ABC, CBS ignored Democratic call for equal time to respond to Bush 9-11 sp

[helderheid]

ABC, CBS ignored Democratic call for equal time to respond to Bush 9-11 speech

http://mediamatters.org/items/200609130007

In reporting on the political fallout from President Bush's campaign-style, nationally televised address on the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, ABC and CBS made no mention of the letter Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (NV) and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA) sent to the networks on September 12 asking that Democrats be allotted equal time on the airwaves to respond to Bush's speech. NBC was the sole broadcast network to report on Reid and Pelosi's letter, noting, on the September 12 broadcast of Nightly News, "Democratic leaders later released a letter to the television networks demanding equal time to respond to the president's address," and similarly, on the September 13 broadcast of Today, that Democrats "are now requesting equal time."

From the September 12 broadcast of NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams:

BRIAN WILLIAMS (anchor): Now to the political angle we mentioned at the top of the broadcast. It happened last night, the night of the fifth anniversary of 9-11, the president's speech was, in part, about Iraq. That means politics to many Democrats, who are now demanding equal time. David Gregory is at the White House for us tonight. David, good evening.

DAVID GREGORY (NBC News chief White House correspondent): Good evening, Brian. And in this national, prime-time address, the president called for putting aside our differences in this country. But no one, Republican or Democrat, is listening.

The White House previewed last night's address as the president's reflection on the nation's pain five years after 9-11. Quickly, however, it became prime-time political argument.

BUSH

[AX10]

1. K & R!

:kick:

[Alacrat]

2. Do you ever get the feeling, when Democrats talk,

The only people listening are other Democrats? Sometimes I wonder, The media are against us, bush has done everything possible to silence us, when we speak, we are called weak, or unpatriotic, cut and runners, etc. I know the majority of this is bush's doing, but sometimes I feel like the only people who care, are us. There is a certain percentage of the population who are Democrats, and now we are split, pro war, and anti war. I guess I feel like we as a party are preaching to the choir, nobody else is paying attention, or flat doest care.

[Jack Rabbit]

3. Bringing back the Fairness Doctrine is long overdue

They are all FoxNews now.