Censorship
Oct 17th, 2005 at 2:05 pm by Susie
Again, I am so surprised!
Armed Forces Radio (AFR) is a station that is broadcast to American troops overseas through “over 1,000 outlets in more than 175 countries.” It currently features an hour of programming from right-wing host Rush Limbaugh. There was no comparable progressive program.
Today, that was supposed to change. Ed Shultz – the most popular progressive radio show in the country — was supposed to start broadcasting on Armed Forces radio. Jones Radio, the company that syndicates the Ed Shultz show, received an email on September 29 from an Armed Forces Radio official confirming that one hour of the Ed Shultz show would begin airing today, October 17.
But morning this at 6AM, the producer of the Ed Shultz show, James Holm, received a call from Pentagon communications aide Allison Barber. She told Holm that she was calling so early to let Shultz know his show would not begin airing on AFR today. You’ll remember Barber as the aide caught coaching troops before a photo-op with President Bush last week.
Barber told Holm that the Ed Shultz show would not start on AFR today because her boss, Pentagon spokesman Larry DiRita, was out of the country and couldn’t approve it. Barber also said she was going out of the country soon for a week-and-a-half. Holm asked Barber if the show would begin when DiRita and Barber returned. Barber said she couldn’t guarantee that.
Here’s the really interesting part. Barber told Holm she heard Ed announced that he would begin on AFR during his show Friday. Shultz’s show Friday began with audio outtakes of Barber sounding foolish as she rehearsed the troops “Q&A session” with Bush.
That’s beautiful. Poor Barber! I feel so sorry for her.
I also just learned last night that the female soldier at the teleconference was a flack from Public Affairs rather than an on-ground soldier. I wrote a post about that here: http://www.thenextleft.com/blogatory/archives/2005/10/corine_lombardo.html
Based on this Village Voice article:
http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/bushbeat/archive/001948.php
I really don’t think the telconference could have backfired any more than it did… Maybe if Rove hadn’t been so busy preparing for his Fitzgerald appearance the next day…
Military Yanks Ed Schultz Show From Debut On Armed Forces Radio
The military has pulled The Ed Schultz Show from its planned debute on Armed Forces Radio today.
Note that earlier today this site ran this exclusive
I guess the words ‘vindictive bitch’ fail, at this point — but there’s no other leftist talk show host I’d like to see this happen to. Shultz has been an apologist for the government and the military, and considers much of left-wing talk radio (e.g. Air America) to be too left-wing.
Let him see what it feels like to be dissed, even when his centrist politics are supposedly palatable enough for military broadcasts.
Thee should be a lawsuit.
ACLU, are you listening?
I, too, find myself sometimes in disagreement with Big Ed. I don’t consider him a classic liberal but rather a prairie populist. And in spite of having areas of disagreement, I welcome to our side of the playing field.
If we apply too many litmus tests and look down our noses at the Costco Democrats then we are indeed guilty of the sort of elitism that the Limbucket and his ilk accuse us of. If we don’t embrace them then we’ll be a permanent political minority.
Another thing about Ed - he’s the only talk show host, (left, right or center) who really allows his callers to speak their mind and then responds to them, rather than using them as a set-up for their next rant. In other words, he welcomes dialogue over monologue, and so I’ve come to appreciate him more and more even if he prickles my skin from time to time.
“If we apply too many litmus tests and look down our noses at the Costco Democrats then we are indeed guilty of the sort of elitism that the Limbucket and his ilk accuse us of.”
Interestingly, Costco is a Blue company that contributes predominantly to Demo candidates.
Amazon, another Seattle-headquartered firm, is quite the opposite.
Bush Admin Allows Only Rush For Military Radio
Progressive talk-radio host Ed Schultz was supposed to be broadcast over the Armed Forces Radio Network beginning today. This is important because until now only Rush Limbaugh has been allowed for military ears. I was listening to his show today,…