Saturday, October 16, 2004
Kerry film stirs storm
LaRosa's pulls ads from Channel 64 on day of 'Stolen Honor'
By Gregory Korte and Cliff Peale
Enquirer staff writers
A Cincinnati television station is beginning to feel the heat from some viewers and advertisers upset about its parent company's plans to air a documentary that accuses Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry of being a "willing accomplice" to communist North Vietnam during the war.
At least one advertiser has pulled its ads - if only for one day - over Sinclair Broadcast Group's intention to air Stolen Honor at 9 p.m. Thursday on Channel 64.
Friday, the Federal Communications Commission turned down a request by 18 Democratic senators to intervene and censor the program - or at least to demand "equal time" for the Kerry campaign. Channel 64 WSTR is one of 62 Sinclair-owned stations airing the program on different days next week.
"This is not a local program or a local decision," said news manager Peter Janovas. He referred questions to station manager John Lawhead, who did not return a phone call.
Sinclair executives could not be reached. Calls to its Maryland headquarters are answered by a recording that calls the program a "special news event featuring the topic of Americans held as prisoners of war in Vietnam."
"No offense to Channel 64, because they're the tail that's being wagged here, but when's the last time they had a serious news program or news documentary?" said David P. Little, a Clifton activist and Democratic campaign manager who's leading a local protest. "Can you imagine the outcry if they ran Fahrenheit 9/11 a week before the election?"
Pete Buscani, executive vice president at LaRosa's Inc., said the pizzeria chain would not run ads on the day the movie is to air.
"Enough of our customers have told us they have concerns that I don't want to be on the station that day," Buscani said.
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E-mail gkorte@enquirer.com and cpeale@enquirer.com
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