TV commentary riles some, but it's legal(Sinclair Broadcast Group)

[RedEarth]

"The problem is Kerry's pattern of lies, embellishments and exaggerations create a false image. . . ."

Sam Osborne blinked at his TV screen. In the middle of the local news on the CBS affiliate in Cedar Rapids, a television executive was giving a strongly worded political commentary.

It's called "The Point." It's a one-minute commentary broadcast on the 62 U.S. television stations owned by Baltimore-based Sinclair Broadcast Group. It appears in Iowa on Des Moines' KDSM, a Fox affiliate, and on Cedar Rapids' KGAN.The host is Mark Hyman, Sinclair's spokesman and head of corporate relations.

In nine of the last 12 segments - each clearly labeled commentary - Hyman has sharply criticized presidential candidate John Kerry.

"To daily give (commentary) that is so one-sided and never question anything about the other side is totally inappropriate," said Osborne, a Democrat and retired college professor from West Branch. "That's free air time provided by a corporation to a political candidate.""The Point" is within the law, according to officials with the Federal Election Commission and the Federal Communications Commission.

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040927/NEWS09/409270338/1056

[AspenRose]

1. Dear future President Kerry,

Please bring back the Fairness Doctrine.

Sincerely,
DR in NM

[UpInArms]

4. no wonder these pigs love Bork and RayGun

they are the criminals that destroyed the freedom that was America.

Please give the airwaves back to the people.

:kick:

[Dudley_DUright]

36. I second that motion DR

Let's vote (both for Kerry and on the question)

[jpgray]

2. Take away their goddam license--we own the airwaves

One can make a case for it.

[Zorra]

6. Agreed. This is undeniably fascism. The media must become public.

Privately owned media has become a means of fascist sedition of our nation.

[progressivebydesign]

26. Unfortunately, as long as they clearly bill it as an editorial, it's legal

That's my understanding.. as long as they put the disclaimer that it does not NECESSARILY represent the views of the station, and label it as editorial.. it's legal. It's part of a fucking campaign by the right wing corporate media to destroy ANYONE that dares threaten their march to total deregulation and mega consolidation. The first salvo was fired by that fucking coward Sunmer Redfield (a supposed liberal) who endorsed Bush 'for the GOOD of corporate america and Viacom'. I guess his own grandchildren will get fresh air pumped into the Viacom building when Bush's dirty air policies destroy our environment..

[w4rma]

29. Oh but it does represent the views of the station. The guy speaking is a

top executive of the station.

[mac56]

3. Sinclair Broadcasting Group

http://www.sbgi.net/business/markets/all.shtml

The same fatheads who famously pre-empted the "Nightline" tribute to the US military dead in Iraq.

If they have an affiliate in your market (some they own and operate, some they run under contract for others), write them a letter telling them you're not planning to watch any longer. Tell them that you plan to stop doing business with any local businesses that advertise with them, and that you plan to tell them why. Tell them that you plan to encourage everyone you know to do the same thing.

[cedahlia]

35. Good idea...thanks!

I stopped watching my local Fox network's News at 10 about a year ago because of that prick Hyman...I should let them know why they lost me. Don't know if it will do much good considering their history and who they are owned by, but it's worth a shot! :thumbsup:

[SemperEadem]

40. wasn't one of their top executives arrested for soliciting a prostitute

last year? I remember reading that somewhere. He was caught up in a police sting on johns. Funny how that little tid bit slipped in under the radar.

[Supersedeas]

41. tribute to troops who made the ultimate sacrifice-too politically charged

but, The Point is just commentary.

What is happening to America?

[Pirate Smile]

5. Arrggghh. I get this and he is terrible. He gives an entire statement

on Kerry and Jane Fonda, and Kerry and his words being used against POWs, negotiating with the enemy, etc. The worst lies and crap that is out there, this guy spouts every night before the local news is over.

I flip over after the Daily Show to wait for Letterman to come on. There is a five minute gap between when DS ends and Letterman starts and this a#$hole is always making these jaw dropping, smearing, lie filled commentaries.

[struggle4progress]

28. Track the sponsors. Everytime it happens, drop a note in the mail ...

... to a sponsor, explaining that you won't plan to patronize their business while they underwrite this crap.

[wurzel]

7. This is exactly what happened to Gore in the last six weeks.

Paul Bugala (Crossfire) pointed out that suddenly in the last six weeks of the Bush-Gore campaign there were 75% pro Bush and 75% anti Gore broadcasts throughout the country. No explanation as ever given. Nor was it ever denied.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

8. Sinkkklair Broadcasting, meet John Kerry's FCC!!!

:grr:

[wishlist]

9. We are bombarded with anti-Kerry messages here in Asheville NC too

on our ABC affiliate's local news program several times a day. Each day is a different editorial that slams Teresa or John Kerry or John Edwards making horrendous accusations that paint them in the worst possible light with absolutely no rebuttals or counterpoints allowed. Unfortunately, Sinclair Broadcastings' FCC license does not come up for renewal until December and we have been told that these editorial comments are not grounds for losing their license.

This puts local N.C. viewers in a bind since the other networks come out of S.C. and do not cover western N.C. local news, which has been crucial in the past several weeks due to damage from the three hurricanes that came through. All we can do is watch the local news until Mark Hyman comes on, and then turn it off.

I have emailed him several times to complain, and will send another complaint to the station explaining that except when absolutely necessary for emergency reasons, we will no longer watch their local news program and instead watch the S.C. CBS and NBC affiliates.

[young_at_heart]

14. We have done the same........only watch weather stuff

We find Mark Hyman so disgusting that we've given up (after many years of watching) WLOS. I feel badly for the local employees as they seem to be good people, but this Sinclair group has ruined the station, in my opinion!

[mac56]

17. Before you quit -

jot down as many local advertisers' names as you can. List their names in your complaint letter. Then contact the ones you do business with, and tell them why you don't shop there anymore. CC the station. I guarantee there'll be some interesting phone calls from the advertisers.

[Beetwasher]

10. What A Disgusting, Vicious Fucking Nazi

This guy is...

[AlCzervik]

11. We have that here on our local cbs affiliate

i got so pissed last week i actually called them. They told me a lot of people call in and complain about Mark Hyman and he put me through to the news room. Same response there, said their ratings are 3rd in our market already and he said if these Hyman commenteries continue the ratings will keep sliding.

[Mr_Spock]

12. Somebody should pay him a personal visit.

JErk.

[OutInTheBack40]

48. pay him a personal visit and say or do what?

What would be the purpose of this personal visit?

[fishwax]

13. We get this jackass in Oklahoma City too

the sinclair group runs the local Fox affiliate. I quit watching the newscasts a couple of years ago when he had a commentary about how some in the press were committing treason by questioning bush in the march towards Iraq. :grr:

[Kadie]

15. Oh that guy makes me so mad. - here is his direct link

look at his previous work.

http://www.newscentral.tv/

We get him on our Sacramento station, he irked me long before this election came along.

[alecthemad]

16. Why is this a problem?

You guys act as if this fellow controls all media available to the people in his stations' broadcast areas. People can read a newspaper, go online, watch other channels, watch cable news and so on to get different informations and opinions.

You are getting all upset but this is analgous to an editorial in a newspaper. He is not doing any thing illegal, just expressing his opinion. If he is spreading lies (slandering or libeling) then the interested parties can take action.

I think you would be dancing for joy if he was speaking poorly of Bush and endorsing Kerry.

[mac56]

18. "I think you would be dancing for joy ...

if he was speaking poorly of Bush and endorsing Kerry."

Don't assume. If they were only speaking poorly of Bush and only endorsing Kerry, with no other counterbalancing points of view, I'd object too.

Fair and balanced, my ass.

[alecthemad]

19. Don't Assume

I have lurked on these boards for three or four months now reading a lot of posts. Many people here are of the anyone but bush, bush is hitler variety, so I think my assumption is quite accurate for the general tenor of the boards.

[mac56]

21. Don't let a few misrepresent the many.

When it comes right down to it, I believe most people here are in favor of more diversity, not less, especially as it applies to opinions on the public airwaves.

[alecthemad]

22. Misrepresenting

Fair enough. By the way, love the Calvin and Hobbes avatar.

[xxqqqzme]

23. the written word (editorials)

is a completely different animal than a broadcast editorial. I can use an editorial page 2 line a bird cage. Don't think it works that way w/ a broadcast.

[mac56]

24. Besides, we own the airwaves.

At least, in theory. It's regulated by our elected government. Thus broadcasters have an entirely different kind of responsibility to the public than newspapers do.

[jmowreader]

46. This is because spectrum is a finite resource

The original theory behind allowing print to do whatever it wants and broadcast to present all points of view is that Spectrum--the radio frequencies that broadcasters use--is a finite resource whereas print is not. There are 12 channels in the VHF television band, seventy-some UHF channels, 155 total cable channels, 24 channels on a C-band satellite, a shitload of direct-broadcast satellite channels...and Faux can't be on the same channel as NBC. Print isn't a finite resource--if you can find the money to buy press time and a press that has some time they'll sell to you, print is available to you. (And trust me on this: if you walk into any newspaper in the country waving money and you're not printing the Fiery Cross or something similar, they will sell you press time. A newspaper press costs about $25 million and it doesn't make any money at all if the cylinders aren't turning.)

Republicans are big on privatizing the commons, which is why they let Rush Limbaugh stay on the air.

[saigon68]

33. ADIOS

Vaya Con Dios

[Lerkfish]

38. welcome to DU!

enjoy your visit! :hi:

[wishlist]

27. It is slander and libel- plus this is our only local TV news channel

You are obviously a troll but for anyone else who may be unsympathetic to our concerns, as I explained in my previous post, we have had three hurricanes in past three weeks and need local news coverage due to flooding, and water and power problems, but when we tune in, we are bombarded by these one-sided editorials. This station has a monopoly on coverage of local TV news here in western N.C. Many in our viewing area do not have computers and the local paper cannot provide immediate news when emergencies occur.

These editorials are propaganda and not analogous to an editorial in a newspaper since they are totally intrusive with no counterbalancing opinions.

[Vickers]

30. Hey, so THAT'S why those punks aren't suing about the "lies" in F9/11!

Hey man, good catch!

:toast:

That means EVERYTHING SAID IN F 9/!! IS TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lerkfish]

39. excellent point! all accusations made against bush are therefore true!

since merely making the accusation means its valid,

ok, let me start:

Bush slashes open his victims with broken beer cans and then gobbles up their liver, in the alien bushmonkey ritual inside the oval office. There have been more than 30 young boys who have disappeared after getting their dream of "meeting with the president".

I said it as an editorial, therefore IT MUST BE TRUE! and perfectly legal for me to do so

(/sarcasm)

[cedahlia]

37. Hyman

You're right...it's perfectly legal, and he can certainly exercise his right to spew forth his right wing agenda all he wants on his network. And I can exercise my right to stop watching his god-awful network (which I did after hearing one too many of his nauseating rants.)

The guys a prick, plain and simple. Is he well within his legal rights to be so? Sure. If he wants to show a blatant disrespect to the men and women of our armed services, such as he did when he pulled the plug on the Nightline progam that served to honor our fallen soldiers, then that's his choice. From one of the earlier posts regarding viewer complaints and ratings, it sounds like he's digging his own grave, so I say, have at it, man! He'll do himself in. So he's a prick and a MORAN, just like the rest of his ilk! }(

[SemperEadem]

42. while it may not be illegal, it's highly unethical and unprofessional

to air unbalanced and unsubstatiated claims in order to serve a one-sided purpose.

We would be dancing for joy if they TOLD THE TRUTH, which is what they're charged with doing in the interest of the public, who own their airwaves.

The religious right and neocons used the very same complaining tactics to scare these media companies into doing their bidding by threatening their money flow. Businesses need the money, and if they get enough calls or emails from people telling the company owners that not only are they not going to patronize their businesses, but that they're going to tell everyone they know not to do business with them because they advertise on a news station who's engaging is blatant lying or unbalanced fact reporting, you can best believe those companies--who want to stay in business--are going to make noise with the station.

TV stations need the revenue to operate. They will look to their bottom line and catch a clue. It may not bother you to be told lies day in and day out by a news operation that should be guarding its credibility with all due vigor--and it's everyone's choice and right to swallow from the big dick of fear and misinformation if they so choose--but it does bother a lot of us.

[snippy]

44. Typical lying, hypocritical republican bullshit.

How often do people with pus filled brains encrusted with shit whose souls have been devoured by hatred, i. e. Bush supporters, complain about a liberal bias in the media? The lying hypocrisy of you people is amazing. Can any republican ever speak without either lying or being hypocritical or both?

[LizW]

20. Some background on Sinclair Broadcasting:

http://www.alternet.org/story/15718

Tune into the evening news on Madison, Wisconsin's Fox TV affiliate and behold the future of local news. In the program's concluding segment, "The Point," Mark Hyman rants against peace activists ("wack-jobs"), the French ("cheese-eating surrender monkeys"), progressives ("loony left") and the so-called liberal media, usually referred to as the "hate-America crowd" or the "Axis of Drivel." Colorful, if creatively anemic, this is TV's version of talk radio, with the precisely tanned Hyman playing a second-string Limbaugh.

Fox 47's right-wing rants may be the future of hometown news, but -- believe it or not -- it's not the program's blatant ideological bias that is most worrisome. Here's the real problem: Hyman isn't the station manager, a local crank, or even a journalist. He is the Vice President of Corporate Communications for the station's owner, the Sinclair Broadcast Group. And this segment of the local news isn't exactly local. Hyman's commentary is piped in from the home office in Baltimore, MD, and mixed in with locally-produced news. Sinclair aptly calls its innovative strategy "NewsCentral" - it is very likely to spell the demise of local news as we know it.

(snip)

TV Barn's Mark Jeffries calls Sinclair the "Clear Channel of local news," a reference to the San Antonio, Texas, media giant that has grown from 40 to more than 1,200 stations today thanks to the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which relaxed radio ownership rules. But the parallels extend beyond their growth strategies. Jeffries describes Sinclair as having a "fiercely right-wing approach that makes Fox News Channel look like a model of objectivity," while Clear Channel is best known for sponsoring pro-war "Rallies for America" during the Iraq conflict. And like Clear Channel's CEO L. Lowry Mays -- a major Republican donor and onetime business associate of George W. Bush -- the Sinclair family, board, and executives ply the GOP with big money. Since 1997, they have donated well over $200,000 to Republican candidates.

(more at link)

[progressivebydesign]

25. Those types of editorials are standard for most affiliates...

.. disgusting as they may be, they've been around for decades. Sinclair Broadcasting, however, sends up a flag with us because of ALL of their anti-American behaviors... REFUSING to air Nightline's reading of OUR military who have died in Iraq, pre-empting any program that is critical of George Bush, pulling Dan Rather off of radio stations they own. Sinclair Broadcasting, owned part and parcel by friends of George Bush, is just continuing their disgusting anti-patriotic behaviors. Why do they hate America and it's freedoms????

[NashVegas]

31. Until People Rise Up and DEMAND The Fairness Doctrine Return

Expect more of the same, regardless of the editorial view.

[neohippie]

32. They also promote "The Point" with commercials all day

I see that down here in NC, the UPN station is affilated with that network and they run commercials all day long, that promote the editorial minute, and they have 30 second jabs about Kerry that they run over and over, it you add up all the air time, it should be illegal

[cedahlia]

34. aaaaaaaah! Can't STAND that guy!!!

Hyman rears his ugly head again! That piece of garbage has been spewing forth his right wing agenda on our local Fox network for years, and unfortunately I could never flip the channel fast enough to escape him! I'd always manage to hear just enough to get my blood boiling! (I know, it's Fox, so what can you expect, but I used to like watching the news at 10 to get the weather forecast earlier...I did finally stop watching all together though about a year ago because of that prick.) :mad:

[Democat]

43. Why is it legal? This is a political advertisement for Bush, nothing less!

What a joke campaign finance reform is - these are advertisements paid for by the station for Bush.

[mmonk]

45. If bush wins

a general strike should ensue by all people in the know or are opposed to bush. We need to grind the nation to a halt for a day to send a message. If they can't make money, it gets their attention (its their god).

[high density]

47. I see these on my TV every night

right before the CBS Evening News. They're disgusting and piss me off every time I see them. I feel like calling up my local affilate but they'll just piss me off even more.

[quaoar]

49. Send Hyman your comments

Scroll down to the bottom.

http://www.newscentral.tv/uploads/franchise/point/point-20040913.shtml