C-SPAN denies public TV access to 9-11 victims' families
Fair Use Statement
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Source: unansweredquestions.org.
C-SPAN denies public TV access to 9-11 victims' families and 9-11
panel seeking answers and accountability at June 10th Press
Conference. See phone, fax and email contacts below and voice your concern. Click here for press release.
9-11 CITIZEN ALERT:
C-SPAN denies public TV access to 9-11 victims' families and 9-11
panel seeking answers and accountability.
Since mid-May, organizers of the 9-11 and the Public Safety press
event, June 10th, at the National Press Club (NPC) in Washington,
D.C, have been campaigning for media coverage. This past week, co-
chair, Tom Flocco has solicited C-SPAN for coverage hoping for a live TV
broadcast, or at minimum a taped and delayed broadcast.
C-SPANs web site says: "Certain events, like speeches at the NPC
and news conferences by Congressional leaders, automatically receive
coverage." The site also details pre-conditions that an event must meet
to be selected for coverage:
1) The event should be of a public affairs nature.
2) The subject should be an issue of national importance.
3) Event should be selected to show balance between different
sides of a particular issue.
4) Speakers participating should be closely related to the topic under
discussion.
Initial reaction was positive; "this is very interesting,
something we want to consider" said Rob Harleston, Assignment Editor, a
sentiment echoed by Karen Gaither, another assignment editor. They
requested that we keep them updated on any new developments and
confirmations.
Friday was D-Day. The editorial/camera shoot committee
met Friday afternoon after a few last minute calls to Tom requesting
updates as to panelists and other media coverage, still expressing
enthusiasm. Tom and co-chair Kyle F. Hence expeditiously dispatched
confirmation updates and a detailed minute by minute agenda and timeline
of presentation -- clearly indicating that positive momentum and
significant >interest was building for the event.
We were particularly
pleased that representatives from the group organizing the June 11th
Rally on Capital Hill (Families of September 11th) were planning on
attending our conference and offering their own questions to our 9/11
investigative panel.
We now felt the people and the press were eager to
hear the unaddressed issues and unanswered questions to be raised at our
Monday event. And we felt somewhat confident based on their expressed
interest that they would at the very least tape the show for a later
broadcast given our focus on key issues with regard to the pubic safety.
But we were wrong!
Tom called C-SPAN at 5:30 pm to inquire about
their TV coverage decision. He learned they had decided NOT to cover
Monday's Unanswered Questions press event. They have instead scheduled
detailed coverage of Bush Administration officials (VP Cheney, Homeland
Security Director Tom Ridge) and others promoting President Bush's new
plan to centralize major national and domestic security and border
agencies under the auspices of one government official -- administration
events all afternoon.
Tom offered this response to his contact Ms.
Gaither. He said, "C-SPAN has fallen for the Administration's 'damage
control' and their effort to keep the FBI whistleblowers and the real,
unanswered questions totally off the radar screen." "We are standing by
our decision to cover Bush Administration events," Ms. Gaithor said,
adding "I could not persuade the other editors to cover your program." C-SPAN's bias toward airing the Homeland Defense restructuring issue is
part of an ongoing diversion and reticence to address gross government
failures and negligence surrounding 9-11, without responding to the
general public call for full accountability.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
If you
feel that the American people, and especially the family members who lost
loved ones, deserve real answers, open investigations, and access to
secret government documents; we are urging you to do the following:
1) Between 8AM and 2PM on Monday take a half hour to an hour to phone (most
important), fax and email C-SPAN asking them why they are refusing any
coverage or taping of such critically important subject matter. (If the
phone is continually busy, that means others share >your outrage and
concern.)
2) Send an email and a fax if you have access to a fax
machine. Please be courteous and concise in expressing your views.
KEY POINTS TO CONSIDER IN EXPRESSING YOUR VIEWS:
C-SPAN's website says that
their editorial staff strives for balance. Why are they ignoring a press
event at the easily accessible and prestigious National Press Club -- one
that will cover key questions and critical information thus far not
addressed by our national leaders? These issues include air defense and
airport security failures, profits from pre-attack insider trading,
anthrax attacks, encroachment on guaranteed constitutional rights, and
the withholding of secret document, etc.
C-SPAN is refusing any
coverage or taping of the press event on these 9-11 issues even though
two of the three C-SPAN channels became open with no required
congressional programming since the House of >Representatives is not even
in session on Monday afternoon.
Please urge C-SPAN to reconsider their
decision and send a team to videotape the conference to be sure that
substantive 9/11 issues, new information important questions are fully
addressed that help build a case for a full and independent
investigation.
KEY CONTACTS AND EDITORIAL STAFF MEMBERS:
Main
number: 202-737-3220
Assignment editor: 202-626-7965 (Rob Harleston)
Assignment editor: 202-626-7965 (Ellen Schweiger) Fax number:
202-737-6226
Viewer services: 765-464-3080
dceditor@c-span.org (Rob
Harleston, Assignment Editor)
congress@c-span.org (Karen Gaither,
Assignment Editor)
journal@c-span.org (producers of Washington Journal, shown daily)
viewer@c-span.org, events@c-span.org (C-SPAN established
venue to suggest a public event - polling email address)
radio@c-span.org (C-SPAN radio)
We are disappointed that C-SPAN has chosen not to cover unanswered questions, un-addressed issues, and hidden information
pertinent to public safety and national security. However, we are hoping that the response of many Americans willing to phone, fax and email
C-SPAN will convince them to reconsider their position and cover our
event so many >others will have the benefit of evaluating previously
un-addressed issues.
The goal of our event is to raise glaringly
obvious and disturbing questions that remain unanswered in the wake of
9/11. In its prejudiced decision not to cover this important event,
C-SPAN is in effect taking our money (taxpayer cable-funded fees) and
using it against us to deny public access to legitimate and credible
inquiry regarding issues of paramount importance to the public safety and national security.
If we should fail in our attempt to have C-SPAN
reconsider, we will call on concerned citizens and victim families to
take the initiative to research civil procedure regarding C-SPAN‘s
actions.
While UnansweredQuestions can play a minor role in this effort,
it will remain true to its primary goal of galvanizing the public's call
for answers and full accountability with regard to the events and issues surrounding September 11th.
C-SPAN IS TOO IMPORTANT A NATIONAL
TREASURE AND MEDIA ASSET FOR US TO
IGNORE THIS UNFAIRLY BIASED EDITORIAL
DECISION.
Look for audio archive and transcript at our site
(www.unansweredquestions.org) by the end of the week.
Thank you for your interest and support,
Sincerely,
Tom Flocco: tomflocco@cs.com
Kyle F. Hence: kylehence@earthlink.net
Catherine Austin Fitts:
catherine@solari.com
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