Is Sinclair Group Right or Wrong?
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Poll
Question: Is Sinclair Group Right or Wrong in forcing its stations to air an anti-Kerry documentary while not showing an anti-Bush documentary?
#1
Right
 
#2
Wrong
 
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Total Voters: 40

Author Topic: Is Sinclair Group Right or Wrong?  (Read 6267 times)
shankbear
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« Reply #25 on: October 12, 2004, 06:30:35 PM »

Maybe there should be a total TV blackout, except for weather and sports, the last 48 hours before the election.  The undecided could go take a dump and get their brains in order.  The parties could stoke up the recount fires and fly in all the lawyers for the post election happenings.  The strategies could be set and everybody could just chill for those two days.  Then the party could happen.  But unfortunately, a great segment of voters would actually forget to go vote because of no news, ads, and crap flowing from the "box".

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Alcon
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« Reply #26 on: October 12, 2004, 06:33:52 PM »

In science class, I once had to make a working mini-car out of a mouse trap. My car kept veering to the left whenever I'd start it. I put a rock on one side to balance it out, and it seemed to run fine. My teacher walked up and took the rock off.

"You can't have this rock on there," he said.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because it doesn't really fix anything," he replied.

He was right. I wasn't fixing the problem, just balancing it out in an unnatural way. And so goes media coverage. Using the "the mainstream media is biased, so why can't Sinclair be?" is a poor argument. The best way to fix media bias is not with opposing media bias.

It can be argued until one is blue that network coverage does just as much harm to Bush as this movie would do to Kerry, but the fact remains that if we want to get rid of bias, further media polarization is not the way.
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J. J.
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« Reply #27 on: October 12, 2004, 06:45:04 PM »

There are several questions running through this thread. 

First, is it lega?.  That answer seems to be yes.

Second, should the owner of media outlet be permitted to use that outlet to express his opinion?  My local newspaper endorsed Kerry; should the editorial board be arrested or fined?  My answer is that it's a free country, and if the Sinclair group wishes to express an opinion on the military record of a public figure, the can.

Third, is this a good political move?  My betting is that it will have limited political effect.

Fourth, is it relevant to the how Kerry would be as president?  No.
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Bogart
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« Reply #28 on: October 12, 2004, 06:50:59 PM »

I guess I'd lean towards the side of freedom of decision.  It's not supported by taxpayer money so they can do what they want.
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DFLofMN
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« Reply #29 on: October 12, 2004, 06:58:21 PM »

This probably would not be as big of deal if they didn't have an issue with the Nightline program of the Iraq war dead AND contribute to the Bush campaign.  Is F 9/11 a similar thing?  With F 9/11, it was in a theatre, and it was not just one company of theatres that was showing it, as well as people went and paid to see F 9/11. 
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DFLofMN
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« Reply #30 on: October 12, 2004, 07:01:01 PM »

PS Is this really good for us in any election for both sides to try to completely discredit the other candidate, so half of the people don't like them no matter what they do?  This has been a long and ugly election, and I will be glad when it is over, I am turning into a completely partisan hack.  How can all this be good for our country?Huh  What about real discussion about issues and some more truth in either campaigns?Huh?
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shankbear
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« Reply #31 on: October 12, 2004, 09:00:27 PM »

Why the crying about this?  Any intelligent person can grab the freakin remote and turn it off if they don't want to watch it.  Nobody gagged anybody and dragged them to the Mikie Mooreon movie did they?  It is a company making an economic expression with all the risks that any decision carries with it.  It is also a free expression decision.  If the public at large do not like or appreciate the documentary, the company will be hit in the bottom line.

It is so typical of the left that if you disagree with them, it means you are wrong.  How assinine.
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Alcon
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« Reply #32 on: October 12, 2004, 09:01:56 PM »

Why the crying about this?  Any intelligent person can grab the freakin remote and turn it off if they don't want to watch it.  Nobody gagged anybody and dragged them to the Mikie Mooreon movie did they?  It is a company making an economic expression with all the risks that any decision carries with it.  It is also a free expression decision.  If the public at large do not like or appreciate the documentary, the company will be hit in the bottom line.

It is so typical of the left that if you disagree with them, it means you are wrong.  How assinine.

Do you feel the same way about CNN?

Also, I don't believe anyone is saying that. Although you are wrong. (Just kidding.)
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MODU
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« Reply #33 on: October 12, 2004, 09:38:14 PM »

In science class, I once had to make a working mini-car out of a mouse trap. My car kept veering to the left whenever I'd start it. I put a rock on one side to balance it out, and it seemed to run fine. My teacher walked up and took the rock off.

"You can't have this rock on there," he said.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because it doesn't really fix anything," he replied.

He was right. I wasn't fixing the problem, just balancing it out in an unnatural way. And so goes media coverage. Using the "the mainstream media is biased, so why can't Sinclair be?" is a poor argument. The best way to fix media bias is not with opposing media bias.

It can be argued until one is blue that network coverage does just as much harm to Bush as this movie would do to Kerry, but the fact remains that if we want to get rid of bias, further media polarization is not the way.

Hence the reason I don't watch network news, and rarely ever watch any of their programming.  Besides, cable has so many better programs to begin with.
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Wakie
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« Reply #34 on: October 12, 2004, 10:13:18 PM »

Sinclair is opening themselves up to a lawsuit.  I think any reasonable person can see that this 1 1/2 hour program is easily a campaign ad for Bush.  By giving away 1 1/2 hours of airtime to the Bush campaign and not offering the same deal to Kerry, Nader, or Badnarik Sinclair is subject to a HUGE lawsuit.
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Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon
htmldon
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« Reply #35 on: October 12, 2004, 10:24:59 PM »

I 100% agree with their decision.  There are liberal movie theaters that are showing pro-Kerry documentaries, why shouldn't a conservative broadcaster get to show anti-Kerry documentaries.  Let's fight fire with fire here!
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J. J.
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« Reply #36 on: October 12, 2004, 10:28:28 PM »

This probably would not be as big of deal if they didn't have an issue with the Nightline program of the Iraq war dead AND contribute to the Bush campaign.  Is F 9/11 a similar thing?  With F 9/11, it was in a theatre, and it was not just one company of theatres that was showing it, as well as people went and paid to see F 9/11. 

You might be so agreeable if I owned the only movie theater in town and decided I didn't want to show it. 

I believe that most, if not all of these stations are located in multi-station markets.  Did you ever hear of changing the channel?
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Alcon
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« Reply #37 on: October 12, 2004, 10:29:35 PM »

This program is offered free to 40% of homes in the United States. Fahrenheit 9/11 required people to pay. I still think it's stupid.
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Napoleon XIV
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« Reply #38 on: October 13, 2004, 02:07:41 AM »

If they want to show something on their private sector network, so be it.  Not my business to interfere in any way other than changing the channel.

As said before, Freedom of the Press doesn't mean a balanced press, just one that is free to propapgate whatever propaganda or news or whatever they like.  If Sinclair wants to air this, good for them.  If CBS wants to air a segment about George Bush being controlled by space aliens, oil & tobacco companies and the illuminati among other nefarious thing, so be it.

If you don't want to see this movie or any other biased stuff, just change the channel.  Far more powerful than most other courses of action.
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MODU
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« Reply #39 on: October 13, 2004, 08:06:54 AM »



I did some looking into this over the evening last night.  Sinclair's networks do not cover all of the US, but only specific areas.  Additionally, they are not major network channels, but side channels like UHF.  Most of their programming is sindication, so it is unlikely they are displacing a normally scheduled "new" program to run this film which they bought (just like NBC buying "Twister" or some other movie to show).  So no one is going to be impacted by the scheduling of this show.

Now going back to my original statement, I think it's a dumb idea.  However, it doesn't seem to be illegal.  If this was a mainstream network, such as CBS or NBC, then my view would be different, since in some regions, those are the only stations you can receive.
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J. J.
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« Reply #40 on: October 13, 2004, 09:39:06 AM »

This program is offered free to 40% of homes in the United States. Fahrenheit 9/11 required people to pay. I still think it's stupid.

Well, if Michael Moore really wants to get his message out, why doesn't he offer it for broadcast, free of charge.  You know what, I may watch it.
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J. J.
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« Reply #41 on: October 14, 2004, 05:14:06 PM »

The FCC will not block it:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6249909/

Score one for freedom of the Press!
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Alcon
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« Reply #42 on: October 14, 2004, 05:48:21 PM »

The FCC will not block it:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6249909/

Score one for freedom of the Press!

The FCC is the only organization making the right decision here.

I think it is legal, much like devil worship is legal.
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James46
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« Reply #43 on: October 15, 2004, 12:51:05 AM »

Why is Sinclair group doing anything that is "bad" or "wrong" given what the 527s, Michael Moore, etc. have been doing all along?  Isn't this hypocritical of Kerry supporters?  McCain-Feingold invited this to happen.  So why are we complaining.  Be careful what you ask for--you might get it!
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J. J.
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« Reply #44 on: October 15, 2004, 01:45:13 AM »

I'm going to impose some self cencership.  If it comes on my area, I'm not going to watch it.
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