Let's start off with the following Bloomberg report yesterday that casts doubts on the Sinclair Broadcasting Group - "one of the largest television station operators in the country, with 191 stations in 89 markets broadcasting to 629 channels. For the most part, the company operates in small, conservative metropolitan locations. Most viewers aren’t likely to be aware of the Sinclair brand, because the thousands of hours of programming it produces each week air on channels affiliated with such household names as ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, Telemundo and Univision.
Sinclair Pulls the Plug on Anti-Fauci Propaganda — This Time
Will the broadcasting company now drop a program attacking the prominent public health expert, or just repackage it?
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BLOGGER NOTE: Taking back and "Re-Packaging" seems to be a game-plan that has been adopted here in Arizona and here in Mesa
Please scroll farter down to see some examples of how that works!
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Fortunately, Media Matters for America, a nonprofit, progressive center that monitors news organizations for what it describes as “conservative misinformation,” and CNN, the cable network, late last week published critiques of the upcoming show that sparked a backlash on social media and forced Sinclair to reconsider.
The episode reportedly was broadcast on at least one station, in Charleston, West Virginia, and was apparently posted to dozens of other local news sites before being taken down without explanation or correction.
The episode featured an interview with Judy Mikovits, a controversial former medical researcher who also played a central role in the discredited video “Plandemic.”
That 26-minute video went to great lengths to promote the idea that Fauci and elite globalists such as Bill Gates had pounced on the coronavirus pandemic to consolidate their power and increase their fortunes.
Plandemic caused a sensation among far-right conspiracy theorists before major social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter banned it for promoting misleading medical content and other disinformation.
Here's a follow-up from the reporting on Bloomberg:
Sinclair host Eric Bolling says he disagrees with “Plandemic” COVID-19 conspiracy theorist he interviewed, but he's made similar claims
Zachary Pleat
Published
"...After Sinclair initially defended the interview and aired it on one of its stations, the company announced it will “delay this episode’s airing” and “spend the coming days bringing together other viewpoints and provide additional context.” The episode was also deleted from numerous Sinclair stations’ websites without an explanation.Bolling released a statement, saying, “Admittedly I was caught off guard by some of Dr. Mikovits’ claims. At no point did I agree with her. Further, I brought on another doctor to debunk the theories she espoused. I repeat: I do not agree with Dr. Mikovits.”
But looking at some of the reporting which debunked Plandemic, it’s clear Bolling and his previous guests have made several conspiratorial and misleading claims that are similar to some of the content in that video...
Sinclair Broadcast Group stated on Saturday that Plandemic “has been widely discredited and we as a company do not support the baseless claims” made during Bolling’s interview. Yet Bolling himself has made or seemingly supported some of those very same claims. And as he admitted to CNN, Bolling was entirely clueless about his guest and had seemingly done zero preparation for the interview.
During a time when more than 147,000 Americans have been killed by this deadly pandemic and the past week had a four-day streak of more than 1,000 people again dying of it every single day, Sinclair should not be putting the grave responsibility of communicating information about COVID-19 in the hands of a man who demonstrated he cannot handle it.
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Reference: MediaMatters.org - The Fox “News” side - pushes misinformation
Media Matters highlights how the Fox “News” side pushes right-wing propaganda too. Learn more. Donate Online. Sign Up For Updates. View News. View Videos. Highlights: Not-For-Profit Organization, Launched In 2004.
Why this ad?
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INSERTS FROM EARLIER POSTS ON THIS SITE:1
The Sports Bank (blog)-3 hours ago
Just in case you forgot about Joe Ricketts' donations to Donald Trump, he reminded you who he is in the recent leaked emails showcasing his bigotry and . . .
It's part of this featured post:
13 February 2019
Not a whiff of this scandal here in Sloan Park - the $240-million Wrigley Field sports complex at Riverview financed in 2012 on the backs of debt burden of Mesa taxpayers for the Billionaire-Ricketts Family who own the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise - until a press conference yesterday.
The story broke 9 days ago in Splinter News .
(The post was produced by the Special Projects Desk of Gizmodo Media. )
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The story broke 9 days ago in Splinter News .
(The post was produced by the Special Projects Desk of Gizmodo Media. )
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Once again, who's responsible and accountable for playing fast-and-loose with millions of taxpayers' money/debt obligation service bonds to finance another Field of Schemes for billionaires:
City Manager Chris Brady
[Image credit AZ Central Picture Gallery 09.20.2018]
We need a scandal to throw some light on these schemes
Here it is:
During the 2012 elections, Joe Ricketts spent an obscene amount of money trying to unseat Obama, who, he wrote in an email, was an “ideologue” and a “cheat.” He was also, concurrently, reading and ruminating on the sorts of chain emails that would foreshadow our current political apocalypse: hysterical birther memes, anti-Muslim screeds, frustrated takes on the “Multicultural and Diversity aspects of our culture.”
City Manager Chris Brady
[Image credit AZ Central Picture Gallery 09.20.2018]
We need a scandal to throw some light on these schemes
Here it is:
During the 2012 elections, Joe Ricketts spent an obscene amount of money trying to unseat Obama, who, he wrote in an email, was an “ideologue” and a “cheat.” He was also, concurrently, reading and ruminating on the sorts of chain emails that would foreshadow our current political apocalypse: hysterical birther memes, anti-Muslim screeds, frustrated takes on the “Multicultural and Diversity aspects of our culture.”
2
16 May 2018
Axios CEO Mike Allen grinds on about what he calls 'A New Media Machine'. Is he OK?
The Sinclair Broadcasting Group echo effect?
The Sinclair Broadcasting Group echo effect?
3
01 March 2018
QUESTION: Why can't the City of Mesa do it's "homework" before trying to pull off another goofy stunt spear-headed by the brilliant mind of Mayor John Giles and his close cohorts?
Another half-baked Pie-In-The-Sky Scheme & Fantasy from the FOG (Friends of Giles) for a murky vision of that not-so-virtuous reality that failed 2 years ago in 2016 when over 80,000 voters JUST SAID NO two years ago in the Proposition called Yes1Mesa.
Here's the headline in the next stage of sell-it-to-the-public featured the day following a controversial Mesa City Council on KJZZ, owned by Sinclair Broadcasting in Salt Lake City:
Mesa Moves Closer To Developing New ASU Building -
. . . or is it "close but NO cigar"???
Published: Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - 5:00pm
Updated: Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - 5:07pm
"Mesa voters rejected a proposal in 2016 that would have brought a branch of ASU to downtown Mesa. Voters did not want the tax increase needed to pay for the project, but now another proposal is in the works. . .
Or so they thought trying to hoodwink the public one Mo' time when they can't do their "homework" to crunch the numbers of a life cycle cost-benefit analysis ahead of time.?
The spoon-fed report goes on in what was a not unanimous vote of 5-2 in a controversial meeting on Monday February 26, 2018, the City Council approved the first steps Monday in building an ASU development in downtown Mesa.
The plan, which would not increase taxes ??????? for Mesa residents, would include a new building to house programs like film, gaming and virtual reality.
GAMING? Well then, let's play on and get down to the Real Nitty-Gritty:
Who's gonna pay for this?
4
05 December 2017
A Work-In-Progress? . . . bbbbut Nobody's Seen It Yet
Yesterday's report on KJZZ, owned by Sinclair Broadcasting in Salt Lake City, took your MesaZona blogger by surprise - a very pleasant surprise if ever there is one here in the most conservative city in America.
What's it all about? Non-Discrimination
Mesa Mayor Asking Valley Mayors To Support Nondiscrimination Law
Published: Monday, December 4, 2017 - 5:00 am
Updated: Monday, December 4, 2017 - 8:53 am
That's been a hot topic that John Giles has wanted to avoid in public elected life by keeping it on the back burner for a very long time, dodging on taking a stronger leadership stand for supporting the approval by the Mesa City Council of a local Non-Discrimination Ordinance for what he self-admits that "It's the right thing to do" running for mayor in 2014.
Simply put Non-Discrimination is a challenge for John Giles.
He's on public record, as you can see in the image to the right . . .
Has John Giles gotten transformed and "Bloombergized"???
5
28 November 2017
Who Owns The East Valley Tribune and Times Media Group??
Maybe that explains a lot here in Arizona and The Valley of The Sun and here in Mesa: there's what's called "a cozy relationship" with a big media group like Times Media Group and the Sinclair Broadcast Group, based in Salt Lake City and owned by David D. Smith - both are looking to expand their political influences to what you read. You can see some of the public faces in the accompanying image, including ex-Gilbert Mayor John Lewis and ex-Mesa City Manager Mike Hutchison, who have moved up to positions of influence.
Conservative context: Sinclair's management has always been right-leaning — over the years the company and its executives have contributed financially to Republican candidates, offered up primarily conservative think tank perspectives, and aired segments that have given Democrats some pause.
Sinclair Broadcasting expands its footprint: Sinclair Broadcasting Group has been expanding its conservative profile with a series of hires and acquisitions in the last few years, and at an accelerated pace since Trump has come to power.
See this report from Axios back on 28 April 2017
Playing ball with conservative Repub Billionaire$ - The Ricketts Family* from Chicago and owners of the Chicago Cubs sports franchise - the City of Mesa somehow managed to hoodwink taxpayers to the tune of over a $200+ Million$$$$$$-Bond Debt Service Obligation for a new sports stadium for the Chicago Cubs Pre-Season Spring Training @ Riverview.
* This year 2017: Joe Ricketts, the wealthy TD Ameritrade founder who donated almost $1 million to Donald Trump's presidential campaign, bought Gothamist, a collection of local city news sites, (and soon after shut it down).
Media consolidation boosted by political influencers: Other major conservative Repub Billionaire$ -The Koch Brothers - are investing $650 million to support Meredith Corp.'s takeover of Time Inc., and insist that they won't have any managerial or editorial influence over the combined magazine publishe
The Koch investment is another example of how rapid consolidation in the media industry has created more opportunities for partisan influencers to expand their reach.
Conservative context: Sinclair's management has always been right-leaning — over the years the company and its executives have contributed financially to Republican candidates, offered up primarily conservative think tank perspectives, and aired segments that have given Democrats some pause.
Sinclair Broadcasting expands its footprint: Sinclair Broadcasting Group has been expanding its conservative profile with a series of hires and acquisitions in the last few years, and at an accelerated pace since Trump has come to power.
See this report from Axios back on 28 April 2017
Playing ball with conservative Repub Billionaire$ - The Ricketts Family* from Chicago and owners of the Chicago Cubs sports franchise - the City of Mesa somehow managed to hoodwink taxpayers to the tune of over a $200+ Million$$$$$$-Bond Debt Service Obligation for a new sports stadium for the Chicago Cubs Pre-Season Spring Training @ Riverview.
* This year 2017: Joe Ricketts, the wealthy TD Ameritrade founder who donated almost $1 million to Donald Trump's presidential campaign, bought Gothamist, a collection of local city news sites, (and soon after shut it down).
Media consolidation boosted by political influencers: Other major conservative Repub Billionaire$ -The Koch Brothers - are investing $650 million to support Meredith Corp.'s takeover of Time Inc., and insist that they won't have any managerial or editorial influence over the combined magazine publishe
The Koch investment is another example of how rapid consolidation in the media industry has created more opportunities for partisan influencers to expand their reach.
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