"Republicans must really be feeling desperate"

Republicans must really be feeling desperate. The GOP-coddling Sinclair Broadcasting Group -- whose sixty-four stations reach 25 percent of the national television audience -- is forcing its local stations to run an anti-Kerry propaganda film a week before the November 2 election, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. The documentary Stolen Honor, produced by former Tom Ridge stooge Carlton Sherwood, and airing between October 21 and 24, accuses Kerry of actually prolonging the war in Vietnam as a result of his antiwar activism.

So starts an article on the CBSNews website. (The page says the column from The Nation was written by Ari Berman, but I couldn't find the original document on The Nation's website)

Sinclair TV has asked the 62 stations, many of which broadcast in key battleground states, to suspend regular programming and show the documentary.

The company insists the film is part of regular news coverage and said that John Kerry has been invited to debate the issues raised in the film

Says an article from the BBC News' website.

The Sinclair Broadcast Group, it should be pointed out, forbid it's seven ABC affiliates from airing an episode of Nightline that was a simple roll call of the American soldiers who had died in the Iraq War. Sinclair stated such a show as designed solely to "influence public opinion".

Democrats have already called for an investigation of the Sinclair Group's decision, asking if the plan isn't an "improper use of public airwaves".

Meanwhile, groups like SinclairWatch.org are working to get citizens active in complaining to the FCC when the station's license comes up for renewal.

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