60 Minutes Report On Rove’s Dirty Politics Blocked In Parts Of Alabama
60 Minutes Report On Rove’s Dirty Politics Blocked In Parts Of Alabama
Last night, CBS’s 60 Minutes aired its long-awaited report on Alabama’s incarcerated former governor Don Siegelman, featuring allegations that Karl Rove personally told a Republican operative in the state to find evidence that Siegelman was cheating on his wife.
Siegelman, a Democrat, was convicted in 2006 for conspiracy, bribery and fraud. But observers from all sides of the political spectrum are now questioning whether his prosecution “was pursued not because of a crime but because of politics.”
Watch the report:
Though the report aired last night, it was not seen by everyone who may have wished to view it. In several Alabama locations, “the show was blocked - black screen - during the Siegelman segment of 60 Minutes only.” Harper’s Scott Horton, who has investigated the Siegelman prosecution and was interviewed for the segment, reports:
I am now hearing from readers all across Northern Alabama–from Decatur to Huntsville and considerably on down–that a mysterious “service interruption” blocked the broadcast of only the Siegelman segment of 60 Minutes this evening. The broadcaster is Channel 19 WHNT, which serves Northern Alabama and Southern Tennessee.
WHNT originally claimed last night that the blocked segment was due to “a techincal(sic) problem with CBS out of New York.” But that claim was contradicted by CBS in New York, who told Horton, that “there is no delicate way to put this: the WHNT claim is not true. There were no transmission difficulties. The problems were peculiar to Channel 19.”
WHNT now has a different explanation on its website:
NewsChannel 19 lost our program feed from CBS. Upon investigation, WHNT has learned that the CBS receiver that allows us to receive programming from CBS failed. WHNT engineers responded as quickly as possible to restore the feed at 6:12 p.m.
WHNT says it “will re-air the broadcast of that segment.”
UPDATE: A CBS spokesman brushed off concern about the blackout, telling the New York Times’s Lede blog that it just “an affiliate issue.”
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Since the FCC will never pull their license, ask CBS to drop the affiliate… WHNT either admit that you blocked the program and explain why or re-air it in prime-time…
February 25th, 2008 at 10:10 amThat’s a bonifide conspiracy right there.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:11 amus media = a big steamy pile of SHlT!
February 25th, 2008 at 10:11 amUpon investigation, WHNT has learned that the CBS receiver that allows us to receive programming from CBS failed.
They really expect people to believe that clap trap? Why did it only fail during the Siegelman segment? Congress should demand an investigation into this and the FCC should consider pulling their license. But, it’s not going to happen as long as the Bush Crime Family is in charge.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:11 amCensorship Pravda style…who is WHNT’s program director Baghdad Bob or Dick Cheney?
February 25th, 2008 at 10:12 amThat’s pretty frickin bold blacking out programming for propaganda purposes. Jesus Christ what in the Hell have these Republicans done!!!
Everyday it gets worse. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse it does.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:12 amWelcome to Communist America brought to you by Christianity and the Republican party.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:16 amThe replay has been scheduled to co-incide with the next super bowl.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:16 amWelcome to the world of George Orwell.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:17 amBULLSHIT.
Most feeds are downloaded HOURS before broadcast.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:19 amGeorge w. Bush and Joseph Stalin both took political prisoners.
-GSD
February 25th, 2008 at 10:23 amComing from Alabama no less.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:25 amDear CBS; The truth shall set you free.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:25 amHey! Alabamans!
These folks think you a bunch of dumbass hillbillies who wouln’t know a black screen from your ass. Are you going to let them get away with this?
Hello?
February 25th, 2008 at 10:26 amscytherius; The GOP is fascist- not communist.
fixed it for you.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:27 amHere’s what they say today:
WHNT-TV/NewsChannel 19 experienced technical difficulties last night at the beginning of 60 Minutes, as a special investigative report called “The Prosecution of Don Siegelman” was airing. We re-broadcast the entire piece Sunday on NewsChannel 19 at 10:00. If you missed it, you can watch it on WHNT.com.
Seems like a non-story.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:27 amSo did Saddam and a whole slew of dictators.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:27 amThe odds of loosing the feed during that segment are about 1 in 2,500,000.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:27 am60 Minutes has met Pravda.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:28 amThere is a BIG story here. Who gave the order to censor the broadcast… who gave him that order?
The FCC used to have rules about dead airtime, there used to be a maximum time (around 30 seconds I think) that you were allowed dead airtime… did they notify the FCC they where off the air… if so they had to file a phony report. Expect that to covered up…
Follow the censorship and it will lead to the Whitehouse (duh)…
February 25th, 2008 at 10:29 amThis was far too convenient to believe. Anyone who believes the lame (and changing) excuses needs a reality check.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:32 amThe 6th point of the 14 Points of Fascism:
6. A controlled mass media
Under some of the regimes, the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line. Other regimes exercised more subtle power to ensure media orthodoxy. Methods included the control of licensing and access to resources, economic pressure, appeals to patriotism, and implied threats. The leaders of the mass media were often politically compatible with the power elite. The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes’ excesses.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:38 amI remember Walter Cronkite was blacked out during a news segment (I think it was during Reagan’s election eve returns). Reagan had been declared the winner despite the fact that polls on the West Coast were still open and had hours to go. I’ve been trying to find a link to that info, but am out of time. Anyone else?
February 25th, 2008 at 10:39 amThe USSA is a wonderful place, is it not, comrades?
February 25th, 2008 at 10:45 amThe Apathetic American must wake up. We’ve lost the country we knew and loved.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:48 amNobody but we can get it back.
Amazing that “they” think they can get away with this crap in these days of the Internet & YouTube, plus the CBS web site too.
WHNT has made it a bigger story by blocking it and for once, 3 cheers to CBS in NYC for not going along with the “excuse,” and defying the pressure not to pursue the story.
This time the insult to people’s intelligence didn’t work! ‘Course they’ll probably rebroadcast it at 2 AM!
This is proof that Shining a Light on things sends the roaches scurrying for cover.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:48 am12 warning signs of fascism:
#8 Media controlled.
#4 Secrecy demanded
#10 Intellectual bullying.
Looks like we got three of them for the price of one here.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:50 amI couldn’t care less WHY the investigation was done. If you’ve got proof the evidence was wrong or manufactured, I want to hear about it. Otherwise STFU. The guy was a crook, End of story.
As for CBS, stop going all tin-foil-hat all the time. They’re going to re-air the broadcast. Sometimes, they aren’t evil, just idiots.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:53 amGov. Reilly did good but now the people will want to see the show they missed more then before. What CBS forgot was that Judge Fuller is on the take and was given a Government contract for his personal company for 21 Million dollars just to make sure Siegelman was found guilty and taken to jail in chains. Siegelman had the corrupt system stacked against him. The US Attorney is under investigation for lying under oath in other cases, Judge on the take and Karl Rove plan involves more then this case. More fake charges have been done by this Administration and they lined up corrupt Judges to finish the job.
Now Americans know we have no Justice System with corrupt Judges, US Attorneys and now a replacement Attorney General who is a crook and liar.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:56 amIt doesn’t really matter when you re-air the segment. If you don’t advertise it well the people who view 60 minutes will never know. This is a successful dirty trick. Many viewers of the program will never hear about or remember to watch the re-broadcast. Many viewers will not know how to or think to check the Internet for the segment. They would simply have changed the channel when the station went black and not thought much of it.
I would urge the other stations in the market to get the word out to their viewers about this fiasco. Let them know that their local CBS affiliate is censoring the news. If they’re willing to censor a national CBS broadcast, you can just imagine the games they’re playing in their own newsroom.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:56 amFor those of you missed seeing this, a Republican ‘Strategist’, openly admitted that Rove asked her to do dirty deeds on two occasions.
Let’s see, with those 2, we now have a grand total of 666 impeachable offenses.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:56 amSabotage maybe?
It is conceivable some redneck GOP hack interfered with the transmission.
A call from Karl Rove perhaps? :)
February 25th, 2008 at 10:57 amComment by swordsbane — February 25, 2008 @ 10:53 am
Uh oh… a psuedo-tough guy here…
February 25th, 2008 at 10:59 amWHNT has made it a bigger story by blocking it…
Comment by Shinning Light — February 25, 2008 @ 10:48 am
Yes, they did!!!
February 25th, 2008 at 11:01 amI’ve been trying to find a link to that info, but am out of time. Anyone else?
Comment by impeachcheneythenbush — February 25, 2008 @ 10:39 am
Can’t help you with a link, but I remember the election vividly. I lived in California at the time, and I heard on the radio after work (literally as I was on my way to the polls to vote) that Jimmy Carter had conceded.
Even though Cronkite may have been blacked out, it didn’t shield us from what was going on in the rest of the country.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:01 amAlabama is a third world country somewhere near another third world country called Mississippi.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:01 amI’ve worked in local television for over 20 years(so of that in Alabama). I can’t tell you what happen last night at WHNT, but I can tell you that:
1) Every affiliate has at least two “paths” to receive their network feed.
2) Network feeds are live. They are not “downloaded” earlier.
3) You do not have to report dead air to the FCC. However, it must be noted on that day’s programming log.
4) This is not grounds to lose a broadcast license. Will not even warrant a fine.
5) This is sweeps. No station wants to go off the air during ratings, not even for a second.
5) The people who work in stations’ master control, especially in H’ville, aren’t people who you would trust to keep a secret. Generally, they are low-paid, enty-level positions who spend their time in dark rooms with little or no contact with the rest of the station. When they do interact with other employees, they tend to be very chatty. No way they could have pulled this off and kept it to themselves.
6)The New York Times owes this station in the 84 market. Will they cover this?
I’d be more suspicious if this was the B’ham CBS Affiliate, WIAT. They are owned by Media General and they are in the 40th market in the country.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:02 amGet more info on TV stations and TV markets here: http://www.stationindex.com/tv/
February 25th, 2008 at 11:04 amI predicted this on the other Siegelman thread and I’m no rocket scientist.
I think we all knew it was coming, we just didn’t want to believe it. The CBS affiliate should be forced replay the segment over and over from 7pm to 8pm every night of the week for an entire week.
Oh, and they MUST ADVERTISE it heavily (with their own funds).
Pipe dream, I know but it would excellent compensation.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:05 am2) Network feeds are live. They are not “downloaded†earlier.
So only syndicated shows are downloaded earlier? Seems odd. Was working for local Fox affiliate years ago and we watched the Simpson’s early every Sunday (right after it had been “fed” i.e. downloaded) before it aired that nite.
Why is 60 minutes any different?
February 25th, 2008 at 11:10 amBarfly indicates the usual passive and compliant attitude that is necessary for fascism to flourish. First, the chances of a technical difficulty that just happens to coincide with such a politically charged story and that only impacts that one story (and just for the length that story) is highly unlikely. Second, the shifting story as to what caused the service outage shifts after CBS denies that they were responsible for the drop on the feed. Third, the station could have shifted the segment to the end and continued with programing delayed by the length of the rebroadcast thus keeping it in prime time. Fourth, a 10 PM showing just does not get the same exposure and we all know it.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:10 amWHNT is owned by Oak Hill Capital Partners which in turn was founded by Robert M Bass, a personal friend of George W and the Bush family. Such an amazing coincidence, don’t you agree?
February 25th, 2008 at 11:11 amFALSIFIED RECORDS:
The TV station will have to have filed falsified records on the outage with the FCC. These records may be publicly viewable:
Here is the reporting requirement:
B. STATION LOGS/RECORDS:
STATION LOGS include entries pertaining to equipment status, equipment calibration, the Emergency Alert
System (EAS) and, when applicable, the recording of tower light outages. STATION RECORDS include, but are
not limited to chief operator designations and equipment performance measurements.
The station logs and records are to be kept in an orderly and legible manner, in suitable form and with sufficient
detail. Station logs and records are to be retained for a period of two years, unless specified otherwise, and
they shall be made available for inspection or duplication at the request of the FCC or its representatives.
Required logs and records are to be readily available for inspection. [See 73.1225, 73.1226, 73.1590, 73.1800,
73.1820 and 73.1840]
Follow the coverup… all the way the FCC that will look the other way…
February 25th, 2008 at 11:12 amIn the B’ham overnight ratings, 60 minutes only did 6.5 rating, which is about 45,000 households out of 750,000. So, not many people were watching in Alabama anyway. Barbara Wa Wa, on the other hand, did 9.1 and, of course, Racin’ did an 11 rating on Fox.
In short, the people of Alabama didn’t much care to begin with. Left turns were interesting.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:17 amSometimes, they aren’t evil, just idiots.
Comment by swordsbane — February 25, 2008 @ 10:53 am
unless they’re republicans, then they’re evil idiots.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:31 amI don’t know MediaGuy, 45,000 households sounds significant to me. What were the ratings for 10PM when they replayed the lost segment?
February 25th, 2008 at 11:34 amAlabama - “People need a passport to come down here”.
Heh.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:37 amResponse to Comment 43:
I
We see the usual line of retreat by conservative fascists. First comes the lies that places responsibility on CBS. CBS calls them on the lie. Second comes the new excuse that this one accident was a technical glitch on the part of the station (a station founded by a personal friend of the Bush family.) Last comes the - it does not matter because the program was not that popular in Alabama.
I do not subscribe to large conspiracy theories. However, I do believe that this is just another indication of the lack of moral values on the part of Republicans and conservatives. “Those people” always take this “ends justify the means” attitude. A story that may cast the Republicans in a bad light - a friend of the family will squelch it, lie about it and in the end make lite of it. This is why the Republican party has become the party of cronyism, corruption and incompetence. Right no longer matters. It is a mafia family that has its own rules.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:44 amThere is an outstanding post on this subject by Scott Horton. Others may have already referenced this, but it’s worth noting again. This is a must-read.
http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/02/hbc-90002487
February 25th, 2008 at 11:56 amMediaGuy has the in to what went on…
get a call into the station during the overnight shift, talk to the poor maintenance guy… theses people are all under paid and over worked… see if you can get someone to make a copy of the on air log and whose signature is on it.
These on air logs are going to have to be falsified, and whomever’s name appears on it is in the hot seat…
February 25th, 2008 at 11:59 amThis is a dirty trick that could backfire on them if the buzz makes this story go mainline national. Otherwise, they have succeeded in keeping information from thousands of the most in need to know. I’m curious about early reports I read that included outages in fl al and tn. That’s quite a span for one station. Conspiracy anyone?
February 25th, 2008 at 12:03 pmComment by MediaGuy — February 25, 2008 @ 11:17 am
A typical diversion consisting of boilerplate speak and lies, this one’s intention is to cover the usual truth: Right-wing censorship.
Yet we’ll continue to hear moaning about “THE LIBRUL MEDIA”.
February 25th, 2008 at 12:07 pmI couldn’t care less WHY the investigation was done. If you’ve got proof the evidence was wrong or manufactured, I want to hear about it. Otherwise STFU. The guy was a crook, End of story.
As for CBS, stop going all tin-foil-hat all the time. They’re going to re-air the broadcast. Sometimes, they aren’t evil, just idiots.
Comment by swordsbane — February 25, 2008 @ 10:53 am
If you’d watched the segment you would know the guy was NOT a crook. He didn’t put a penny in his pocket. And if you read this thread you would see that CBS is not reairing it, they’re telling people to go online to watch it. Maybe you should just STFU until you get some reading comprehension.
February 25th, 2008 at 12:23 pmThe South is heavily saturated with Reichwing Propaganda, the radio, the TV, billboards, newspapers, churches, it is all geared towards Reichwing Fascist Newspeak, the republican’ts know that when you have a generally bigoted, hateful, ignorant populace you can tell them what they want to hear and they will support it.
The last time our company hired a Southerner he did not last long at all, he kept using the “N” word and wondered why we would get upset with him, needless to say he didn’t last a week.
Just glad I live in a very progressive city, Seattle, which happens to have the highest educated populace in the nation, go figure.
Buck Fush
February 25th, 2008 at 12:39 pmBTW, should anyone go to the stationindex link above and discover WHNT is reputedly owned by the New York Times, I would just like to point out that the times sold all their stations back in Jan 07. You’d think a year would be sufficient time to update their records.
February 25th, 2008 at 12:42 pmIt seems that even the mere mention of the Bush administration is enough to cause incompetence these days.
February 25th, 2008 at 12:46 pmCBS WILL RUN THE STORY AGAIN IF THERE IS ENOUGH POSITIVE RESPONSE…
DO YOUR PART. EMAIL THEM!!!!!!!!!!
60m@cbsnews.com
February 25th, 2008 at 1:05 pmThis is a big story and it appears that the guy was NOT a crook. This concerns illegal DOJ intervention into state elections, it concerns the White House intervention in trying to force CBS into not running the story, it concerns censorship in the highest form and most importantly it concerns Karl Rove’s hand in masterminding stealing elections. If anyone thinks Rove is gone from politics think again. Go read Raw Story’s investigative reporting, it is top notch.
February 25th, 2008 at 1:12 pmFrom Raw Story…
Just prior to Simpson’s Congressional testimony, her house was burned down and she was once driven off the road in Alabama.
“I don’t feel safe,†Simpson added this morning.
February 25th, 2008 at 1:19 pmComments 14 & 25: You are absolutely correct. These criminals think we are a bunch of gullible morons that will happily accept whatever lies they throw out. Hell, this strategy worked for the past 7 years didn’t it? I hate to say this but I am not sure the USA can ever get its country back - too much damage has been done. The internet is proving to be an important tool, however, in this election. We can all still see and discuss what is really happening without being censored - yet.
February 25th, 2008 at 1:25 pmI have a feeling that the censorship of 60 Minutes, the harrassment of Simpson, and everything else having to do with this whole sordid case will eventually be made into a Movie of the Week.
Which will be broadcast everywhere except Alabama, of course…
February 25th, 2008 at 2:10 pmThe censorship Saddam had was far less dangerous than the insidious variety creeping into America. It’s not government censorship, per se, but rather financial de facto censorship, bought and paid for by the same elites that have enjoyed eight years of tax cuts. Any reporter who stands up for the truth risks his career and being blackballed. This is scary stuff.
February 25th, 2008 at 4:31 pmHere’s justice, GOP-style: “Scooter” Libby, who outed a CIA operative, an act of treason against his country, gets instant clemency, while Gov. Seigelman gets seven years on this flimsy, trumped-up bribary charge!
To heap insult on injury, Rove and his pack of sllimeballs thumb their noses at a Congressional summons!
I hope CBS shows this episode again and again until every American has seen it. Anyone considering him- or herself a real patriot should be OUTRAGED! We can’t get rid of these pigs soon enough!
Naturally, this did not appear in full down in Alabama. The local affiliates decided that it wouldn’t be wise to air this program. This is an election year and they are clammoring for the advertising dollars from any and all campaigns.
This happened here in Massachusetts when Ted Koppel read the names of all the service members who were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The local ABC affiliate refused to air it in Springfield, Ma., (they were taking orders from Sinclair Broadcasting) but the station in New Haven (Channel 8) did air it. Guess what, Channel 8 in Northern Connecticut and Springfield is no longer on the air.
Also, Sen. Jeff Sessions is up to his ass in this case along with the rest of the usual suspects. Guess who is up this year for reelection?….Jeff Sessions.
February 25th, 2008 at 4:39 pmI feel this situation is similar to what has happened to Bernie Ward who was fired from KGO Dec. ‘07 for child porn allegations.
February 25th, 2008 at 5:18 pmRecently the online chat conversation was published which led to Bernie’s arrest…. a conversation in which Bernie claimed he had desires towards his own children - adding further doubt about Bernie.
Bernie’s trial will be June 10 and I am sure he will be cleared of intent as the following will be revealed:
1. Bernie was writing a book on hypocrisy - that evidence was seized upon the raid of Bernie’s home in 2004.
2. The only evidence found as I can see so far IS the conversation in sex chat and exchanged images of child porn during the time period he was busted in Dec. ‘04. There was not a hint of child exploitation elsewhere or during any other period of time.
3. Bernie has had his kids on the show many times… well adjusted kids who adore their father. And I would imagine the thought of Bernie having improper thoughts towards his kids is a joke in their household right now.
4. Since when do those that engage in adult sex chat also exploit children? Very different behaviors.
5. Involvement in child porn is an obsessive compulsive behavior. If Bernie was truly involved in exploiting child, we would see more..after all Bernie is 57 years old.
6. Bernie’s wife is a pediatrician… she would have connected the dots by now if Bernie had been into child exploitation and left him.
5. If Bernie was such a threat to society, why was he allowed to be free in the years of 2005, 2006 and to the end of 2007?
7. I feel politically the powers that be wanted to shut him up. Bernie was/is THE best in showing all sides of our health care system, as his wife is a physician and THE best in supporting single payer health care.
The only possibly justifiable reason I can think of for doing this (and I rather doubt it, although I might hope) is that they did not want to be accused of tainting the jury pool when they bring charges against these political hacks. Too much to wish for?
February 25th, 2008 at 6:00 pmTake it Back in 2008!
Nancy Pelosi is standing in the way of a full investigation into the crimes of the Bush/Cheney administration. She will not allow impeachment hearing to take place.
Please sign the petition to replace Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House. It is Constitutional and can be done during session. In fact the rule was written for just such an occasion; the removal of a complicit Speaker to advance the impeachment of a rogue administration.
http://www.petitiononline.com/everyman/petition.html
February 25th, 2008 at 11:00 pmWhy is a faux Republican in Arizona complaining about Sleazy-man anyway, and has anyone even bothered to consider that Siegelman MIGHT JUST BE GUILTY AS CHARGED AND CONVICTED?
I swear, he and Richard Scrushy are just like Dracula…stick a stake in them already and be done with it.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:25 pmWHAT I FIND FUNNY ABOUT THIS WHOLE STORY IS THE FACT THAT THE NEW YORK TIMES WROTE A STORY DOGGING A TV STATION IT OWNED LESS THAN A YEAR AGO. THE COMPANY THAT OWES WHNT-TV19 NOW BOUGHT IT FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES LESS THAN A YEAR AGO. HOW DID THEY PLANT ALL THOSE REPUBLICANS IN THER SO FAST?? DOHH….
March 4th, 2008 at 3:23 pm