Sinclair says it won't air complete documentary

After days of political outcry and advertiser cancellations, Sinclair Broadcast Group said late yesterday that it won't be airing the John Kerry-bashing documentary "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal" (SH:WTNH) in its entirety - - and never said it was going to. Instead, Sinclair says it will be airing a one-hour documentary entitled "A POW Story: Politics, Pressure and the Media," a news special which will discuss allegations about Sen. Kerry's anti-Vietnam War activies that are raised by POWs in the SH:WTNH documentary, but in the larger context of a "broader discussion." The program, to air on 40 of Sinclair's 62 stations (one per market) this Friday, will be hosted by Jeff Barnd, co-anchor of the "Fox 45 10:00 News" on Sinclair's flagship WBFF-TV Baltimore.

"As with all news programming produced by Sinclair's News Central, `A POW Story' is being produced with the highest journalistic standards and integrity. We have not ceded, and will not in the future cede, control of our news reporting to any outside organization or political group. We are endeavoring, as we do with all of our news coverage, to present both sides of the issues covered in an equal and impartial manner," said Joe DeFeo, Sinclair's Vice President of News.

Sinclair said it has been negotiating with the Kerry campaign for about two weeks, seeking to have Kerry or his designee participate in the program. The company says it will still make every effort right up to the air date to include Kerry, "should he become willing to present his viewpoint for Sinclair's audience."

Sinclair CEO David Smith issued this statement: "The experience of preparing to air this news special has been trying for many of those involved. The company and many of its executives have endured personal attacks of the vilest nature, as well as calls on our advertisers and our viewers to boycott our stations and on our shareholders to sell their stock. In addition, and more shockingly, we have received threats of retribution from a member of Senator John Kerry's campaign and have seen attempts by leading members of Congress to influence the Federal Communications Commission to stop Sinclair from broadcasting this news special. Moreover, these coordinated attacks have occurred without regard to the facts since they predated the broadcast of our news special. We cannot in a free America yield to the misguided attempts by a small but vocal minority to influence behavior and trample on the First Amendment rights of those with whom they might not agree. I have been encouraged, however, by the thousands of e-mails and other messages I, and others, received supporting Sinclair's efforts to hold firm to its ideals in the face of a firestorm of controversy which, ironically, was actually based on misinformation. We also took comfort in the positions of other media organizations which supported our right to present this story notwithstanding any disagreement they may have with the content, as well as in the words of Michael Powell, Chairman of the FCC, who refused to block the program, noting that to do so would be 'unconstitutional' and 'an absolute disservice to the First Amendment.'"

Here is a list of the stations which will carry "A POW Story."

Baltimore	WBFF	Friday 10/22	8PM
Birmingham	WTTO	Friday 10/22	7PM
Buffalo	WUTV	Friday- 10/22	8PM
Cedar Rapids	KGAN	Friday 10/22	7PM
Champaign, IL	WICD	Friday 10/22	7PM
Charleston, SC	WMMP	Friday 10/22	8PM
Charleston, WV	WCHS	Friday 10/22	8PM
Cincinnati	WSTR	Friday 10/22	8PM
Columbus	WSYX	Friday 10/22	8PM
Dayton	WKEF	Friday 10/22	8PM
Des Moines	KDSM	Friday 10/22	7PM
Flint	WSMH	Friday 10/22	8PM
Greensboro	WXLV	Friday 10/22	8PM
Greenville/Asheville	WLOS	Friday 10/22	8PM
Kansas City	KSMO	Friday 10/22	7PM
Las Vegas	KVWB	Friday 10/22	8PM
Lexington	WDKY	Friday-10/22	8PM
Madison	WMSN	Friday-10/22	7PM
Milwaukee	WVTV	Friday-10/22	7PM
Minneapolis	KMWB	Friday-10/22	7PM
Nashville	WZTV	Friday 10/22	7PM
Norfolk	WTVZ	Friday 10/22	8PM
Oklahoma City	KOKH	Friday 10/22	7PM
Paducah	KBSI	Friday 10/22	7PM
Pensacola/Mobile	WEAR	Friday 10/22	7PM
Peoria	WYZZ	Friday 10/22	7PM
Pittsburgh	WPGH	Friday-10/22	8PM
Portland	WGME	Friday 10/22	8PM
Raleigh	WLFL	Friday 10/22	8PM
Richmond	WRLH	Friday-10/22	8PM
Rochester	WUHF	Friday 10/22	8PM
Sacramento	KOVR	Friday 10/22	7PM
St. Louis	KDNL	Friday 10/22	7PM
San Antonio	KABB	Friday 10/22	7PM
Springfield, MA	WGGB	Friday 10/22	8PM
Springfield, IL	WICS	Friday 10/22	7PM
Syracuse	WSYT	Friday 10/22	8PM
Tallahassee	WTWC	Friday 10/22	8PM
Tampa	WTTA	Friday 10/22	8PM
Tri Cities	WEMT	Friday 10/22	8PM