By: Mary Mostert, Original Sources Analyst
July 14, 1998
Sometimes the most significant news is scattered about in little seemingly disconnected squibs in the back pages of the newspapers. In the last few days we've had just that sort of thing going on. For example, CNN founder Ted Turner said Friday that the network's retraction of a story claiming that the U.S. military used nerve gas during a Vietnam War raid was "the most horrible thing" that ever happened to him. "Nothing has upset me as much in my whole life," Turner said, including his Atlanta Braves baseball team "losing to the Yankees in the World Series after being up by two games, the failure of two marriages, the death of my father. It's the most horrible thing." Turner said the network was his "baby" from the beginning and the controversy over the story brought him both embarrassment and sadness. He said new measures would be put in place at CNN to ensure that "nothing like this ever happens again."
This anguished breast-beating on the part of Jane Fonda's husband, who has presided over innumerable butchered stories over the years, coincided with a survey which indicated that the majority of Americans believe that news reporting is often wrong.
In another obscure story, the Texas Board of Education voted Friday to dump $45 million in Walt Disney Co. stock from the state school fund. The "Walt Disney" trademark, which, for most Americans has been synanamous with decent, quality, family oriented entertainment, for most of our lives is now just another Hollywood studio that cranks out immoral plots, sex, (homosexual and heterosexual) and violence. With the vote, Texas became the first state to rid itself of Disney stock in protest against the content of its films, which board member Richard Neill described as garbage. "It's not Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck anymore. It's blowing people's heads off," said Neill, who supported the stock sale. The Republican-dominated education board, which voted 8-4 with two abstentions in favor of divestiture, runs public schools in Texas and controls the $17.6 billion Permanent School Fund. Its portfolio includes 1.2 million shares in Disney.
On the Financial page we note that Disney stock recently dropped ten points, but the commentator seemed mystified as to why the sharp drop had occurred. Howard Stern could have told them what the problem was. It's those pesky
STERN: Hundreds and hundreds of letters come to these guys. And sponsors as you know get very intimidated by letters.
ROBIN: Very nervous.
STERN: Alright. So we're in the middle of a Holy war here. I believe these guys down south don't have a creative thought in their head and they just want money. And he thinks I'm the devil. So we're locked. We're locked with each other. Now in the big cities where our show airs the radio stations laugh at this stuff. The sponsors laugh at it. But in small markets like Wilkes-Barre and New Orleans, they freak out. This guy's having an effect. He writes and writes and writes to the sponsors and they get scared. They think something's going to happen if they uh stay on our show. I'm telling each and everyone of my listeners you must support our sponsors. Send them letters that you love their product. That now that they're on the Howard Stern Show. You will support them. Because I'm telling you our show will be pulled off the air. This guy could win. This guy could win. I've never said that before. But he could win. If you're a fan and you're driving to work in Wilkes-Barre and you love having this show. And you want some big city entertainment and you don't want to be treated like a rube any more and if you live in New Orleans and you love this show. You better get out there and support it. I'm talking about every time you hear a commercial on our show and you have to buy one of those products. Don't go to a competitor. You go to our sponsors.
ROBIN: Do write and tell them. I appreciate your support for the Howard Stern Show.
STERN: That's it. Because
I'm telling you man. We are in a holy war with this guy. This guy has spent his entire day. And you know why he loves going after me? Because it raises big money for him. Okay? I'm telling ya.
For more information on the AFA HOWARD STERN CAMPAIGN, point your browser: http://www.afa.net/stern/
"Spreading Truth on the Information Superhighway"
AFA ACTION ALERT
Buddy Smith, Editor
Michael Eisner, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, has once again blasted the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), this time comparing their efforts to evangelize Jews with the Nazi efforts to exterminate them in the Holocaust.
"Such an outrageous statement demonstrates that the boycott is wearing on Eisner's nerves," said Donald E. Wildmon, president of AFA. "Otherwise he would be ignoring it, not sticking his foot in his mouth."
According to the Washington Times, in two separate speeches Eisner has remarked that the SBC voted to step up efforts to reach Jews with the Gospel at the same meeting that the denomination voted to boycott Disney.
Voting on the conversion plan "was something that hasn't been recommended since the '40s in Europe," Eisner told Katie Couric on NBC's Today Show.
To comment: mmostert@originalsources.com