KNCT refuses to run PBS NOW on CD31 race

This is crazy. Last night, PBS NOW aired a show about the Iraq War and how people in CD31, where Fort Hood is, are affected by it. The show was largely about the starkly different positions on the war held by incumbent Congressman John Carter and Democratic challenger Mary Beth Harrell. I watched it last night - you can see streaming video at that PBS link above. And if you live in Central Texas, where this story takes place, that's the only way you'll be able to see it.

As documented by Al Stanley and Eye on Williamson, PBS affiliate KNCT in Central Texas refused to run NOW last night, claiming that since the Libertarian candidate was not featured, it could not present it. From Al Stanley's diary:

When Harrell's campaign called the station to ask why, a spokeswoman said that since the program did not give equal time to the Libertarian candidate, the station had been advised by attorneys that it could be sued if it aired the program.

A picture of the Libertarian candidate, Matt McAdoo, was shown briefly during the broadcast, but the focus of the program was the contrast between Carter's staunch support of the war and the fact that Harrell has enjoyed much acceptance in the Ft. Hood community despite questioning the war's premise and execution. The program posed the question, if this is happening in one of the country's reddest districts, what impact is the issue of the Iraq War going to have more broadly throughout the country.

Previously, a candidate forum that would have run on KNCT was cancelled because Carter refused to show up for it. This was not a candidate forum, however, but a news broadcast. EoW has an alternate explanation.

Despite the fact that almost all the PBS affiliates around the country found no problems with the broadcast, KNCT attorneys were concerned that the report failed to give equal time to the Libertarian candidate for Congress in Texas' 31st district.

A more believable explanation is developing that Carter, while at the Metroplex Health System's Gold Star Gala, told Central Texas College chancellor James R. Anderson to stop the broadcast. Both men attended the event on Thursday, one day before the PBS national broadcast. Central Texas College owns and operates KNCT, so the chancellor has the ability to make management decisions at the station.

Later, he got more information about KNCT's actions.

KNCT attorney Max Rudolph today told the Harrell campaign that no one from the station asked him for a legal opinion on the broadcast before deciding to cancel it. PBS attorney Josh Schwartzberg today said that the segment in last night's episode of NOW is a bona fide news interview program and, as such, is exempt from the equal opportunities requirement under Section 315(a)(2) of the Communications Act of 1934.

The excuse provided by KNCT is an outright lie. KNCT did not consult attorneys with their concerns about last night’s episode of NOW before deciding to cancel the broadcast. This was a simple act of censorship by Dr. Anderson for Rep. John Carter. Carter's position on the House Appropriations committee puts him in a position to steer federal dollars toward Central Texas College. This is a craven act unbecoming of a member of Congress.

The Harrell campaign will hold a press conference outside the KNCT studio today at one PM to call for the show to be aired as it was supposed to have been. If you missed out, don't wait for the powers that be at KNCT to make up their minds. Watch the streaming video here and make up your own mind.

UPDATE: Just got the Harrell press release about the 1 PM conference. Click the More link to see it.

Democratic Congressional Nominee and Soldiers' Mom, Mary Beth Harrell, is calling a press conference today at 1:00 p.m. (CST), outside the KNCT-TV studio located on the Central Texas College Campus in Killeen, Texas to announce the action she will take against KNCT-TV for refusing to air the national news program NOW on November 3rd. Harrell will be joined by attorney Jerry Hebert, Executive Director of the Washington D.C. based organization Campaign Legal Center, and Libertarian Nominee Matt McAdoo.

The NOW program, "Sway the Course", focused on the Iraq Wars' impact on Ft. Hood, its surrounding communities and the local Congressional elections that are just days away. NOW Senior Correspondent, Maria Hinojosa, interviewed Congressman John Carter (R-Round Rock) and Democratic Congressional Challenger Mary Beth Harrell and featured a photo and quote from Libertarian Nominee Matt McAdoo. The program also included numerous interviews with local Ft. Hood community residents. Yet the Local PBS affiliate deliberately deprived the local community it serves the right to view the program.

PBS affiliates KWBU-TV, located on the Baylor University Campus in Waco, and KLRU-TV, located on the University of Texas Campus in Austin, did air the NOW program as did as all the PBS stations across the country.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Date: November 4, 2006
Time: 1:00 p.m. CST
Location: KNCT-TV Studio
Central Texas College Campus
6200 W. Central Texas Expressway
Building 109
Killeen, Texas 76541

Posted by Charles Kuffner on November 04, 2006 to Election 2006 | TrackBack