Sinclair's Republican Bias
Sinclair donates gives 98%of its political donations to Republicans. David Smith, the President and CEO of Sinclair gave the maximum allowable contribution to the Bush 2004 campaign. [source: ]. When asked about criticism of SBG’s decision to compel its stations to run “Stolen Honor [sic]”, Mark Hyman, the company’s spokesperson, compared the critics to ‘holocaust deniers.” [Kevin Drumm at Washington Monthly:]
Film producer Sherwood's history as a Republican activist and right wing hack
Carlton Sherwood, the filmmaker behind “Stolen Honor [sic]” shares the address and phone number of a firm run by Republican activist Charles Garow [source:]
Sherwood has been a reporter for the conservative Washington Times, owned by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, and quondam spokesman for Rev. Moon’s Unification Church. (catch) He’s a personal friend of Tom Ridge, Secretary of Homeland Security, who directed Ridge’s media operations in Harrisburg, PA when Ridge was the governor of Pennsylvania. Sherwood is also the executive vice president of a company which received a federal government contract to create and maintain a first responder web site. The site, which was supposed to go live by March 04, has yet to be launched. Roger Ailes (no, not that one) has the ink on Sherwood's misguided (and expensive to his employers) attack on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
How Sinclair's "son of Enron" sub won the thanks of a grateful Whitehouse, if not nation
Jadoo Power Systems: Sinclair Ventures, a wholly owned sub of SBG owns half of Jadoo. Jadoo announced on 9/28/04 it had received a major war on terror contract to supply its product to the military. via The American Street [source] Blue Lemur/Raw story reports that Jadoo’s CEO personally briefed Bush on their product before getting the contract. Digby notes that Jadoo’s management has an Enron-rich pedigree. Another Sinclair affiliated company (a trailer park) has, Atrios reports, just been sued for race discrimination.
In addition to this financial reason to help Mr. Bush's efforts to finally be elected, Sinclair's tottering business model depends on a Bush victory [heaven forefend it]. USA Today reports that Sinclair has a strong financial incentive to support Mr. Bush’s bid to finally win the presidency. Bush supports consolidation efforts in the telecom industry. Sinclair’s financial future rests on its ability to continue buying up mid market stations. Without expansion, Sinclair’s business model fails. Via Americablog [source: ] PGL at the Angry Bear notes that the folks who control Sinclair do not appear to be conducting the financial operations of the company in a way that is fair to its minority shareholders. Steve Gilliard has more on the conduct of majority shareholders and a list of the institutional minority investors. Media Matters for America has a list of the mutual funds which hold stock in Sinclair.
The farmer at corrente notes that Sinclair’s business model involves firing significant portions of the news staff of the television stations they buy. The station then uses material (including weather – go figure) pre canned for all its outlets at the company headquarters.
What you can do
The DNC is going to the FEC to try and stop SBG (TalkLeft). Salon reports that Paul Alexander, maker of the pro-Kerry "Brothers In Arms" has offered SBG his film free of charge. Those who wish to contact SBG’s advertisers to express their objection to financial support for Sinclair in light of its conduct can check a database of Sinclair advertisers.
