FCC Censoring Ron Paul

[guntherg16]

From LewRockwell.com:


July 02, 2007
FCC Censoring Ron Paul
Posted by Nick Bradley at July 2, 2007 03:11 PM

Although it's totally unsubstantiated at this point, there are rumors circulating that the FCC made calls to local stations in Des Moines not to cover the Paul event. The rumors are apparently based on comments made by Paul supporter Rep. Jim Guest.

Personally, I had a Des Moines Register reporter sit next to me at the speech at our table, but looking back he may have just been trying to get a seat to write his article on the forum next door...

http://blog.lewrockwell.com/lewrw/archives/013901.html

[guntherg16]

More...


07.02.07
Is the FCC censoring Ron Paul?

Posted in Politics, Ron Paul at 1:53 pm by shane.vincent

According the Rumor Mill News, “the FCC had contacted the stations and told them in no uncertain terms not to give coverage to Ron Paul’s event”. I don’t know if this is true, but it explains why the news reports bore only a passing semblance of reality with the numbers that they reported. It goes a little past the use of the IRS to silence critics by other administrations, and would not be surprising for an administration that continuously believes to be above the law.

Of course, only Jim Guest knows what he really said, and even he might not want to publicly say what can only be whispered in private. So much for freedom of speech and the press.

http://blog.globaltoad.com/?p=189

[rockjoa]

This should really be looked into, the neocons must be terrified about this getting out.

[Therion]

I don't believe it.

[MidTN4Ron]

I'm skeptical too. Sounds like something someone cooked up to make RP supporters look like conspiracy nuts.

A presidential candidate making a local appearance is a legitimate news story. I don't see how it could possibly violate any FCC or FEC regulations.

[MsDoodahs]

I don't believe it.

[ChooseLiberty]

I'd believe someone not from the FCC called in and said they were from the FCC.

[Original_Intent]

Me either, I think this is an agent provocateur to enrage the Ron Paul masses and try to get a reaction like they did with the Saul Anuzis and the Ed Failure debacles. Luckily, we are verifying if there is any basis to the story before we act.

Heh, if it is substantiated though, heads will roll. And everyone in the country will know who Ron Paul is when the dust settles.

[lynnf]

I'm skeptical too. Sounds like something someone cooked up to make RP supporters look like conspiracy nuts.

A presidential candidate making a local appearance is a legitimate news story. I don't see how it could possibly violate any FCC or FEC regulations.


About as believable as the White House outing a covert CIA agent (Valerie Plame)
or the Justice Department firing federal prosecutors of their own party thereby overtly injecting politics into the prosecutor ring. These people are ruthless and reckless and not so smart, either!

lynn

[Quantumystic]

Phone: 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322)

[Wyurm]

its not impossible, but I need to see better sources and more information before I decide to believe it or not. Also, they said Jim Guest was told this, if he were to officially say it somewhere it would help. If it is true we can't let it slide, if its not true, good.

[LibertyCzar]

Here we go shredding the Constitution again. :rolleyes:

Doesn't the First Amendment guarantee Freedom of the Press? No one in government can justifiably order any news organization not to cover an event, especially if that event is legal. I would be ashamed and saddened to hear that anyone in the press or media obeyed such an order, and it would make them cowards. Unfortunately, it doesn't surprise me that this government is trying to stiffle a perspective that is contrary to the neocon policy.

[purepaloma]

No reason to kick up a storm until we have FACTS.

Rumors that turn out to be false, can make us look like "loonies"

[Tuck]

BS! Sorry for my language but as somebody who used to intern at a conservative talk radio show I can guarantee if the FCC called any radio station and told them not to cover it that it would have the opposite effect. It doesn't matter if your program is about religion, music, sports, news, entertainment, politics etc everybody in the radio business can agree that they are sick of FCC regulations. Not to mention that the FCC has no legal or regulated right to tell stations what topics they can and can't cover.

[BW4Paul]

No reason to kick up a storm until we have FACTS.

Rumors that turn out to be false, can make us look like "loonies"

Agreed. Also, as someone else pointed out, any phone call by the FCC attempting to regulate coverage would only have the reaction of broadcasters frothing at the mouth to announce the call on live TV.

That having been said, I *can* imagine someone closely connected to the TV station's purse strings making such a call. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a grain of truth to some of these assertions-- but we should do nothing until we have FACTS.

[cac1963]

Agreed. Also, as someone else pointed out, any phone call by the FCC attempting to regulate coverage would only have the reaction of broadcasters frothing at the mouth to announce the call on live TV.

That having been said, I *can* imagine someone closely connected to the TV station's purse strings making such a call. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a grain of truth to some of these assertions-- but we should do nothing until we have FACTS.

Perhaps it was an FCC staffer calling to advise the station they'd fall under some tough scrutiny if they ran any coverage of Paul's event. It's not like it's totally unheard of, especially in this administration. Like how these GOP senators and representatives kept calling federal attorneys to pressure them into pursuing cases against Dems right around election time.

Or like someone else suggested, it was an FCC official impersonator. Romney's got a penchant for aides that like to impersonate cops to intimidate innocent bystanders, so maybe it was Romney's guy that made this alleged call.

[wecandoit]

Me either, I think this is an agent provocateur to enrage the Ron Paul masses and try to get a reaction like they did with the Saul Anuzis and the Ed Failure debacles.

I agree this is likely. About 6 enities own all radio,TV and newspapers in the country, when an order comes from the top down to ignore something, it likely comes from the coporate end, not government.

[Bossobass]

Believe it.

I was in the procession of supporters who snaked through the Des Moines city streets handing out lit and shouting out RP campaign positions.

There were 3 occasions of local news crews who were set up and filming the procession.

You may have any number of opinions as to where it might have gone from there, but this was definitely a story that should have made the local news...and did not.

Later that day, we gathered into a procession that was unlike any political support rally I've ever seen, heading all the way into the HyVee auditorium where the gaping stares of the other candidate's supporters, event staffers, political issues supporters and ITR Forum attendees was visual proof of the impact of the story.

Not one frame made the news.

There is no way I can be convinced that a story of that sort of local impact was blacked out because the local news directors all unanimously and separately decided that it wasn't newsworthy...period.

As far as the specifics of the blackout, I have no first hand info, but I met and talked with Rep Jim Guest who I am extremely impressed with as a man of principals and enough connections to be considered a credible source.

Even if he ends up denying the alleged statements regarding the FCC, I would still not rethink my position that some force outside of the local news organizations in Des Moines had something to do with the blackout of the story of the day on Saturday, June 30, 2007.

Bosso

[MsDoodahs]

I believe the media IS blacking out all references to Dr. Paul, but I do NOT believe it is by order of the FCC.

Whoever said it is probably the corporate side letting the individual organizations know their preference for "no paul" is, I think, right on the money.

I don't think there is a thing we can do about it, either.

We have to work AROUND them as best as we can.

[kylejack]

Someone could also contact some TV stations and see what they say about the allegations.

[jpa]

As Admiral Ackbar said...

"It's a Trap!"

[pcosmar]

David Rockefeller, founder of the aforementioned Trilateral Commission, in an address to a meeting of that organization in June of 1991:

"We are grateful to The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to the bright lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national autodetermination [read that "democracy"] practiced in past centuries."
--------------------------------------------------
Whatever the face or voice was, there is no doubt that a blackout is in effect.
There is no logical reason for a "news" source to not report the news.

[guntherg16]

Believe it.

I was in the procession of supporters who snaked through the Des Moines city streets handing out lit and shouting out RP campaign positions.

There were 3 occasions of local news crews who were set up and filming the procession.

You may have any number of opinions as to where it might have gone from there, but this was definitely a story that should have made the local news...and did not.

Later that day, we gathered into a procession that was unlike any political support rally I've ever seen, heading all the way into the HyVee auditorium where the gaping stares of the other candidate's supporters, event staffers, political issues supporters and ITR Forum attendees was visual proof of the impact of the story.

Not one frame made the news.

There is no way I can be convinced that a story of that sort of local impact was blacked out because the local news directors all unanimously and separately decided that it wasn't newsworthy...period.

As far as the specifics of the blackout, I have no first hand info, but I met and talked with Rep Jim Guest who I am extremely impressed with as a man of principals and enough connections to be considered a credible source.

Even if he ends up denying the alleged statements regarding the FCC, I would still not rethink my position that some force outside of the local news organizations in Des Moines had something to do with the blackout of the story of the day on Saturday, June 30, 2007.

Bosso

Thanks for the first hand account.

[Brandybuck]

A third hand report of a rumour... It's proof! Proof I tell you! What more do you need!

[Roxi]

Bosso your RP video on you tube is really good

link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpPeK4JdTuA

[Shink]

A third hand report of a rumour... It's proof! Proof I tell you! What more do you need!

Well, I was about 10 feet or less away from him and I can corroborate that Jim Guest did mention the FCC keeping reporters off of it. I don't have a recording and I don't know the exact wording of what he said, but he did say something to that effect, and some of the people around him knew already about rumors to that effect.

[Scribbler de Stebbing]

Bosso your RP video on you tube is really good

link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpPeK4JdTuA

That is good. Saw it a couple months ago, but did not them know who was BossoBass. Happy to say I MET Bosso on Saturday -- he and his wife were the 1st people I ran into upon arrival. Ron Paul supporters are good people. Felt I was in the presence of angels in that parking lot in Des Moines.

[angelatc]

How did all you Forums folk recognize each other?

[MsDoodahs]

There is no logical reason for a "news" source to not report the news.

When you see a contradiction, recheck your premise.
:)

[wizardwatson]

I just got off the phone with Jim Guest.

Summary:

He said his office of volunteers had called the media outlets asking them to inform their listeners of the RP event. They responded that they would cover it if AP covered it, and one guy (not named by Jim) that they didn't want to get into any trouble from the FCC by covering RP. Now the guy, Jim admits, said the FCC comment half in jest, but the "not covering unless covered by AP" was a standard answer for many of the outlets they called.

Jim says that his office has sent out an email addressing this issue and I've asked him to send it to me as well.

So no direct knowledge of control by the FCC but definitely some circumstantial evidence that these media outlets are not acting independently, but I guess we already knew that.

-David Watson

[duffster]

Thanks much for getting to the bottom of this, Watson. Pretty disheartening news.

[Roxi]

more reason for us to boycott msm and stick to internet radio and tv

[wizardwatson]

Well, it's typical. I've always tried to remind people in this campaign that we need to remember that what we know to be true about the media and government is 'actually' true.

We've all mostly read about the suppression, and that's why we've come to love RP. We need to make sure we don't lose faith in the cause when we are actually feeling/part of the oppression rather than simply reading about it.

Rest assured, they have only begun. And we need to let them know that we will be equally persistent in our efforts.

This is our country.

[wizardwatson]

Here is the statement from Jim's office he just emailed me...



David,

Here is the statement:

This is Missouri State Representative Jim Guest. I have had
many emails on this subject today. My office called many
stations to make sure they were reporting to their listeners
that the rally was taking place on Sat.

Every station we called said that if the AP sends something on
the story we will run it. One young man at one of the stations
made the same comment, they stick with the AP in a joking manor, so the FCC doesn't crack down on us.

While the off the wall comment has taken legs of it's own there is more to the story. Dr. Paul seems to have a hard time getting national press. Why?

It does make you think! But! When I was asked I said perhaps the FCC, joking.
The event was counted as over 1000 people by one media crew.
Then when the papers hit the posted 500 to 700 people. What do
you think of the media coverage?

Jim

[MsDoodahs]

This stuff is why I think about making a flyer with a pic of Dr. Paul with tape over his mouth and the caption: WHY DOES THE MEDIA WANT TO KEEP YOU FROM HEARING WHAT DR. PAUL HAS TO SAY? :eek:

[duffster]

So it seems the real question is: How can we get the AP involved?

[Brandybuck]

more reason for us to boycott msm and stick to internet radio and tv
Also a great way to lose the election. Like it or not, the average voter does not get their news from the internet, but from the MSM. If we boycott the MSM, then we lose.

Fortunately, Ron Paul is not taking our advice and calling it quits everytime he encounters a setback.

[Roxi]

not necessarily....number one, yes a lot of voters that can't get on the web pay a lot of attention to MSM but those of us who have already shunned MSM can boycott without having an effect on those voters....
also this would also mean that we would have to get more radio stations across the country to interview RP like we heard tonight...its obviously getting bigger and more popular, im going to bet that although it wont be reported the ratings of the shows we heard him on today will go through the roof

and we all will have to work harder going out in public speaking to people, buying newspaper ads, and even buying tv spots ourselves...can u imagine what an impact it would make if thousands of americans across the country were buying airtime to air commercials for Ron paul, and they said ...paid for by ___?

boycotting MSM wont hurt the election if anything if enough people stop tuning in to FOX and CNN, at some point the falling numbers wont go unnoticed and they might start including RP news just to get viewers back.
they aren't going to be able to ignore him for long, things are getting bigger than we could ever expect and its only july I say by september SOME MSM will be calling him a "top tier candidate"

[Tuck]

So it seems the real question is: How can we get the AP involved?

Just like everybody else in the media you need to get their attention by writing in or calling. I think Ron Paul's campaign could get way more exposure if they start conducting press releases through PRweb (http://www.prweb.com/). I use them for my clients and some have been flooded by the local and national media for interviews and guest appearances on talk/news shows. I have already forwarded it to the Ron Paul campaign, everybody else should do the same ;)

[MsDoodahs]

Also a great way to lose the election. Like it or not, the average voter does not get their news from the internet, but from the MSM. If we boycott the MSM, then we lose.

Fortunately, Ron Paul is not taking our advice and calling it quits everytime he encounters a setback.

There was a Pew Research study a while back, I *think* but am not sure that it was done relative to the 2004 election. It MIGHT have been the 2006 election. Anyway...in that study they found that about 25% of voters get their info from satire shows, about 25% from the internet, and about 50% from MSM news shows.

So TAKE HEART!

This may be the moment when the nation proves once and for all that the MSM is irrelevant.

[jd603]

See, now this is a time when if I was a manager within one of these stations, I would do the story at any cost, this is America damn it!

Don't let this get you down, they're counting on that, keep doing all you can.

..and if you need something to give you a little motivation during this MSM blackout..

http://ronpaul.dyni.net/rp_google.png

This represents number of pages on the web with each candidates name in the TITLE, ie, articles/blog entries about each candidate. Data was gathered July 1st and shows the past 3 months.

[ecliptic]

http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/1816/pauldebatetl1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Shot at 2007-07-02

[Man from La Mancha]

My favorite picture. It says it all.

[WannaBfree]

http://www.totalfanshop.com/SteveEarle/images/products/RevolutionCD_PD.jpg

"F THE FCC"

from Steve Earle's album The Revolution Starts Now

link for a sample on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Revolution-Starts-Now-Steve-Earle/dp/B0002IQHV6


F The FCC

I used to listen to the radio
And I don’t guess they’re listenin’ to me no more
They talk too much but that’s okay
I don’t understand a single word they say
Piss and moan about the immigrants
But don’t say nothin’ about the president
A democracy don’t work that way
I can say anything I wanna say

So f**k the FCC
F**k the FBI
F**k the CIA
Livin’ in the motherf**kin’ USA

People tell me that I’m paranoid
And I admit I’m gettin’ pretty nervous, boy
It just gets tougher everyday
To sit around and watch it while it slips away
Been called a traitor and a patriot
Call me anything you want to but
Just don’t forget your history
Dirty Lenny died so we could all be free


check out the title song The Revolution Starts Now!
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=5328