Originally posted by ispar:
There are stupid things, like the firemen complaining about the flag, and then there are idiotic posts like this one....
ispar
from you, I'll take that as a compliment.
I do apologize for the political jab as now is not the time or place for it.
and the beat goes on:
Thursday, Sept. 20, 2001 7:14 PM EST
Cablevision: Boycott Warning Over Flag Ban
Cablevision, one of the nation's largest media conglomerates, continues to thumb its nose and is not backing down on flag ban policy.
At their News 12 operation on Long Island, news employees are asbolutely forbidden to show or wear the American flag while on air.
News director Pat Dolan is getting the full support from Cablevision management for his Stalinist policy.
Cablevision also owns the New York Knicks, Rangers, Radio City Music Hall, the Whiz electronic stores, and the American Movie Classics channel -- among other properties.
Dolan told New York's Newsday he banned the flag being displayed because it might suggest his news employees were taking sides, or even subtly suggesting they support the U.S. government.
To add insult to injury, Dolan went on-air claiming his organization was "patriotic" and criticized people who were complaining about his censorship program because "We should not be distracted by issues like this at a time when we are all focused on tracking down terrorists and helping our country recover."
Though thousands of New Yorks died -- and no doubt thousands of his own paying subscribers lost loved ones, Dolan advised again yesterday ". . . the flag is also a powerful symbol that must be used wisely. That's why, in my opinion, we need to be careful in using it when we're in public reporting the news."
The message is clear from Cablevision, they want the fruits of America's freedom, and the billions that flow into the coffers from Americans and New Yorkers -- but they don't want to let their newscasters "take sides" and show their support for America in this time of crisis.
Maybe there needs to be a message to Cablevision management: lift your ban on the American flag or a major boycott of your media properties will show you how Americans stand when it comes to Cablevision, the Knicks, the Rangers, Madison Square Garden, The Whiz, et al.
and here;
TV Stations Dump Bill Maher
Exclusive: At least three TV stations have dumped ultra-snide "Politically Incorrect" host Bill Maher because of his controversial remarks.
Starting tonight, the ABC stations in Des Moines and Sioux City, Iowa, and Lincoln, Neb., have dropped "Politically Incorrect" from their schedules until further notice, Ray Cole, president and CEO of Citadel Communications, which owns the three stations, told NewsMax.com this afternoon.
"We wanted to give the show an ample opportunity to explain, and in my view apologize," Cole told NewsMax. But he was disappointed in ABC's inaction and Maher's spinning and feeble attempts at apology, which initially included a statement that he's "never been good at grieving" on TV.
Sears, which along with Federal Express yanked ads from "Politically Incorrect," told Reuters news agency: "Bill and his guests have every right to voice their freedom of speech, and we applaud that. However, we have the right to air our broadcast advertising where we feel it's appropriate to reach out to our customers."
In a statement issued through a P.R. flack Wednesday, Maher said his views "should have been expressed differently."
"In no way was I intending to say, nor have I ever thought, that the men and women who defend our nation in uniform are anything but courageous and valiant, and I offer my apologies to anyone who took it wrong," the statement said.
"Too little, too late," said Cole, who was surprised that NewsMax was already reporting his decision, which had been made just this afternoon.
One of the viewers who flooded Cole's stations with complaints about Maher was NewsMax reader Neal J. Fisher, a Drake University student who told us "at least 50 people on campus" were involved in the dump-Maher movement. "There's been a much larger response from the community," he found out after contacting the station.
Cole said he didn't know of any other ABC stations pre-empting Maher yet. But there's hope. Take a stand by contacting your local ABC station and urging it to cancel "Politically Incorrect." Also, to e-mail ABC: abc.audience.relations@abc.com or netaudr@abc.com.
And we salute Ray Cole and his company and Neal J. Fisher and his fellow activists for taking their stand.
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Skuzzy
I and my family salute all veterans of our arm forces, past present and future - the real freedom fighters <S>
