Stock Drops Stolen Honor Dropped

October 20, 2004 8:04 PM

Sinclair Broadcast Groupdrops full airing of "Stolen Honor Wounds That Never Heal" but will only show excerpts concurrent with discussion of its claims. "Sinclair announced on Tuesday that it would not broadcast the entire film and that it planned to use segments in a special news program on 40 of its 62 stations tomorrow night. According to a press release, that program, "A P.O.W. Story: Politics, Pressure and the Media," will examine how politically charged films like "Stolen Honor" are being used in the campaign and how the news media treat their content." (NY Times, reg. req'd.)
posted by sierray (24 comments total)

This doesn't change a thing: Sinclair is putting on a 40 minute screed against John Kerry, preempting local station coverage in order to score political points. This is not backing down, this is just a fake-out. The airwaves are our airwaves, so make some noise if you feel the same way.
posted by plemeljr at 8:21 PM on October 20, 2004

They were never planning on running the full film anyhow - they just came out to confirm that this was the case. The media got this wrong in reporting that the whole shebang was going to be shown, and they got it wrong again saying that the company "rescinded" that plan. Agree or disagree, the coverage on this whole story has been totally off.
posted by djspicerack at 8:38 PM on October 20, 2004

I dunno, I'm very skeptical of history being rewritten here djs... give the initial quotes that were out there, early TV listings, etc. etc.

That's been the party line since the controversy really got out there, but I'm not buying it -- and I'm not one that really cares if it airs or not.
posted by 10sball at 8:47 PM on October 20, 2004

It is a fakeout. They'll cut all the parts that don't trash Kerry, then have people on to talk about what a scumbag Kerry is. The whole thing is only 42 minutes long anyway.

Transcript of Stolen Honor here. In what way is this not all about Kerry, and smearing him?
posted by amberglow at 8:49 PM on October 20, 2004

Wasn't this already discussed in the other Sinclair thread that's still on the front page?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 8:49 PM on October 20, 2004

The media got this wrong in reporting that the whole shebang was going to be shown, and they got it wrong again saying that the company "rescinded" that plan. Agree or disagree, the coverage on this whole story has been totally off.

Uh djspicerack, they are the media.

That's the point.

Sinclair wanted to "report" on John Kerry. Then "everybody else" -- basically the online media -- reports on Sinclair being a shamelessly shill devaluer of American democracy and conveniently gets it wrong -- according to Sinclair.

Who pray tell, wasn't making themselves clear?

Sinclair's stock drops as the controversy heats up and then renegs on its programming plans and the share price "mysteriously" rebounds.

Why weren't Sinclair's shareholders informed of the company's outward political beneficence at the outset of Sinclair's foray into harmless one-sided politically charged programming mere days before the election in 62 television markets?

I sure would be pissed if I were a shareholder. Americans do afterall, vote with their wallets.
posted by crasspastor at 9:04 PM on October 20, 2004

DJspicerack, a) where do you have this extra-special inside information from, if not "the media"? and b) please share with the rest of the class.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:06 PM on October 20, 2004

DJspicerack, don't forget that when the original LA Times story came out on October 9 -- you know, the one that started the whole thing -- its sources were given as "network and station executives familiar with the plan." And Sinclair refused to comment at the time.

It was, as we know, widely reported around the world that Sinclair was planning to show "Stolen Honor" in its entirety. Sinclair never denied this, to my knowledge.

If it never was Sinclair's intention to show the film in its entirety, why on earth would they wait eleven days (during which SBG stock fell 12%) before issuing a clarification or denial?

Sinclair's conduct during this entire affair so far has been appallingly partisan and disingenuous. It could be that the Friday telecast will be fair and even-handed, but I'm not gonna hold my breath.

So, you're claiming that because "the media" isn't just shutting up and printing Sinclair press releases, their coverage has been "totally off"?
posted by Vidiot at 9:27 PM on October 20, 2004

Thanks for the clarification Vidiot.
posted by crasspastor at 9:33 PM on October 20, 2004

that program... will examine how politically charged films like "Stolen Honor" are being used in the campaign

Funny how a news piece on this subject is apprently going to completely ignore F9/11, which is unprecedented in both its political charge and impact.

To those who buy this new story from Sinclair, be advised that I have this bridge you might be interested in buying.
posted by clevershark at 9:35 PM on October 20, 2004

It's the same damn programme.
posted by krisjohn at 9:56 PM on October 20, 2004

> They were never planning on running the full film anyhow

They already fed the programming info to the tv-guide people, they ARE the media, and you are being lied to.




http://boycottsbg.com/
posted by skallas at 10:48 PM on October 20, 2004

They folded under pressure too.
posted by skallas at 10:50 PM on October 20, 2004

Folded like a cheap whore punched in the stomach by a fat man with sores on his face.
posted by euphorb at 10:54 PM on October 20, 2004

If their main goal was to build buzz about "Stolen Honor" and smear Kerry indirectly by making it a multi-day news story, I think that pretty much backfired. Too many people saw it as an unfair abuse of their position and that's what stuck in their mind. The Bushies keep aiming at the wrong target -- they keep playing to their established base. Let'em waste their time and resources like that. Kerry at least knows that the target is this moderate voter, who is jaded by these ham-handed tactics.

(And if you know my opinion of Kerry from other threads you will, I'm sure, grant that I'm not "whistling through the graveyard" when I say this).
posted by RavinDave at 10:57 PM on October 20, 2004

Shit, *now* I know why Jim White's "The wound that never heals" was in my head all day.
posted by notsnot at 11:07 PM on October 20, 2004

In related news (but not deserving a whole new FPP), Burger King pulls ads from Sinclair.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:16 AM on October 21, 2004

Prof. Jay Rosen:

The program will be an attack, an anti-Kerry rant with some subtlety and just enough "issue" examination to deflect charges of airing propaganda. To accusations of bias, Sinclair's reply is pre-ordained: our program corrects for mainstream media bias in suppressing the POWs' claims, which Sinclair will call newsworthy.

[snip]

...Stolen Honor became the pivot point of a huge controversy that is revealing to us what Sinclair, under Smith and Hyman, really is: Agnew with Television Stations, a political empire with a commercial base in broadcasting, capable of making alliances and negotiating with princes. Shareholders have been enlisted in an ideological project that is not incidental to Sinclair's business, but at the core of what the broadcasting group has been created for.

posted by pmurray63 at 11:06 AM on October 21, 2004

Metafilter: like a cheap whore punched in the stomach by a fat man with sores on his face
posted by amberglow at 1:20 PM on October 21, 2004

A letter from a Sinclair employee: ...SBG may use this weekend to get this program on the air more than once. The SBG press release mentions only what affiliates will be airing on Friday night. SBG may chose to air the program any number of times on any number of their affiliates after Friday. Should they do this, the company will likely bleed money like a stuck pig. If Glickenhaus and Media Matters don't like what they see at 9 pm, what are they going to do? Wait til Monday morning to take legal action?
...
posted by amberglow at 5:27 PM on October 21, 2004

In related news (but not deserving a whole new FPP), Burger King pulls ads from Sinclair. - Civil_Disobedient...

I've been astounded at the volume of "we're not advertising with them [any more/that day/that program/anything political/etc.], please don't blame us for their idiocy." letters I'm getting back from the Sinclair advertisers to whom I wrote.

I'd say that fully 90-95% of them are backing away from Sinclair...at least for this programming option. Sinclair really screwed the pooch on this one.

Some companies haven't sent their form letters out yet, so I don't know their positions, but thus far only one company has come out and said that they support Sinclair. Applebee's said that they were not going to "bow to pressure from political groups" and were going to advertise during the "documentary". At least boycotting them is easy. I ate there once. Bleh.
posted by dejah420 at 7:23 PM on October 21, 2004

there 's a top 10 list of companies that actually refuse to pull their advertising.
posted by amberglow at 7:38 PM on October 21, 2004

I've since heard from Pfizer, they're not dropping their ads either. Apparently, Sinclair has a big Viagra demographic.

The joke here is too easy...it just is.
posted by dejah420 at 10:05 PM on October 22, 2004

Did anyone watch it? What was it like?
posted by amberglow at 10:06 PM on October 22, 2004