Owners of Ala. station where Siegelman report blacked out have close Bush ties
WHNT -- the CBS affiliate for northern Alabama where the "60 Minutes" report on former Gov. Don Siegelman's controversial prosecution was blacked out last night -- is owned by Oak Hill Capital Partners. The investment firm was founded by billionaire Texan Robert Bass, the son of oilman Perry Richardson Bass. Robert's brother Ed was a Yale classmate and personal friend of George W. Bush, and along with brother Lee they put up $25 million to finance Harken Oil in the late 1980s while George W. Bush was serving on the board of directors.
The Bass brothers' political action committees donated more than $200,000 to Bush's gubernatorial campaigns, while their personal donations topped $270,000, according to UTWatch.org. Lee Bass was also among the Bush Pioneers in 2000 and 2004, raising at least $100,000 for the presidential campaign in each election cycle, according to Texans for Public Justice.
Meanwhile, Harper's Scott Horton -- who has been following the Siegelman story closely -- reports that the station's general manager initially gave an incorrect explanation for the broadcast failure, blaming it on "network problems." He also notes that the station "was noteworthy for its hostility to Siegelman and support for his Republican adversary."
The Bass brothers' political action committees donated more than $200,000 to Bush's gubernatorial campaigns, while their personal donations topped $270,000, according to UTWatch.org. Lee Bass was also among the Bush Pioneers in 2000 and 2004, raising at least $100,000 for the presidential campaign in each election cycle, according to Texans for Public Justice.
Meanwhile, Harper's Scott Horton -- who has been following the Siegelman story closely -- reports that the station's general manager initially gave an incorrect explanation for the broadcast failure, blaming it on "network problems." He also notes that the station "was noteworthy for its hostility to Siegelman and support for his Republican adversary."
Labels: Alabama, don siegelman, karl rove, media, politics
5 Comments:
It was played later because I saw it on whnt. So I know the station tried to show it.
it was shown later because of outrage. that's all. it will be shown again. because people were outraged. that's all. please... don't be so naive. coleen
I am a former resident of Huntsville, Al. I moved to Oregon because I couldn't bear to witness the corrupt practices of the Bush administration. I emailed WHNT after I received emails from friends and relatives in Alabama. They were heated and angry in their replies. They even had an engineer who was home with flu write and say it wasn't a conspiracy. I never indicated that it was a conspiracy, but I do believe that WHNT should come clean with the public concerning their ownership, and it's pretty hard to believe that they lost the feed during this story only. I think they aired it after bloggers and media across the country got wind of the blackout. There were many similar incidents that occurred with the Huntsville media. I believe that the Riley campaign should be investigated for its ties with Jack Abramoff and Karl Rove. The CBS story is only the tip of the iceburg.
I'm in Huntsville and was quick to call the station when my screen went black. If WHNT had not put out misinformation when the first complaints came in to the station and had they not hung up on people over and over again without giving callers a chance to ask what was up and if they had then not been all snarky with people who were exasperated at this lack of accountability, all us "reactionary types" would not be so quick to question the voracity of the stations' spokespeople. I guess we should all just shut up and go shopping, huh?
My understanding is that it played later- opposite the Oscars.
Too long to wait, to program it opposite the SuperBowl, I guess.
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