Local NBC affiliate censors Ron Paul Jay Leno Interview!
Posted January 8th, 2008 by jonnyfrag
output
Posted for a friend that wrote this.
Paducah NBC TV affiliate sabotages Ron Paul appearance
Monday, January 7th 2307 Central time WPSD-TV NBC affiliate Paducah, Kentucky
The apparent deliberate sabotage by WPD_TV occurred just a few minutes into the Ron Paul guest appearance on the Monday night NBC Jay Leno Program. Jay Leno had just remarked that the fact that Dr. Paul had been excluded by Fox was a major news story. He asked Dr. Paul why he thought that the news media didn't think it wasn't a news story. WPSD-TV ran a station promo, a reminder to send in Lion telethon pledges featuring Ball in the House. WPSD-TV then ran a NBC campaign coverage promo entitled Decision 08, followed by an IHOP commercial, and finished the approximate 2 minute break with a commercial for ASHLEY Furniture. It wasn't just one commercial, it was a complete break, which leads me to believe that it was fully intentional upon person or persons in WPSD-TV's master control. The break was not scheduled by either WPSD-TV, or, by the network.
Being in broadcast for many years, including television, I can only conclude that this was a deliberate attempt by one or more persons at WPSD-TV in Paducah, KY to interrupt the Ron Paul interview. It did not look accidental to me, however, even if it was; WPSD-TV has a responsibility to make it right.
I recorded the segment and would make it available to any and all who would like to see it and to make a determination of your own.
If you saw the trashed Ron Paul interview and would like to make your observations known, you may contact WPSD-TV the NBC affiliate in Paducah, KY by the following means. WPSD-TV could make partial amends by making announcement to the Ron Paul campaign, that they will air the Ron Paul interview on Jay Leno in its entirety on a specific date, and making it available as a download on their website. http//www.wpsdtv.com
You may wish to contact WPSD-TV and their advertisers, to encourage WPSD to make amends to Dr. Ron Paul and his supporters.
Feel free write letters to your local newspapers, call in on the Morning Jouranl on CSPAN, or, on local radio talk shows. Also, you may wish to post this information on any website, meet-up group, or, contact organization which might be interested in this affront to Dr. Paul, and his supporters in the southeast Missouri, western Kentucky, and southern Illinois region. If you wish to contact news media with a story about this incident, I would do my best to provide you or the media with background, including a copy of the errant commercial break.
PS I have heard that a similar thing has happened in Toledo Ohio. Please reply if you saw the same thing in Toledo or elsewhere.
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If this intentional or
If this intentional or unintentional, whathappened in kentucky and Georgia, where else did it happen I wonder?
Same happened here in St Louis
We had some bad weather lastnight and they interrupted the Ron Paul interview twice. So,... ok... yeah we had bad weather, but they ran a commercial after the weather update, and they did not interrupt the rest of the Tonight Show. Soooooo, makes you wonder don't it.
Same happened here in St. Louis
but I don't think it was intentional. KSDK TV are just plain idiots with the timing of their weather alerts. They are just plain idiots period. Not as bad as the Fox affiliate though :-)
I noticed that too
The second time they did it, they ran the local commercials, then did the weather update, then ran another ad, then went back to Jay Leno and Ron Paul. By then it was almost over.
Savannah Ga
I live in Savannah Ga were comcast is the cable company. Last night I went home to catch the Leno show after I got off of work and lo and behold they ran a re-run of a previous show, no Dr. Paul. Absolutley digusting! If this is not a wake up call to the people I dont know what is. The cable networks have layed there cards down and exposed their political bias. Take note remember and dont forget. This is going to be a long fought war against censorship and corporate facisim. Stay vigiliant.
please, don't just tell us...
call the station and speak with the General Manager or email if that's easier for you. Explain to the GM what happened and ask why? Get an answer. These affiliates have ALL signed contracts with the NBC Network to carry the Leno show. They are not permitted, under the contract, to mess with it individually. Network sells its ad time based on those shows being run when they promise the advertiser they will be run.
If you don't feel you've received a good explanation, inform them you will be contacted the Affiliate Relations Department at NBC in New York.
Please folks, if your station didn't run the normal show last night, don't just whine here, contact them. They are not permitted to do this without informing Network.
I got a reply from them... I'm impressed
Dear Mr. LeGrand,
WPSD NewsChannel 6 regrets the mistake that happened last night when a combination of human errors led to a commercial break airing during the Ron Paul interview on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
I have spent much of my morning speaking with my management staff the employees involved. Here are the facts:
1. WPSD broadcast a portion of candidate Ron Paul’s interview. There was NO censorship, the commercial break played because an employee entered the wrong time for the break in our automated server. A second employee, who should have caught the mistake, was not in the control room at the time. This compounded the error.
2. WPSD provided extensive coverage of Dr. Rand Paul (Ron’s son) when he held a campaign rally in Paducah on November 28, 2007. Please go to our web channel at http://www.wpsdtv.com and use the search at the top to find the Rand Paul news coverage.
3. WPSD has aired Mr. Paul’s previous appearances on NBC. The candidate appeared on Meet The Press December 23, 2007.
WPSD NewsChannel 6 has contacted NBC in an attempt to secure Mr. Paul’s interview during last night’s Tonight Show broadcast. Hopefully, we will be able to show the portion of the interview that was missed on a newscast this evening.
Respectfully,
Bill Evans
Vice President, News & Operations
WPSD-TV
270.415.1943
270.415.2020 (fax)
People get fired
for those sorts of "mistakes"!
I just have to wonder about (wonder about, not accuse) the employee who put in the wrong time for the commercial break. Any word from him/her?
The Tonight Show is mainstream, widely watched etc... not a show to pay hardly any attention to. You would think they would be extra careful??
And I'm guessing this was not their first time doing this task, probably has done it a whole lot, and the times aren't bound to change all the time.
Plus it is suspicious that other regions had similar problems. It's too bad, but if more & more of this stories crop up, it will just be more PR for RP! :)
We hammered Fox and I think this has something to do with it.
Fox advertisers got a bellyful over the forum exclusion. I like that we get on people in a hurry. Maybe they can watch out for us for a damn change.
T
good development
Let's make sure we deal very fairly with people. This really could be a screwup. If they make it right, then let's make sure they hear our thanks.
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Get active NOW to put Ron in the general election. ronpaul.meetup.com
I'm satisfied with the
I'm satisfied with the result.
Scared
Nice response because he is scared of the RP support wrath.
This should still be followed up and maybe force them to re-air the segment. It could turn into a useful newstory. The incident warrants it.
I hope they keep up the pressure. He should have to make a statement and not just send off a friendly email back to pacify us.
Not bad!
Nice that he took the time to respond and that he outlined what they claim happened as well. I know there will be many who will feel this was deliberate, so I hope this guy doesn't get slammed too harshly. Half the time we don't even get responses from these people :-)
As I thought...
I actually know Bill (not well, but friend of a friend) and he really does NOT seem to be the type of guy who would intentionally censor anyone even if he vehemently disagreed with them. I am confident that the station will do their best to remedy this.
Absolutely accidents happen
Broadcasting sure isn't always a smooth operation. That response sounds honest.
I am concerned, though, by the numerous reports on this thread, of that show not being run in other markets.
One possible reason is that with the strike going on, either:
1) some affiliates are refusing to air shows in which picket lines have been crossed
2) the local affiliate was told or thought that they were to continue to air reruns as the Leno show would not be taped due to the strike
If you recall, there was some confusion even here about whether yesterday's show was going to be a repeat or a new segment.
However, if any affiliate chose to not air Leno for any other stated reason, they have broken their contract with NBC and should be told that NBC will be contacted.
I am from Paducah
And although I've lived in Chicago the last 3 years, know many people who have/do work for WPSD, including both newscasters and some behind the scenes. I can only say that if it were intentional, I am VERY disappointed. That being said, it is in no way a major market and often times have people with little to no experience working production desks and technical control. This wouldn't be the first time that programming was interrupted for station id and commercials. It's happened during prime-time as well, including a particular incident in the height of the "Friends" craze when someone cut off a new episode for almost 15 minutes. They got a LOT of calls. I doubt it was intentional and encourage everyone to temper their complaints if they do decide to contact WPSD-TV.
Download or watch on internet
can not be accepted as an option any longer. We need the exposure on network TV to reach people who don't go to the internet. This act alone may look like an accident, but it is happening too many times.
Maybe it was sabotage but then again....
Maybe it was just some idiot who fell asllep at the wheel. If you pay attention, that kinda stuff does actually happen from time to time.
Remember,
Once is a fluke.
Twice is a co-incedence.
Three times is enemy action.
Does this station have a history of this?
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A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.
~Mahatma Gandhi
Youtube it
Put the recording you got and youtube it right away and post a link in this thread for sure. We all need to see how that station chopped up the program.
Heck
Heck, if they got to the part about Fox censoring Ron Paul, THEN it cut off. I bet everyone watching it (supporters or not) would be angry and just might go look WTF is up with this guy.. Who knows! This could be a good thing.
I agree!
All this attempted censorship seems to be working in favor of RP.
Have you
called the station? Informed NBC network affiliate relations? They are not, by contract, permitted to do that, so somebody at that station would be in serious hot water with network HQ over this.
Also, by law I believe, there is a time limit per hour of commercials permitted. If they inserted an additional break they may have violated that law by going overtime on their ad allotment.
I would call the station's general manager or his assistant, explain what happened, that you recorded it and ask for an explanation. If not sufficient, advise him/her that you will be contacting the Affiliate department at NBC HQ about this violation of Leno's program.
Regards
THIS ONE MAY QUALIFY............
as an FCC violation! The FOX issue had been discussed at length as a possible FCC violation wrt equal time, but this is a concorship violation and there may be a case. Opinions???
Liberty is not free, It must be earned!
My local affiliate out of
My local affiliate out of Spokane, Wa didn't show the Jay Leno show either. I had to watch it by You Tube
Another example...
What did they show in place of Leno? The affiliates have contracts with Network regarding these national shows. Affiliates cannot preempt the programs without a legitimate reason (a legitimate reason to Network). The Network sells ad time based on number of markets it is shown in, number of viewers, etc. Their ad rates are totally dependent on this.
If they replaced it with a special on local elections, that might be considered legit. If they replaced it with I Love Lucy reruns, they may have violated their contract. I would contact your local station's General Manager, ask for an explanation and inform the station that you will be contacting Affiliate Relations in NY over this.
Someone write Jay Leno asap!
Does anyone think our new friend Jay Leno might like to hear about this since the whole reason he had Dr. Paul on was because of this kind of thing?
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