Conservatives are outraged about the special access given to ABC News to broadcast a series of programs from the White House on Wednesday. ABC is scheduled to broadcast "Good Morning America" from the White House lawn, "World News" its nightly news show from the Blue Room and a special prime time "Questions for the President: Prescription for America" on President Obama's health care reform proposal from the East Room.
Many fear objective and balanced coverage of the president controversial health care plan will be the casualty of "ABC day" at the White House. The transformation of a major news network from watchdog to Obama lapdog would threaten the very nature of an independent press that is vital in maintaining liberty and a civil society.
Co-opting corporations, especially media giants such as ABC News, to promote his policies appears to be part of Obama's political strategy. General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt, for example, is a member of the president's Economic Recovery Board (PERB) and the company's media units NBC News, CNBC and MSNBC frequently advance Obama's energy policy through its programming and news coverage which would also benefit GE's investment in green technologies.
While financial opportunism may be the driver of GE's favorable media coverage of Obama's energy policy, ABC's interest in health care may represent a deep seeded liberal bias that goes to its parent company, The Walt Disney Company.
Disturbingly, Disney CEO Bob Iger has shown a willingness to put his personal political views over company profits. Under his direction, Iger refuses to sell the DVD or its distribution rights of the ABC miniseries "The Path to 9/11," a program that was based on the federal government's "9/11 Commission Report." The miniseries was criticized by liberal politicians and advocacy groups when it aired in September 2006 because they felt it made President Clinton look responsible for the terrorist attacks in 2001.
Despite losing about $ 40 million on the project because the left-wing generated controversy intimidated commercial sponsorship, Iger keeps the production under lock and key thus denying shareholders an opportunity to recoup their investment in the miniseries.
Disney can't claim the controversial nature of "The Path to 9/11" as a reason to not profit from the film. Disney profited from Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" -- a highly politicized view of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. According to Slate, Disney "booked a $46 million net profit" while "it paid Moore a stunning $21 million" for his documentary. - FOX News Story
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