Local Binghamton CBS affiliate, channel 12
Dear Sirs or Madams (of CBS Sixty Minutes):
We regularly watch Sixty Minutes and appreciate having this news AND information source available to us. We despise Fox News with its lies. the National Association of Broadcasters needs to put Fox out of business.
We have a bumper sticker which reads: “We get our NEWS from Comedy Central and our entertainment from Fox News.” That about describes what we have to the nth degree in America today, due to the Republican destruction of the Fairness Doctrine which was put in place in the 1940s to guard against Nazi propaganda which had destroyed Germany. In the 1940s, everyone was in agreement, so this was a bipartisan decision.
For some 20 years or more, I have written to publications and the media. I have used local newspapers and local television outlets, as well as networks. I write to Sixty Minutes, especially when I hear the recently repeated story about robots (Anderson Cooper?). I write about many other news reports. With the demise of local news, by hedgefund lovers of money (also a recent story on Sixty Minutes), I have watched as my writings have not been published. At first, I was puzzled. As time has gone by and with the wisdom of age, I have discovered the reasons. Both your Sixty Minutes report and an article in The Economist and other publications have unraveled the mystery and puzzle to me. When one relies only on intuition and observation of actual events at a Florida newspaper and elsewhere, it is good to find out that what I have been writing about what I KNOW has been correct, it is sad that no one pays attention to me anymore. At one time, before the older great journalists retired – the people of good will running local newspaper – I was accepted. Now I feel as if I am on the outside looking in when most of what I have written has been correct.
Wat I am finding is that my distribution to a local Binghamton Fox affiliate has been read by such people at Fox. What do they do? Just as Trump does. Put a spin on what I say that is in line with their lies and re-distribute. There is no teamwork among people of good will in the media business and that is a crying shame. So, I have removed the Fox affiliate from my distribution. I have removed Sean Hanity from my distribution list.
With this being said, what about the other three Binghamton television network affiliates? NBC and ABC affiliates in Binghamton are run by one owner. The local news comes from one outlet: Newschannel 34, the ABC affiliate. The PBS affiliate has no local news, only the PBS Newshour and other PBS network news analysis.
This situation leaves the local CBS affiliate, WBNG, channel 12. The local news is not always “local, but taken from “wire” stories on CNN and other news places. CBS Channel 12 had the best local news source in this area, back in the years when I was growing up. Today, I would have to say this Grey Company local affiliate is not THE BEST, but it sure is better than Fox 40.
What bothers me about local channel 12 is the fact it no longer accepts email. This is the device I have used to distribute what I write. Why does channel 12 do this? Why does a news AND INFORMATION channel not read what I write any more? What the hell is going on? Here we are and I can say my likes and dislikes are pretty much on the same page as channel 12. But none of my writing is accepted there. Don’t get me wrong. There is never 100% agreement with any humans or human organizations. But my judgment is that, unlike Fox, they don’t lie. They are not liars, liars pants on fire.
Yesterday, I was in an area in which a local Solid Gold radio broadcast (Equinox) was difficult to receive as we have a country music station interfering. So, in the car, we turned to another local radio station with music more acceptable to us, though it was NOT solid gold. In this area, there are pockets where hills block one signal and from some valley comes another. Back in the days of my youth, with mostly AM broadcasts, that never happened here. Even when FM was introduced, it never happened. We received ALL Binghamton stations plus other smaller city stations. Today, we senior citizens are being relegated to purchasing, on a lower revenue stream in our family budget, Sirius XM. At one time, it was all FREE, FREE, FREE – supported by local advertisers. But yesterday, in the car, when listening to this other station because we were FORCED to do so by rules emanating from the FCC which is controlled by big business when it should be a third party representing the DEMAND SIDE of the market or WE THE PEOPLE. It is represented by those on the SUPPLY SIDE of the market. Period. Money is used to validate this. BS on that because free broadcast once DID make money and could still make money, just not feed the already filled to the brim pockets of those with hedgefund investments like the guy Sixty Minutes reported on who now owns a multitude of newspapers and can buy a mansion in Miami when most of us have had to leave Florida because we cannot afford the housing there (along with factors of heat, humidity, and hurricanes with outrageous costs to put money into an insurance hole for hurricanes and never see it again). But on this radio station we were FORCED to turn to, as a Cuban citizen might be forced when Castro put a block on many broadcasts from Miami, we listened to the news. At the end, we discovered we were FORCED to listen to Fox News. Fox News ended the broadcast with “all America loves Fox News.” Another lie because all America DOES NOT love Fox News. They say it to inspire groupthink from peer pressure and get Republicans elected. I call the Republicans “republicunts” and “repugnicans” because, due to Fox News, the Republicans have become perverted and are NOT like the Republicans I knew one time, associated with, and was a registered Republican. BTW. How much media is covering those of us who have found that “republicunts” and “repugnicans” have forced us to leave the party? Instead I hear crap about Democrats.
Interestingly enough, the story on Fox News which we heard and which surprised us, was a condemnation of Joe Biden. It was absurd as this news report did not just report the news, as was the function under the Fairness Doctrine, but made a comment about how bad Biden was because he stood up to Big Oil. In other words, he stood up to the Koch brothers, Texas slick oil men, and others. Fox News did not say that, did they? They wish to force the Keystone Oil Pipeline and only do that by drawing a false picture of alternative fuels. Had we been more in line with alternative fuels, due to Fox News, we would not be stuck today with the a dilemma which mirrors the results of the 1973 oil embargo. It was republicunts which put the axe on alternative fuels – for the sake of BIG OIL
This harks back to a Sixty Minutes report many years ago about the development of green technology and alternative fuels with the help of government “incubator” money for business in America. The report was a great one in which we the people learned that America, perhaps being blocked by BIG OIL back in those days(?), did not have investors to buy up those companies because it required deep pocket-ed investors for the long term development of such alternatives. Your report told about investors from China who were purchasing these “startups.” And to Fox News people, they blame government dollars being thrown to China, while they never report on how much Big Oil was sabotaging Americans who may have wanted to invest, so as to hold the control in thic country. It is the basis for attacks against Democrats, while, as is always the case (and with gun safety and domestic terrorism), it is the Fox followers and their sabotage which are the root cause – with their evil love of money.
With all of this explanation, I return to the issue of local news CBS affiliate, channel 12. Back in the days when television was first begun, I recall channel 12 being both CBS and ABC. The local NBC affiliate is now Fox40 and a new NBC affiliate was formed after that change happened. Channel 12 was the only VHF affiliate at that time. It still really is the only “digital” VHF, except perhaps the local NBC affiliate run by ABC affiliate channel 34. Thus, in those early years, few people actually invested in a UHF antenna. I know my dad did not. It was stupid of the FCC to do that, especially when we compare to the city of Scranton where ALL the local affiliates have been UHF and VHF has not existed there. If there were smart people on the FCC back then, they would have handed all the VHF to bigger cities such as Syracuse, Rochester, and so forth. With the VHF affiliate in Binghamton and no one investing in UHF antennas, but purchasing huge VHF antennas to receive channel 12 of Binghamton and the Syracuse VHF stations, that station in Binghamton left the other network broadcasts in the dark as underdogs to channel 12. The news reporting on channels 40 and 34, quite frankly my dear, SUCKED.
When channel 12 was both CBS and ABC, we got to see, in the late 1950s when I was at pre-K age, Mickey Mouse Club. It was broadcast on ABC, so channel 12 picked it up. (Ironic that ABC is now owned by Disney and the “mouse”). Thus, my favoritism of CBS channel 12, which went to CBS only at the time channel 34 was created (WBJA) as an ABC affiliate (see the story about the history of channel 34: https://tvstations.fandom.com/wiki/WIVT ).
Thus, with the sabotage of my stories conducted by Fox and the fact that a better news station (CBS 12 of Binghamton) rejects email, I have to protest this situation because good people are not coming together to solve this problem in America. This is not polarization. It is the news and information being taken over by one network when we have four networks. Fox operates in the same way as the communist party or Nazi party control of broadcasting in a dictatorship.
I repeat. That is NOT polarization so bleeding heart liberals need to stop being so damn diplomatic about it all and calling it polarization. I despised the Capitol 4th concert this past week (on PBS) because, once again, it tries to be nice and talk about a divided America. It is NOT divided. It is a nation with the stage being set for dictatorial control just like that of Hitler and Goebbels. We need to stop pussyfooting around with all this BS for bleeding heart diplomacy – as if that is going to fix the problem. Given the evidence in history in other nations, THIS BLEEDING HEART DIPLOMACY WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM OF THIS NATION HEADING TOWARDS A DICTATORSHIP. IT WILL NOT. I have been correct in EVERYTHING I HAVE SAID AND WRITTEN SINCE THE ELECTION OF RONALD REAGAN IN 1980, so TO BE IGNORED NOW IS REALLY ASININE. To not be able to write to the local CBS affiliate is asinine, too. You people need to collect the information, not be concerned about how nice Fox or republicunts or repugnicans are treated. Stop the BS of bleeding hearts. Stop scoffing at people like me and ignoring what we are saying.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. People of America consider what German Niemoller said:
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.’
This quote was one of many which inspired the creation of the Fairness Doctrine in late 1940s USA. Cowards are the ones who realize I am correct and use what I write to the detriment of people of good will among the Democrats AND true Republicans (i.e., the Lincoln Project). It is about time journalism and media reared its head loud and strong against such actions.
Why does local CBS affiliate channel 12 NOT accept email? What the hell is this in forcing us to do? All to go to ONE monopolized platform called Facebook? Or forcing us to go to social media only? Forcing us to listen to the lies of Fox and other outlets of hatred? Listen to the DEMAND SIDE of a capitalist market which SHOULD exist with balance between supply and demand. I speak about such balance and keep in mind this is just as the checks and balances are SUPPOSED to exist in our government between executive, legislative, and judicial, but has been SABOTAGED by people like Trump, Giuliani, McConnell, Thomas, Kavanaugh, Barrett, Kevin McCarthy, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Gaetz, and many other sodomites who enjoy rape of women, but not homosexuality.
For the DEMAND SIDE, I am speaking. Now pay attention to many of us who want checks and balances in government and economics, not a dictatorship of the SUPPLY-SIDERS.
Cable TV
While living in South Florida, we had choices for cable TV and Internet services. Here in Tioga County, we often have only one choice. For many of us, that one choice is Spectrum, unless we try HughesNet, Dish, or DirectTV through the airwaves of satellite. Satellite services are not given a good review, particularly with Internet.
The FCC has given favor to big business and corporate welfare and has nationalized (socialism) by way of corporate welfare and favors to the wealthy who run such services. Not only have we lost local content in newspapers which were once chock full of local news, information, and culture, we have lost control of local broadcasting. Television broadcasting, especially in rural hilly areas has been made so weak by the FCC, that we are forced to subscribe to Internet and cable TV. It’s all a strategy to nationalize by way of corporate welfare by way of money funding the government and favors done for the wealthy. Radio broadcasting, too, is weakened. When in my younger years here, we did not have difficulty in driving in a car and receiving the local radio broadcasts just about anywhere, whether AM or FM. Today, to open up bandwidth for the thumbing on mobile phones which come nowhere close to what we had in local broadcasting, we are unable to have powerful local broadcasting stations in this rural hilly area. Oh, I forget. When we go on top of the hills where the density of population is lower (smaller audience to make money), we can get clear signals. In the valleys, the reception sucks. It might not be a huge number of people, but sure is more densely populated with a larger number than on top of the hills. Perhaps we should be like Chinese communists and move populations to where they wish to have them located – on top of the hills? This is ridiculous.
In the 1960s, in the hills of upstate New York and Pennsylvania, the cable television industry was born – on the local level. The FCC did not micro-manage these things with regulatory authority. The regulatory agency involved the local authorities. The FCC, doing favors for corporate welfare CEOs, has wrongly regulated cable TV and other local media outlets.
To reiterate. In South Florida, we had a choice of cable TV and Internet. The old copper telephone lines into our home were used to deliver Internet by way of AT&T fiber optic lines up to the box and connected to the copper wires. We also had the choice of copper coax lines by way of Comcast. The lines within the home were all the same type of lines as what we had with telephone and cable TV in the past.
In addition to these two options, a small and local firm named Laurie’s TV offered cable television and Internet within our Homeowners’ Association development. We could pay extra and at a lower cost for this HOA cable / Internet access, in addition to the HOA fees we paid. The speed for the Internet was not good, so we chose AT&T, delivered by fiber optics and copper. We chose Laurie’s TV for cable TV. (FYI: Laurie’s TV was sold to another firm).
Explanation about this HOA. The HOA was like an incorporated village, but run by a private organization based 60 miles away in Miami. Residents had problems trying to pay their bills at such a distant location, but were treated like dirt by an attitude of “I’ll break your knees if you don’t pay,” even when a check was lost in the mail. The one-party dictatorial fascist Republican control in that state put teeth into the ability of these private organizations, called “condo commandos” to run rough-shod over the people. Even a retired NY State Trooper was treated like crap by an organization like this.
Within the “mini-village” environment, they provided choices for local cable TV and Internet. But the costs for us, per year, to maintain sidewalks, streets, public lawns, and social hall were about four to six times what Newark Valley village residents pay in government taxes in order to do the same thing. And they were like Mafia bosses in attempting to collect, protected by Republicans who controlled the state.
I say, to people who wish to move to Florida, be careful what you wish for. I say to people here who complain about incorporated village taxes, be careful what you complain about because I have seen it much worse when such village services are provided by PRIVATIZED HOA services. After all, George W. Bush and his brother, Jeb Bush of Florida always said, “what’s good for [PRIVATIZED] business is good for America.” Not so fast in believing such stuff because it sucks, like a Nazi Hitler-type in Germany. Like a communist Chinese. Like a Putin fascist dictator. Be careful what you believe and dig in your heals in such regard. Being humble means learning so as to overcome ignorance. Not being humble and refusing to learn means being a stupid idiot.
After some 40 years living in Floridan and observing what happened there, I bring a different perspective to this community. Cable TV is one issue in which I bring a different perspective. I have a different perspective on other issues besides cable TV. It would be nice if somebody would listen, consider, and THINK about my perspective and the information I have to offer. Stop the BS about whether this is politics and my opinion. It is my experiences with facts to share. Stop scoffing at me in the same manner 19th Century NY Governor George Clinton was scoffed at when he proposed what was called by the scoffers, “Clinton’s Ditch.” Stop the taunting of me because I give my perspective. Cable TV in rural upstate NY really sucks, but so does the nationalization of cable TV and media, for the sake of corporate welfare, while social welfare and taxes for all are issues castigated with wishes to destroy, not reform.
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Commentary, Economics, Regulated Capitalism, Commerce, human-rights, If it's broke let's fix it TOGETHER, Journalism & Media
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