Politics: A new beginning

[Did you just call me Coltrane?]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
Uhm, why? The market speaketh.

Which market?

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Originally posted by Did you just call me Coltrane?
Which market?

Y'know - the friends of Ron and Nancy. The only market that matters.

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Sexual Harassment Panda
Y'know - the friends of Ron and Nancy. The only market that matters.

Or it was a risk/reward calculation. The risks being (1) liklihood of law suit and (2) damage to reputation.

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by Did you just call me Coltrane?
Which market?

Depends

The market of potential viewers? Apparently, the cost of people who would be horrified enough to alter economic decisions against CBS was more than the cost of people who would be thrilled enough to alter economic decisions in favor of CBS.

Or the market of shareholders of CBS? They may just start looking for a few heads to chop if they are sufficiently horrified.

Or the market of advertisers? I'm having trouble guessing which type of company wants to run commercials in a time-slot for this series. Penthouse? Budweiser?

Hello

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
Depends

The market of potential viewers? Apparently, the cost of people who would be horrified enough to alter economic decisions against CBS was more than the cost of people who would be thrilled enough to alter economic decisions in favor of CBS.

Or the market of shareholders of CBS? They may just start looking for a few heads to chop if they are sufficiently horrified.

Or the market of advertisers? I'm having trouble guessing which type of company wants to run commercials in a time-slot for this series. Penthouse? Budweiser?

Hello

Where are the conservatives who get so upset about free speech on campuses when non-PC views get shouted down? This isn't all that different. A bunch of people who have not seen the miniseries are bent out of shape that it's not sufficiently worshipful of the patron saint of the conservative revolution.

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by Tyrone_Slothrop
Where are the conservatives who get so upset about free speech on campuses when non-PC views get shouted down? This isn't all that different. A bunch of people who have not seen the miniseries are bent out of shape that it's not sufficiently worshipful of the patron saint of the conservative revolution.

Puhleeze. One is a public institution, the other is a private institution that depends on the market for, e.g., advertising. The second is also beholden to its, e.g., owners, who might not have agreed to a common constitution to guarantee things like free speech.

The market has speaketh.

[Did you just call me Coltrane?]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
Depends

The market of potential viewers? Apparently, the cost of people who would be horrified enough to alter economic decisions against CBS was more than the cost of people who would be thrilled enough to alter economic decisions in favor of CBS.

Or the market of shareholders of CBS? They may just start looking for a few heads to chop if they are sufficiently horrified.

Or the market of advertisers? I'm having trouble guessing which type of company wants to run commercials in a time-slot for this series. Penthouse? Budweiser?

Hello

So you're telling me that CBS neglected to take these things into consideration until AFTER Republicans wrote a letter to them disclosing their disapproval? "Oh shit, the Republicans just informed us that this miniseries could be potentially controversial! We hadn't thought about that until they brought it up!"

You would think that a company of that size would have considered the economic ramifications well before they even decided to produce it.

[Aloha Mr. Learned Hand]

Originally posted by Did you just call me Coltrane?
So you're telling me that CBS neglected to take these things into consideration until AFTER Republicans wrote a letter to them disclosing their disapproval? "Oh shit, the Republicans just informed us that this miniseries could be potentially controversial! We hadn't thought about that until they brought it up!"

You would think that a company of that size would have considered the economic ramifications well before they even decided to produce it.

Sounds to me like CBS paid for a balanced look at the Reagans and didn't get it, so they won't air it. Their statement said they reviewed the finished product and didn't feel it was suitable for them to air, even with edits... Scream censorship all you want, but it's still gonna get aired.

They should have known better and checked out the producers, et al. (including the casting of Mr. Streisand) earlier in the project, though. Kind of like paying for a balanced look at the Kennedy assassination and hiring Oliver Stone to do it.

Big fucking deal.

[Did you just call me Coltrane?]

Originally posted by Aloha Mr. Learned Hand
Sounds to me like CBS paid for a balanced look at the Reagans and didn't get it, so they won't air it. Their statement said they reviewed the finished product and didn't feel it was suitable for them to air, even with edits... Scream censorship all you want, but it's still gonna get aired.

They should have known better and checked out the producers, et al. (including the casting of Mr. Streisand) earlier in the project, though. Kind of like paying for a balanced look at the Kennedy assassination and hiring Oliver Stone to do it.

Big fucking deal.

I don't have a problem with this reasoning. But when did CBS view the final product? 6 months ago, or coincidentally at the same time republicans started bitching?

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
Puhleeze. One is a public institution, the other is a private institution that depends on the market for, e.g., advertising. The second is also beholden to its, e.g., owners, who might not have agreed to a common constitution to guarantee things like free speech.

The market has speaketh.

I see. If the miniseries were to air, it would be the fault of that damn liberal media and that Hollywood anti-Bush crowd imposing their Marxist views on freedom-loving red-blooded Americans unable to change channels.

Thankfully it's been killed by the rational and inexorable forces of the market that faithfully echo the wishes and desires of the American people. There is, of course, no truth to the mistaken notion that market power resides disproportionately with, or is wielded more effectively by, those at the top of the economic food chain. Except in Hollywood.

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by Aloha Mr. Learned Hand
Sounds to me like CBS paid for a balanced look at the Reagans and didn't get it, so they won't air it. Their statement said they reviewed the finished product and didn't feel it was suitable for them to air, even with edits... Scream censorship all you want, but it's still gonna get aired.

They should have known better and checked out the producers, et al. (including the casting of Mr. Streisand) earlier in the project, though. Kind of like paying for a balanced look at the Kennedy assassination and hiring Oliver Stone to do it.

Big fucking deal.

That is exactly how I'm reading it. If anyone wants to do a decent portrayal of Reagan, then I'm all in favor. It sounds like that is what was sold to CBS.

Heck, let's make a deal.... You guys keep people like Streisand et al. 1000 miles away, and I'll advocate not including any footage of the 100 or 200 WWII training films he made.

But I doubt that CBS was aware of every little nuance that the producers were planning on putting in. At least, not until their advertisers told them.

The CNN story says I got it right. CBS is facing a "flood" of advertiser protests.

[Aloha Mr. Learned Hand]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
That is exactly how I'm reading it. If anyone wants to do a decent portrayal of Reagan, then I'm all in favor. It sounds like that is what was sold to CBS.

Heck, let's make a deal.... You guys keep people like Streisand et al. 1000 miles away, and I'll advocate not including any footage of the 100 or 200 WWII training films he made.

But I doubt that CBS was aware of every little nuance that the producers were planning on putting in. At least, not until their advertisers told them.

The CNN story says I got it right. CBS is facing a "flood" of advertiser protests.

The stuff from Drudge (take it for what its worth) seems to indicate that CBS was pitched and bought a 4-decade love story on Ron and Nancy, essentially a non-political (or as light as can be given the subject) look at their family... That's not what they got. Sounds like the CBS lawyers were going nuts trying to get corroboration from the producers for some of the scenes/dialogue.

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by Sexual Harassment Panda
I see.

I doubt it.

Originally posted by Sexual Harassment Panda
If the miniseries were to air, it would be the fault of that damn liberal media and that Hollywood anti-Bush crowd imposing their Marxist views on freedom-loving red-blooded Americans unable to change channels.

Try this. It the miniseries were to air, it would be offensive to a large number of regular CBS viewers, and therefore to a large number of regular CBS advertisers.

Did you seriously say to "change channels"? Well, you see, that is what the advertisers don't want to happen. Moreove,r, some of the viewers may be outraged enough to keep the channel changed.

Am I wasting my time here or do you see the words I'm typing on my screen?

Originally posted by Sexual Harassment Panda
There is, of course, no truth to the mistaken notion that market power resides disproportionately with, or is wielded more effectively by, those at the top of the economic food chain. Except in Hollywood.

Is this supposed to be some kind of humor?

[Replaced_Texan]

Speaking of free speech, there's this really bizarre free speech fight going on in Costa Rica.

In 1980, the UN mandated a "University for Peace" to be formed, and it's in El Rodeo, Costa Rica. In 1987, a shortwave radio station called "Radio for Peace" was founded and it is housed in the University. The station built transmitters and a studio on the Univeristy grounds. The radio station is self-funded (I think through membership drives and donations), and as far as anyone knows, there's never really been a conflict between the University and the Radio Station, until earlier this year.

Anyhow, on July 21, the University sent an eviction letter (signed by a lawyer whose affiliation with the University is fuzzy) to the radio station, and told the radio station that they had two weeks to get out. No explanation (as far as anyone has reported) was given, and the same day armed guards and locks were put at the gate of the radio station. Some people who were inside were let out, but most have stayed inside, getting supplies from supporters on the outside. Everyone inside is a little shocked that this came from an international peace organization.

A plea was sent out to figure out a "peaceful resolution." There was a negotiation period, until October 31, and both sides agreed not to release any further information until after the negotiation period ended.

Negotiations apparently didn't go well for the radio station, because yesterday, the University cut the power at noon, and the telephones at 4:00. Reporters and cameramen are turned away by the guards. The University claims that it is subject to no law since it is owned by the UN.

Everyone else in the peace community is baffled by the whole turn of events.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Sexual Harassment Panda
I see. If the miniseries were to air, it would be the fault of that damn liberal media and that Hollywood anti-Bush crowd imposing their Marxist views on freedom-loving red-blooded Americans unable to change channels.

getting on network TV isn't about free speech. the producers could try public access. RR was as loved a president as we've had in my lifetime. if this miniseries is a hatchet job of him, and I were a CBS exec, I'd ax it.
What's the Streisand connection?