Sinclair Activism Thread, Take Action

[G_j]

Please contact stations censoring tonight's Nightline (see story below)and Sinclair Broadcasting who has directed them to censor the show.

You can also find out who advertises with your local station and contact them.

Thanks to various DUers for contributing to this information! Any additional information and suggestions are welcome.



Stations Known to Be Pulling Nightline

**Please Look at the list further down to see if your station is owned by Sinclair if it is ABC contact them to see if they will be airing the show.

Contact the Sinclair Broadcast Group at 410-568-1500 and ask them why they refuse to acknowledge those who have served this country honorably.
You can also contact your local affiliate:
WXLV, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point NC 336-274-484
WEAR, Pensacola 850-456-3333
KDNL, St. Louis
WSYX, Columbus OH 614-481-6666
WLOS, Asheville NC 828-684-1340
WCHS, Charleston, Huntington W VA 304-346-5358
WGGB, Springfield MA [phone]
WTXL, Tallahassee [phone]



television stations owned by Sinclair (only ABC stations carry Nightline)

WTTA - Tampa
KMWB - Minneapolis
WPGH and WCWB - Pittsburgh
KOVR - Sacramento
KDNL - St Louis
WBFF and WNUV - Baltimore
WTTV and WTTK - Indianapolis
WLFL and WRDC - Raleigh - Durham
WZTV and WUXP - Nashville
WCGV and WVTV - Milwaukee
WSTR - Cincinnati
KSMO - Kansas City
WTTE and WSYX - Columbus
WFBC and WLOS - Asheville
KABB and KRRT - San Antonio
WTTO, WABM and WDBB - Birmingham
WTVZ - Norfolk
WUTV - Buffalo
KOCB and KOKH - Oklahoma City
WXLV and WUPN - Greensboro
WKEF and WRGT - Dayton
KVWB and KFBT - Las Vegas
WCHS and WVAH - Charleston
WRLH - Richmond
WEAR and WFGX - Mobile
WSMH - Flint
WDKY - Lexington
KDSM - Des Moines
WSYT and WNYS - Syracuse
KBSI and WDKA - Paducah
WUHF - Rochester
WGME - Portland
WMSN - Madison
WEMT - Tri-Cities
WGGB - Springfield
WYZZ - Peoria
WTWC - Tallahassee
WMMP and WTAT - Charleston
---------
contact info.

Alabama
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail]


CA
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail]


Florida
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail]

IL
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail]


N. Carolina
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail]

Oklahoma
[e-mail] [e-mail]


S. Carolina
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail]


TX
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail]

=============
Background:

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aqgo9j99xhd4&ref...

Sinclair to Preempt `Nightline' on ABC Stations, Cites Politics

April 29 (Bloomberg) -- Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. ordered its ABC affiliates to preempt tomorrow's broadcast of ``Nightline,'' which will air the names and photos of U.S. military personnel who have died in combat in Iraq, saying the move is politically motivated.

``Despite the denials by a spokeswoman for the show, the action appears to be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq,'' the company said in a faxed statement. Sinclair, which owns 62 U.S. television stations, said ABC is disguising political statements as news content.

Nightline anchor Ted Koppel will read the names of the more than 500 members of the U.S. armed forces killed in Iraq as their photos air in pairs, the network has said. Their names, ranks, branches of service, hometowns and ages will be listed under the photos. The entire broadcast will be devoted to reading the names.

The 30-minute program airs at 11:35 p.m. New York time on ABC, a unit of the Walt Disney Co. It will include those certified as killed in action by the Pentagon between March 19, 2003, and the date of the broadcast. Because of the list's size, Nightline will only be able to devote seconds to each casualty, executive producer Leroy Sievers said Tuesday.

Sinclair owns stations affiliated with ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, WB and UPN in 39 markets.
..more..
============================
Mark Hyman, Sinclair corporate relations director:
Hyman donated $2,061 to Republican State Central Committee of Maryland in 2000 according to the Federal Election Commission's Web site.

Sinclair also has a political action committee that has given $37,200 to Republican candidates since 1997. The company gave $2,600 to Democratic candidates over the same time span.

The donations included $5,000 to President Bush in 1999 and to $2,000 U.S. Rep. Richard Burr, R-N.C., in 2002.

............A question of politics

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. with all those nicely stacked email address,

I'm just gonna blast email all of the fuckers! Right-wing treachery will NOT be tolerated!!! :grr: :nuke:

On edit: Thank you for that work! It is very useful!

[aintitfunny]

2. Already faxed a letter:

This is the beginning of the end. The broadcast group is choosing to censor the Journalist. You are choosing what is and what is not appropriate content. You are protecting your own obviously political interests labeling Nightline’s actions as being politically motivated. Even if you are accurate in such labeling – it is a very sad day for this country when you get to decide what viewpoints your viewers get to experience.

Your web site claims to be in 24% of households in the nation, giving you a wide-ranging market influence. Your decision to censor the product of a television news show, is baldly anti American and tragically unpatriotic. It smacks of fascism. It is and should be viewed as a violation of the civil rights of 24% of the households in this nation.

It is sad when our government censors our ability to see the flag draped coffins of our returning war dead. But when a corporation is deciding to censor a standard television news show, it is beyond the pale. What is next? Do you imagine that the American people are going to stand idly by and let you determine the content of all information? Do you imagine you have, by virtue of your success in the broadcast industry, a right to cherry-pick what perspectives your viewer-ship will have access to?

Well, apparently you believe the answer to all these questions is: “absolutely”. It is a sad day when a corporation can drape itself in the flag while violating the ingrained principals of this great country.

I imagine you will receive many responses to your flagrant violation of one of our founding freedoms. Ours is but one small complaint. Our only recourse is a small one, but at least we can choose to censor our usage of your products.

[BeFree]

4. ...censor usage of your(Sinclair) products

I will be watching too see who the advertisers are on my local Sinclair station. As I can, I will be contacting these advertisers and kindly tell them how they have wasted their money using the Sinclair group as a medium to influence me to purchase their products.

End the occupation. Bring our troops home. Now.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

19. keeping this thread kicked

..

[Kanary]

3. Ted Koppel on Good Morning America

Defended his program tonight. They showed some of the idiotic criticism of the show....... no wonder I don't watch the news!

Ted said they were affected by some of the email they got concerning the show. There was one from a father who's son was wounded and decorated in Iraq, then killed on his way home. He asked why his son wasn't considered one of the war dead, so Ted asked for more time, and will be on for 40 minutes, and in his words, "Reading ALL the names".

For those recording, remember it's a longer program tonight.

So, email to them *does* make a difference, too.

I'd like to send one to Ted, also.

Kanary

[G_j]

6. so far I get the impression

the families of the "fallen" are not happy with Sinclair's censorship.

Koppel was also on NPR this morning defending the show.

[G_j]

5. more background

Broadcaster's Own 'Political Agenda' Plays Part in Nightline Snub

By Timothy Karr
MediaChannel.org
http://www.mediachannel.org/views/dissector/affalert187.shtml


<snip>
MediaChannel.org has learned that 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, 98 percent of Sinclair's political contributions have gone to GOP candidates.
<snip>

According to The Center for Responsive Politics, an organization devoted to tracking political contributions by individuals, PACs and corporations, Sinclair executives give overwhelmingly to Republican causes and candidates. Of the top twenty TV and Radio companies to make political contributions in 2004, Sinclair Broadcasting Group, is among the most conservative, giving 98 percent of its $65,434 in political contributions to GOP candidates.

By comparison, Clear Channel Communications, the notoriously conservative radio colossus run by President Bush's longtime Texas cronies Tom and Steve Hicks has given only 75 percent of its 2004 contributions to Republicans; Democratic candidates have received the remaining 25 percent of Clear Channel's political largesse.

MediaChannel has contacted Sinclair CEO and President David Smith for comment on the company's political track record. Smith has yet to reply. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Smith personally gave $2,000, the maximum individual contribution, to President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign.

<snip>
The broadcasting giant reported first quarter preliminary results for net broadcast revenues reached $158.3 million. The Q1 increase over last year -- about $4 million more than the company expected -- came in part from $1.3 million in additional political advertising revenues in key election states such as Ohio, Florida, West Virginia, Illinois and Maine, where Sinclair owns stations.
<snip>
----------

Sinclair stations won't run "Nightline" tribute
http://poynter.org/forum/?id=misc
----------
Inside Sinclair:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/media/july-dec03/newscentral_12-11.html


Mark Hyman
:puke:

[Misinformed01]

7. Kick

Good contact information here-

[Misinformed01]

8. Just to let you know

I tried calling the main number for the past 10 minutes, and nobody will answer the phones--not even an answering machine. Interesting, eh?

[G_j]

10. other phone numbers and stuff

Corporate Headquarters
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
10706 Beaver Dam Road
Hunt Valley, Maryland 21030
410-568-1500 (Main Telephone)
410-568-1533 (Main Fax)

Investor Relations Contact
Lucy A. Rutishauser
VP Corporate Finance and
Corporate Treasurer
[e-mail]

Sales Questions
Darren Shapiro
VP Sales
410-568-1500

-or-

Jeff Sleete
VP Marketing
410-568-1500

[KoKo]

15. I just e-mailed "luci" if Investor Relations. Much easier than what I

went through this a.m. with the main address from the other DU post.

Fortunately I saved my e-mail so I could just "cut and paste."

Thanks!

[G_j]

9. related threads

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=1496881&mesg_id=1496881

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=106&topic_id=7537#7551

much thanks to dArKeR and Proud Patriot for much of the contact info!

[G_j]

11. MoveOn joins the fight... excellent !!!

Dear MoveOn member,

Tonight, ABC's Nightline is doing something beautiful and courageous.
The entire show will consist of a reading of the names of each soldier
who has fallen in Iraq, while his or her photograph shows on the
screen.

But ABC affiliate stations around the country will be prohibited from
airing the special. That's because they're owned by Sinclair
Broadcasting Group, a company whose executives have given tens of
thousands to Republicans and whose right-wing allies tout it as "the
next Fox." <1>

In a statement released earlier this week, the company said that to
honor the men and women who died in this way would be a political act
that is "contrary to the public interest." Censoring images of the
fallen serves the right-wing ideologues who pushed the war in Iraq,
but it certainly doesn't serve our country to hide those who were
killed.

In order to highlight this censorship and let other media outlets know
that it's not OK, we're asking you to write a letter to the editor of
your local paper. It doesn't actually take very long -- you can do it
in ten minutes or less.

We've added some tips and talking points below. Once you've written,
please let us know at:

http://www.moveon.org/sinclair.html?id=2761-3117687-gPgO.3tCx0fL6rw9_FRvxg

Military families have called on Sinclair to air the special tonight.
Jane Bright of Military Families Speak Out is the mother of Sgt. Evan
Ashcraft, who died July 24, 2003, near Mosul, Iraq. She said: "The
Sinclair Broadcast Group is trying to undermine the lives of our
soldiers killed in Iraq. By censoring Nightline they want to hide the
toll the war on Iraq is having on thousands of soldiers and their
families, like mine." <2>

According to ABC News, "The Nightline broadcast is an expression of
respect which simply seeks to honor those who have laid down their
lives for this country."

Yet Sinclair refuses to distinguish between public mourning and a
statement against the war: "Despite the denials by a spokeswoman for
the show the action appears to be motivated by a political agenda
designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq." <3>

Take a few minutes to write a letter to the editor to make sure the
word gets out. Tips and talking points are below.

Nightline is also certain to get lots of nasty right-wing hate mail
about this broadcast. Show them the overwhelming support for this sort
of recognition of the young men and women killed in Iraq with a quick
note at:

http://www.moveon.org/r?494

Finally, you can call on Sinclair to honor our troops and run the
Nightline special at:

David D. Smith, CEO
Sinclair Broadcast Group
[phone] x1504

After you take action, let us know at:

http://www.moveon.org/sinclair.html?id=2761-3117687-gPgO.3tCx0fL6rw9_FRvxg

Then tune in to ABC tonight to see Nightline's special tribute to our
lost servicemen and women.

Sincerely,
- Carrie, Joan, Noah, Peter, and Wes
The MoveOn.org Team
Friday, April 30th, 2004

Sources:
<1> http://freepress.net/news/article.php?id=3334
<2> http://www.mfso.org/
<3> http://poynter.org/forum/?id=misc

---

[KoKo]

12. Raleigh has an Independent ABC, but I e-mailed Sinclair anyway because

they do own two stations here. I replied what I e-mailed them on another DU action thread.

Thanks for keeping this going G_L that other thread was getting too long.

[Bill McBlueState]

13. here's what I sent

This is what I sent to WGGB-40 in Springfield, MA, one of the stations that's not showing Nightline. Feel free to use it for inspiration.

Your decision not to air Nightline tonight (Friday, April 30) is
unfortunate. Your parent company complains that broadcasting the
names and faces of the fallen Americans in Iraq is politically
motivated. But censoring the program because it may be politically
motivated is politics in its most crass form.

Massachusetts has a long tradition of freedom of expression and
progressive thought. The key issue for folks living here is not
whether the program is politically motivated; it's that some national
corporation, clearly out of touch with local Pioneer Valley sentiment,
has decided for us that we shouldn't watch the program.

You should carry Koppel's "Nightline" tonight. Censorship is never an
appropriate response to controversy. WGGB-40 is one of just a handful
of sources in the area for real local news, and it is disappointing to
see you fall victim to the Sinclair company's political scheming.

I will also be contacting the Sinclair Broadcast Group.

[G_j]

16. great letter

thanks! :toast:

[LTR]

14. The official statement

http://www.abcstlouis.com/nightline.html

WARNING: Vomit alert!

Statement of Sinclair Broadcast Group

The ABC Television Network announced on Tuesday that the Friday, April 30 edition of “Nightline” will consist entirely of Ted Koppel reading aloud the names of U.S. servicemen and women killed in action in Iraq. Despite the denials by a spokeswoman for the show, the action appears to be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq.

There is no organization that holds the members of our military and those soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in service of our country in higher regard than Sinclair Broadcast Group. While Sinclair would support an honest effort to honor the memory of these brave soldiers, we do not believe that is what “Nightline” is doing. Rather, Mr. Koppel and “Nightline” are hiding behind this so-called tribute in an effort to highlight only one aspect of the war effort and in doing so to influence public opinion against the military action in Iraq. Based on published reports, we are aware of the spouse of one soldier who died in Iraq who opposes the reading of her husband’s name to oppose our military action. We suspect she is not alone in this viewpoint. As a result, we have decided to preempt the broadcast of “Nightline’ this Friday on each of our stations which air ABC programming.

We understand that our decision in this matter may be questioned by some. Before you judge our decision, however, we would ask that you first question Mr. Koppel as to why he chose to read the names of 523 troops killed in combat in Iraq, rather than the names of the thousands of private citizens killed in terrorist attacks since and including the events of September 11, 2001. In his answer, we believe you will find the real motivation behind his action scheduled for this Friday. Unfortunately, we may never know for sure because Mr. Koppel has refused repeated requests from Sinclair’s News Central news organization to comment on this Friday’s program.

[G_j]

17. For residents of western NC:

WLOS has assured it's listeners that it will read and forward all mail sent to, [e-mail] to Sinclair Broadcasting.
----------------
Also, This was the front page headline story in the Asheville Citizen-Times today:

http://cgi.citizen-times.com/cgi-bin/story/news/54054

War dead list won't air locally

By Tonya and Ostendorff Maxwell, staff writersApril 29, 2004 10:44 p.m.

ASHEVILLE - Beth Whitener would rather the country see her husband's face and hear his name on national television than see his moment of remembrance get caught up in politics.

<snip>

Wally Bowen, a local media activist and executive director of the nonprofit Mountain Area Information Network, said it was another example of heavy-handed corporate censorship.
<snip>

The Citizen-Times was referred to Hyman, corporate relations director, Thursday after calling Sinclair's corporate offices. He did not return a message.

Hyman donated $2,061 to Republican State Central Committee of Maryland in 2000 according to the Federal Election Commission's Web site.

Sinclair also has a political action committee that has given $37,200 to Republican candidates since 1997. The company gave $2,600 to Democratic candidates over the same time span.

The donations included $5,000 to President Bush in 1999 and to $2,000 U.S. Rep. Richard Burr, R-N.C., in 2002.
..more..

[G_j]

22. my letter to WLOS

** this is slightly different than the letters I sent to Sinclair.


To whom it may concern,

It is with deep regret that I write this letter to you because I appreciate WLOS and watch your news regularly. I have formally complained in the past that there is no counter-point to Mark Hyman's "Point" which is obviously one sided. My solution is to simply turn off the TV when "Point" comes on.

However, Sinclair Broadcasting's censorship of tonight's Nightline show goes way over the line and would have been what one would have expected living in the former Soviet Union not America.
I read Sinclair's statement and heard the segment with their lawyer on you noon news show today.

They imply motives to Nightline's presentation beyond the actual content of the show, which is simply reading the names of the "fallen" US soldiers in Iraq. To censor a show because of perceived motives is absurd. They cannot explain why reading the names of our fallen soldiers is unacceptable, because it is completely acceptable and appropriate in a healthy democracy.

There will be people taking note of your advertisers in the next few days and there will most likely be a boycott list distributed to concerned citizens of western NC.

It is regretful that this action may have to be taken, because most of us enjoy our local news crew and watch WLOS. Please inform Sinclair that by censoring Nightline they will be hurting WLOS's standing in the community and possibly negatively effecting it's advertisers.

If Nightline is not aired tonight, both Sinclair Broadcasting and WLOS owe the citizens of western NC an apology.
Sincerely,

[Stone_Spirits]

23. I modified your letter

and sent it to the other stations.

To Whom It May Concern,

Sinclair Broadcasting's censorship of tonight's Nightline show goes way over the line and is what one would have expected living in the former Soviet Union not America.

I read Sinclair's statement and heard a statement from their lawyer. They imply motives to Nightline's presentation beyond the actual content of the show, which is simply reading the names of the "fallen" US soldiers in Iraq.

To censor a show because of perceived motives is wrong. Sinclair cannot coherently explain why reading the names of our fallen soldiers is unacceptable, because it is completely acceptable and appropriate in a healthy democracy.

I am aware of that there will be people taking note of advertisers in the next few days and there will most likely be a boycott list distributed to concerned citizens.

It is regretful that this action may have to be taken, Please inform Sinclair that by censoring Nightline they will be hurting your station's standing in the community and most likely negatively effecting your advertisers.

If Nightline is not aired tonight, both Sinclair Broadcasting and your station owe your viewers an apology.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

18. Sinclair execs frequently call us 'the loony left" on tthe air

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. "
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=15718

[G_j]

20. hate-America crowd

heard Hyman use that term a number of times.

good article!

I called my local station a few months ago complaining that if I wanted to hear Rush I would be turning on the radio not my local news.
The woman laughed and hinted that I was not the only one to express that sentiment.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

21. kicking again

..

[carols]

24. Contacted Tallahassee and they ARE airing the show!

So please take them off the list before you e-mail. Here's what they said when I e-mailed them:

WTXL is not owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, nor does Sinclair Broadcast Group control WTXL's programming; and WTXL's ownership and management never once considered preempting tonight's Nightline broadcast. WTXL is co-located in a facility with an Sinclair station (WTWC) and is staffed by Sinclair employees under a Joint Services Agreement, but WTXL is owned and managed by Media Venture Management. The notion that WTXL was included in Sinclair's preemption of the
Nightline broadcast seems to have been based on information from the Sinclair website that evidently created a mistaken impression. That impression was furthered by a Wall Street Journal report that apparently used information from that website uncritically. In fact, WTXL is airing tonight's Nightline and never once considered doing otherwise. I'm afraid your indignation has been misdirected.

Mike Roberts, Assignment Editor
WTXL Television

[SoCalDem]

25. How about Picket signs?.. "Your CEO is a Sexual Deviant"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1503645


and of course call the local CBS and NBC stations and the newspapers to see if they would cover the protest...
I bet his family is just itching to see his name in the papers and on the news again.. reminding people of just what a Christian man he is :)

Radical right-wing,Biased Sexual Deviant.. What a combinaton

[Kanary]

26. Another activist kick

:kick: