THE MEDIACRACY

NBC CENSORS DIXIE CHICKS AD

DRUDGE REPORT - NBC and The CW Television Network have taken a stand
against the Dixie's Chicks new documentary "Shut Up & Sing" a
behind-the-scenes look at the incredible political and media fallout
that occurred in 2003 after the Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines
said that she was "ashamed the president of the United States is from
Texas." "Shut Up & Sing" opens in theaters in NY and Los Angeles on
Friday and in theaters nationwide on November 10th.

NBC responded to a clearance report submitted by the Weinstein Company's
media agency saying that the network "cannot accept these spots as they
are disparaging to President Bush."

The CW Television Network responded that it does "not have appropriate
programming in which to schedule this spot."

Famed litigator David Boies stated, "It is disappointing and troubling
that NBC and The CW would refuse to accept an otherwise appropriate ad
merely because it is critical of President Bush."

Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company stated, "It's a
sad commentary about the level of fear in our society that a movie about
a group of courageous entertainers who were blacklisted for exercising
their right of free speech is now itself being blacklisted by corporate
America. The idea that anyone should be penalized for criticizing the
president is sad and profoundly un-American." The Weinstein Company is
exploring taking legal action.

http://drudgereport.com/flash4.htm

DIXIE CHICKS SITE
http://www.shutupandpost.com

REJECTED AD
http://www.shutupandpost.com/videos/trailer/index.html

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WHERE DID NPR'S BURGER MONEY GO?

ALEX BEAM, BOSTON GLOBE Last week I was listening to Christopher Lydon
's "Open Source " radio show when former National Public Radio ombudsman
Jeffrey Dvorkin came on the air. Dvorkin reminded us of the huge $225
million gift that NPR received in 2003 from Joan Kroc , the widow of the
founder of McDonald's. Dvorkin called it the largest gift to a cultural
institution in US history. . .

So what has changed? Two hundred twenty-five million dollars later,
public radio certainly hasn't gotten worse. But I don't hear that it has
gotten any better.

You need to get your hearing tested, says NPR executive vice president
Ken Stern . He says the Kroc money "allowed us to invest in what this
country needs -- serious, in-depth reporting." Overall, NPR has added 85
new staffers and 10 new beats and has opened five new foreign bureaus at
a time when almost all other media are shuttering them. . .

OK. I'm still underwhelmed. . . It's not like good new material is
supplanting NPR's shopworn offerings. Koppel isn't adding much. Just the
other day he said that "senior mullahs" in Iran had assured him of their
country's peaceful intentions. That put me at ease. The once-incisive
Daniel Schorr, now 90, triggers a Pavlovian station-changing reflex. One
of NPR's top talk show hosts is the ancient, politically connected,
unlistenable Diane Rehm , who has been suffering from a speech disorder
for years. . . . It's the retirement community of the air. . .

At a big NPR confab in Philadelphia last week, programmers learned that
"the public radio audience is starting to decline after long, steady
growth," according to Lydon's blog. . .

Here is the problem. What was once an insurgent radio movement now
sounds like Chet Huntley reading the evening news. Call it NPR Classic.
But NPR management won't put the old warhorses like Cokie and Linda out
to pasture for fear of alienating the loyal listeners who answer the
bell during pledge drives.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/09/20/
where_did_nprs_burger_money_go/

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