair's show, and have only this opinion: hold both to the same standard. Show both, or ban both.

I surely would not sign the petition. Anyway I haven't seen the anti-Kerry documentary either so I couldn't say whether it's as good and entertaining as Fahrenheit. (well I guess Fahrenheit is only entertaining if the things described in the movie don't happen in your country - so this is probably an outside perspecitve, much like a person living in a communist country is probably less entertained by Animal Farm than someone living in a democratic country)

But it seems quite strange that a broadcasting company forces it's stations to broadcast something that is not promoting the broadcast company. Given the current division in the US this will probably even lose them subscribers. From a economic pov this is not a very wise decision - except if they want to become another FAUX NEWS. But they probably were thinking something when they made the decision.

What's funny though, is the discussion that arises from it. Best parts so far: McCain and his illegitimate child (I hope they stoned the mother), Elgalads line of argument arriving at A Clockwork Orange and you calling yourself a moderate.

 

[BasketCase]

If I was leaning strongly to the left, I would be arguing in favor of airing F 9/11 and AGAINST Sinclair.

If I was leaning strongly to the right, I would be arguing in favor of Sinclair and against F 9/11.

Since I'm doing neither, I'm either a moderate or an utter, total, complete.....

Basket Case.

 

[emzie]

Unless the film were to be broadcast, Fahrenheit 9/11 has no base in this discussion.

No one cares if Stolen Honor is put in a theater / released on DVD/VHS. What's at issue is Sinclair is using public airways to violate the equal-time laws. If they were to broadcast Michael Moore's film before the election as well, I'd not care.

Get back to the point at hand.

 

[BasketCase]

Here's a better example that escaped my memory until recently--and one which is also on television, so the movie vs. TV thing doesn't happen:

Who here remembers the recent flap over the CBS miniseries "The Reagans"? Short version: CBS writes miniseries about Ronnie and Nancy. Critics say series is full of inaccuracies (or, as some said, outright lies). Critics of the critics say the critics are just conservative whiners. Protests come from various directions demanding that CBS yank the series. I don't know how this ended: CBS at one point made a promise to edit parts of the show. I don't know whether it was aired intact, edited, or scrapped. And, I never saw the final product (I don't watch much TV, period).

On the one side: is it fair for one executive at CBS to choose to air a slanderous anti-Reagan film?

On the other side: is it fair for one executive at CBS to cave in to all the protests and yank an honest documentary?

 

[Chairman Meow]

Refresh my memory: did anybody try to stop Michael Moore from getting his slice of propaganda into the theaters?

Yes. Miramax, a subsidiary of Disney, which originally produced the movie, cancelled it and tried to prevent it from getting into theatres... Moore went with a different company which was willing to put it into theatres. I'm sure there were also other people trying to prevent it. I can't think of any at the moment.

It takes a MOVIE COMPANY to produce that stuff, advertise it, and devote theater space to it. If it was wrong for television to air Sinclair's propaganda, it was wrong for the theaters to air Michael Moore's.

There's a critical difference here. Movie theatres are privately owned. The broadcast spectrum is publicly owned. I'd be willing to bet that if a broadcast network wanted to show Farenheit 911 that they wouldn't be allowed to.
I agree with you that they should both have the right to speach. If the producers of "Stolen Honor" want to produce their film without (as much) government intervention, then perhaps they should follow the route of Moore and release it as a movie in theatres or on DVD. Since they want to show it on TV, then they have to abide by the restrictions, such as equal time. For that matter, they could always neutralize the debate by following the right-wing propaganda (Stolen Honor) with left-wing propaganda (F-911)... but I doubt Sinclair would be willing to do that.

 

[Sanaz]

Here's a better example that escaped my memory until recently--and one which is also on television, so the movie vs. TV thing doesn't happen:

But, this is a documentary vs. a mini-series, and it wasn't about a presidential candidate just prior to an election.

 

[Mauer]

A related story here. Seems this library will be showing F 9/11 prior to polls opening.

 

[Sanaz]

A related story here. Seems this library will be showing F 9/11 prior to polls opening.

From the article:

Some say the West River branch library should not be playing politics.

The library is a polling place on Nov. 2

Librarian Debby Kressa said she is surprised by the complaints.

This is just ridiculous. How can anyone think this is a good idea? Same as the Sinclair issue - play it Nov. 3, and no one cares.

 

[amadeus]

Sinclair - privately owned business.

Public library - run by the U.S. government.

 

[HighlandWarrior]

how's it propaganda? from their webpage it hasnt even been made yet.

is it fair PBS can show pro-kerry "propaganda" documentary about him saving some guy in the river? Why arent you guys supporting our troops?

besides, kerry has been invited to participate, maybe he doesnt want to participate because he is ashamed that he is a traitor.

 

[test_specimen]

I don't see a problem with the library: it is there for public education, not for pre-selecting education that might be good for the public. After all it doesn't pre-select the books it rents out before someone might get a "wrong" opinion from them. People should thank the library, had it decided to show Fahrenheit after the election lots of people might have complained: "man, why has no one told us that we were lied to? We voted for the wrong guy again and just because we hadn't got access to all the information". At least one institution that doesn't follow the usual doctrine of keeping people dumb until the day after the election (which exists all over the world, not only in the US).

 

[Norlamand]

I've rarely seen a more idiotic basis for a thread. If Comrade Moore can run his propaganda films nationwide, I see no reason that a private broadcast company should be, in any way, restricted in broadcasting theirs.

 

[MarineCorps]

But, this is a documentary vs. a mini-series, and it wasn't about a presidential candidate just prior to an election.

NO but every conservitive in the world was saying that the movie was bashing Ronald Regan and get very upset about it. NOw I wonder if liberial would be just as upset if they chose to air F 9/11 instead.

 

[BasketCase]

Seems that quoting examples is just provoking quibbles over minor details. Back to the basics, then:

Movie theatres are privately owned. The broadcast spectrum is publicly owned.

Does the public get to decide what goes out over the airwaves? Nope. The CEO's of the broadcast companies do. In the end, it's the same for movies and television: one guy in an office decides what material will be available. It's probably better this way: if "The Public" did all the deciding, we would either have public votes on what shows we get (in which case the majority party gets ALL the air time and the other party gets none), or we have some government agency deciding what shows we get.

The implications of having the government determine our choice of television shows, I leave to the reader.

Moving on: exactly how is "equal time" supposed to work for television? First off, if We The People can't agree on what is biased to the left or right, how do we determine when we've got "equal time"? Some of us CFC'ers say the History Channel is biased to the right, others to the left. We do not agree. The individual stations don't follow equal time, either: take religious stations as an example. Purely conservative, yet they seem to have no problem getting onto the airwaves.