posted on April 29, 2004 11:00:19 PM new
Sorry, the 'd' got nuked from Boycotted.
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On Friday night, ABC News' "Nightline" will devote the entire half-hour broadcast (updated to 40 minutes) to reading the names and showing the photographs of the hundreds of American servicemen and women who have died in the Iraq war.
The Sinclair Broadcast Group announced Thursday that the ABC affiliates it owns will not be airing the program.
For 40 minutes Friday night, Koppel will read the names and show the faces of American servicemen and women who have died in the Iraq War. Initially, "Nightline" was going to air the names of the 500 Americans who died in combat, but Thursday the program announced plan to expand the Friday broadcast so it could include the 200 Americans who died in non-combat situations.
ABC responded, "The 'Nightline' broadcast is an expression of respect which simply seeks to honor those who have laid down their lives for this country. ABC News is dedicated to thoughtful and balanced coverage and reports on the events shaping our world with neither fear nor favor -- as our audience expects, deserves, and rightly demands."
Koppel: Just look at these people. Look at their names. And look at their ages. Consider what they've done for you. Honor them.
Why, in heaven's name, should one not be able to look at the faces and hear the names and see the ages of those young people who are not coming back alive and feel somehow ennobled by the fact that they were willing to give up their lives for something that is in the national interest of all of us?
posted on April 29, 2004 11:46:58 PM new
Why now? Why now during the most critical time when the enemy is throwing everything they have at us? The mission isn't over yet. Why not also show the troops killed in Afghanistan?
I believe they are using the deaths of our troops to try to further their political agenda.
"I voted for the $87 billion before I voted against it."
posted on April 30, 2004 02:05:21 AM new
Very inappropriate at this time, would be much better when ALL the troops are home and the finally tally is weighed...
AIN'T LIFE GRAND...
It's too bad that their blindness can't see they are killing more soldiers than President Bush ever has... Protest Loud and Proud! Your fellow taliban and insurgents are rejoicing at the support...
posted on April 30, 2004 07:33:17 AM new
A tribute to our fallen soldiers would be wonderful and should include all the good things they did during their service....what they gave their lives for....like giving freedom to a whole nation, etc.
But the timing of this stinks and is being seen for just what it is: anti-war propoganda.
And I agree with the negative media press this 'special' is getting - that says it's "designed to undermine the efforts of the US in Iraq". Glad to read Sinclair Broadcast Group is going to pre-empt this 'special' on their stations because they see it for what it really is.
It's RATINGS sweep week....that's also, part of why they're doing this rather than [say] on Memorial Day, when it's not sweeps week. Two thumbs down to ABC and Ted Koppel for using our soldiers deaths in this manner.
And as is pointed out in other articles this type of so called 'tribute' wasn't done for the fallen of other, more recent wars. Why now - at this time? My answer - To further their left-leaning, anti-war propoganda. It's obvious they hope it will turn public opinion against this war.
Just like Dan Rather only mentions the poll numbers when they're up for kerry but doesn't mention them when they're up for President Bush...they use the media to promote their own political agendas.
posted on April 30, 2004 08:08:42 AM new
Koppel was asked about ratings week.
Are you surprised, in the end, that this program has gotten this much attention and I assume will get more in the next 24 hours?
Yes. I really am. I didn't expect that. I thought it would get attention, but did I think it would become so controversial, did I think that people would feel the need to question the patriotism of those who are putting it on the air? Did I think that it would descend to the depths of some people suggesting we were doing this because the networks are going into a sweeps period when ratings become important?
You start to wonder after a while. I've been doing "Nightline" for over 24 years, I've been at ABC for 41 years, if that's really the impression I've left with people then I have failed in such a colossal way that I can't even begin to consider the consequences of it.
But quite apart from that, it seems to me absolutely silly that anyone would suggest that we were doing this for ratings. In point of fact, we were sitting around (a) unaware that it was sweeps, that's how dumb we are at "Nightline."
But we were actually sitting around saying, you know, what'll probably happen is that people will tune in for 30 seconds or two minutes or maybe five minutes, but I doubt very much that many viewers are going to hang on for the whole broadcast. If anything, our expectation was that this program might have fewer viewers than normal. It never occurred to us that someone might think we were doing this for ratings.
posted on April 30, 2004 08:23:55 AM new
Notice this same Sinclair company must be looking for favors for the amount of money they are giving out to the Republican Party.
I find it ridiculous that everyone is caving in to political pressure on something as simple as this.
The chart shows they donate 2% to Democrats and 98% to Republicans so they must want something. But what else is new, buy your way in, the fine art of graft, grease the palm. Favors for favors.
posted on April 30, 2004 01:52:13 PM new
I don't understand how it was okay to show the flag draped coffins of 9/11 in a Bush commercial that was described as a "defining moment in history" or something similar to that, yet the deaths of the soldiers should be kept from view.
posted on May 2, 2004 08:37:05 AM new
It's a good thing we didn't have Nightline during World War II. We would all have been living under Hitler and the Japanese war-lords.
posted on May 2, 2004 10:03:39 AM newt's a good thing we didn't have Nightline during World War II. We would all have been living under Hitler and the Japanese war-lords.
Actually, during World II (& WWI), the government did not try to hide that fact of death and casualities. Names were published in hometown newspapers, and mentioned loudly elsewhere. Families replaced blue stars in windows with gold ones. Newsreels showed the dead and wounded on a weekly basis in the movie theatres.
What has changed? This government knows that this is a war that is not fully supported by the people. This government knows there are serious questions about why we are in Iraq at all and what our soldiers are dying for.
Therefore this government is doing its best to keep the casualties and deaths on a very low profile.
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We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. -- John F. Kennedy
