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.
Economy, Inflation, Gasoline, Oh MY!
Washington Week, Oct. 21, 2022
My factual commentary, not an opinion editorial (op-ed).
First of all, this is no way for contacting you – by form. I despise it. Same thing with social media. It’s all about the opinions in short messages. I object. A person whose funeral was celebrated in the past two weeks, reminded us by way of her eulogy, that using technology and phones was so un-human when considering we no longer talk face-to-face. Thumbs thumbs thumbs and not speaking with one another.
Now I have that out of the way, the reason for me contacting you.
On your program last night (Fri., Oct. 21), your analysts proved once again how media concentrates on analyzing opinions, not providing the facts. As on a one-time television program, the police detective said, “just the facts, ma’am, just the fax.” The character of Perry Mason said, “I am not interested in your opinion, only the evidence.” You use opinions as evidence far too much. Those two television series were models for the American public in the 1950s and 1960s, as reading by Americans declined (according to George Will).
Recently, a wonderful actress named Angela Lansbury died. In her series after the time period I describe above, she would often say, “I have a theory, but I need the evidence.”
I ask you wonderful media people, with due respect, why do you constantly analyze the opinions of people and never look for evidence to support such people. Where did the opinions of voters, brought forward last night, derive? From surveys? From just a few voters? Where did those opinions about issues derive?
Recently, in waiting for my car in a detailing shop, I waited some two hours in a bar. I was not drinking, but just needed to get a soda and burger to eat and the establishment was the closest for walking. Just to clarify because I rarely visit bars.
Perhaps I should visit bars more often. Because what I heard spoken by the people (mostly men, but a woman, too) was this. How lousy healthcare in America was, particularly focused on one PRIVATE local healthcare unit. I never heard one thing about the “bail issue in NY.” That “bail issue” lying commercial was prevalent – from the Republicans. Lies in the commercials. Not one word was spoken about any of the other issues for which Republicans in New York are lying so as to gain votes. Hitler’s Goebbels: “tell a lie so many times that it becomes fact.”
Never once do I ever hear the media of any kind speak about what is happening with regard to lies. Just presentation of analysis of the various opinions, even some voters. Just the facts, ma’am. Just the TRUTH, ma’am. And in the process, your remarks do nothing but scare voters away from the polls.
Last night, you had a clip of the debated between Stacey Abrams and Kemp of Georgia. Kemp was quoted as saying (paraphrased) that he made the voting registration process in Georgia an online system easier to use. Beg your pardon? You broadcast that piece of information and later last night, I get a call from a person who recently moved from Florida to Georgia. He described the voter registration, online, as being a nightmare, so he did not do it. There goes one vote from Abrams, whom he likes a great deal.
My bet is that it is now too late for this person to register for the upcoming election in which he favors Stacey Abrams. Every vote counts. So, I suggested he vote absentee in Florida since his address is still in Florida and he would vote for Charlie Crist rather than Ron DeSantis. Every vote counts.
Instead, this person reminded me of what it was like to vote absentee in Florida. He lived at a residence far from where he was attending college. It was a nightmare. I recall when I turned 18 in upstate NY, living at college but my primary residence being my home some four hours from college, doing absentee ballots then and finding it to be far less complex than what Florida made it, for the sake of the Republicans. More Democrats in the state of Florida, yet somehow the Republicans win and have a one-party state there.
Where is the historical evidence when discussing inflation and gas prices? There were many times of inflation in my life. We never pointed at the government.
Gas prices today are equal to about what they where 50 years ago (1973) during the time of the oil embargo. Historical economics evidence speaks mountains. First of all, if people would read newspapers, an op-ed columnist wrote about how, on the basis of inflation over the LONG TERM, the prices of gasoline today are lower than in the early 1950s when there was a gas increase and LOWER THAN the prices during the oil embargo, WHEN ADJUSTED FOR LONG-TERM INFLATION. Look at the salaries of the big oil conglomerate oligarchs today, compared to those earlier years? Did you do that? No. I know that oligarchic salaries since the 1970s have increased 1000% or more today. Even the salaries of workers paying for the gasoline are higher and give them a higher earnings level than those during the oil embargo (but not as much as 1000%).
The SAME PEOPLE who gave us the oil embargo are the problem today. Trump and big oil of Texas LOVE the Saudis. Trump and big oil LOVE Putin and the Russians. Putin is a by-product of those years during the oil embargo.
Did this historical evidence ever get revealed last night? Not once did I hear such examples. Instead, we heard the presentation of opinions on the side of “what the voters are saying.” Does it ever behoove media to present historical evidence which might show these voters being mesmerized by the very people who are the cause of the problem – Trump and his cronies, big oil, and the remnants of OPEC? What is presented is stupid people too easily mesmerized by lies who are snotty brats moaning and groaning like a bunch of spoiled brats.
I say this because in the years of the oil embargo and high gasoline, we came together more often to do something. We did NOT point fingers at a president or the government, due to the oil problem. We did not look at handouts from a government. How many times did I take my 4-hour trip to college in the cars of other parents other than my own? Car pooling on our own, not done by a government. How many times, when I purchased my OWN car, did I share rides with other college students (four of us to be exact) on the 4-hour drive to college and back? I saved those parents the gas money for each of four potential car loads of students. My parents never paid me for the gas. I would sometimes receive some cash from some of the riders, but I never insisted on it.
There were others who did the same thing. Voluntary car pooling. No one FORCED us to do it. Some did the car pooling from Long Island to the college, typically a six to eight hour trip. Some rode the bus.
We used different modes of transportation Only after a few years did some local governments set up car pooling options for the residents. AFTER the years we car pooled. Had electric or hybrid cars been available, we would have rejoiced. Big oil is trying to sabotage that and captures the stupid imaginations of too many stupid people.
The other thing about last night’s broadcast. Never mentioning the accomplishments of President Biden and the Democrats, except to brush them off with no analysis of WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING. Unemployment is down and has been reduced since President Biden took office. That should shoot holes into the lies of Oz in Pennsylvania, based on big oil, when discussing a Keystone project. “Loss of jobs.” OH? And what about the increase in jobs in the economy which has caused a lowering of unemployment? In other words, it’s lousy to lower unemployment but boy is it lousy that there is a lack of jobs due to – Keystone – offshore drilling in Florida, etc., etc. etc.
And then to hear some dwell on the reason to be against electric vehicles is the unfunded mandates for putting such vehicles in public transit. I have seen Republicans do unfunded mandates MANY, MANY, MANY times – to the detriment of public education. Don’t notice these people who are whiners complaining about those unfunded mandates which cause the taxes for public education to increase.
As for inflation, those of us who lived through inflationary periods have a great deal to teach, but are being shut down by the listeners of false information – from Fox News. how many times have I tried to take the opportunity to TEACH (my career was teaching) and other on the “red” side of the coin simply talk over me and not allow me to say one thing? My only way to say anything is writing, as in this example. But the media makes it more difficult to get published, with short snippy little tweets full of emotions and opinions, not the facts.
And who reads newspapers, right? Those of us who don’t like what I describe here which happened in last night’s Washington Week. The rest of the snotty young spoiled brats don’t read newspapers. Yet, in the newspapers of LOCAL INFORMATION and so forth, we have read information explaining how to overcome inflation. Instead, the Republican jerks of America rely on the fact that people don’t read such information and wisdom of age and inspire these brats against the government of Joe Biden and the Democrats. People who are NOT PERFECT, but have a record of doing some good things to counter what has been happening. The good things apparently are being BURIED by the strategies of lies and emotions emanating from a Republican Party leadership. Thus, these bastards LOVE it that we don’t come together as a nation and figure out how we can all deal with the inflation. They just expect someone to fix it.
When I was recently in a grocery store and looking for short ribs for a recipe I came across, the prices of short ribs exceeded $10 per pound. WOW! I was not going to pay that price. Sometimes, due to the cost, the stores just did not stock that meat.
When speaking with a human being called a butcher (at the store), it was suggested to me there is a less expensive cut of beef I could consider using to replace the short ribs. It was still on the expensive side, but it was worth considering. My thanks to human beings like that on the supply side who can help those of us on the demand side of a capitalist market, during these days of turmoil.
Yes, these examples are from the Middle Class. Yes, there is some suffering in the Middle Class. But so far, it has been Republicans who have worked to decrease the opportunities for people to live in the Middle Class, hoping to have “trickle-down economics” to all who become slaves and more impoverished. It has already been happening. Jack Walsh of GE, an anti-LGBTQ bigot, destroying the pensions of employees, leaving them with higher risk individual retirement accounts, while he and others have been corrupt and unethical in taking all the money for their bonuses and the 1000% increase they have gained since the 1970s. Many other CEOs, in particular big oil and the Koch brothers, have worked for the same results. Hording money at the top and denying it, but in a trickle, to the bottom, while private business and privatization have increased the costs for us in the Middle Class.
Did your media folks even delve into this issue? Not. Once again. Analyzing opinions only.
Mortgage rates. 3% in the 1950s when our parents purchased homes. 12% and 13% when we attempted to purchase a home in the 1980s. This was done under the REPUBLICANS who had PROMISED to reduce the interest rates. In 1982, under Reagan, 12%. In 1988 under George H.W. Bush, about 10 or 11% – still double figures.
Promises, promises, promises so as to only blame Democrats and unseat Democrats by not fulfilling the promises they likely COULD NOT fulfill. Those Republicans only delivered for FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS, not those who had already owned a home. Historical evidence, once again. Those of us who had already purchased homes at the high rates did not see relief into the single digits until Democrat, Bill Clinton. Meanwhile, Reagan and the Republicans had won over the YOUNGER Baby Boomers who were the first-time home buyers. It was such people and younger who are the mean-spirited and vicious ones defending Republicans today, with their bratty spoiled attitudes, especially when things don’t go their way. They own huge acreage and more than what i can afford on a teacher’s salary and still wish to ask for more. Just like Ebeneezer Scrooge and the LOVE OF MONEY and MATERIALISM, before human beings.
Today, the fault with high housing prices and a possible head to high interest rates has been caused by Republican bank buddies, flipping of homes and corruption in selling new homes in new developments (particularly in Florida, as written by investigative LOCAL NEWS reporters, backed by librarians doing research, in the early 2000s). All of this opened the doors for corporate slum lords to move in to purchase homes and FORCE the people of Florida to rent rather than the “American dream” of house ownership for the LONG TERM. (And Suze Oman validates this with “the new American dream,” so as to make young folk feel better about all of this, rather than rid us of the thieves of business who are doing this – robber barons. What a joke).
And then there is the complaint by some regarding how President Biden is following precedence with the Chinese and taxes. Such spoiled brats are irritating and obnoxious because they ignore the ideas of the use of infrastructure development to light a fire under development of the U.S. semi-conductor industry. Why would he do such a thing? Because the semi-conductor industry is based in Taiwan, China realizes this, and intends to take over the nation. You think the tax situation with China is bad? Think about what would happen should all semi-conductors be made by THE COMMUNIST CHINESE. Better yet, think about coming to the defense of Taiwan and what that would entail. Give up our rights in America for the sake of averting war? Go to hell.
Again. Why did your media folk not go into what I have mentioned? Why do you not interject the facts and just concentrate on analyzing opinions? WHY? Unless this is changed, it will be the downfall of American democracy. Makes me wonder who is TRULY paying for the media in America today.
“Purple mountain majesty…” America the Beautiful. It does not read, “red mountain majesty…” It does not read, “blue mountain majesty…” It reads PURPLE, a combination of red and blue. How appropriate. How interesting that this portrays a beautiful America, a nation which SHOULD be working together for the betterment of this beautiful land, not scoffing and scarring those who are trying to do so. Working against one another, rather than blasting one another with guns, ammunition and “the bombs bursting in air…”
It is said that the most popular song played by the U.S. Marine Corps band is NOT the “Star Spangled Banner,” but “Stars and Stripes Forever.” Not “stars and bars,” which is the symbol of a certain battle flag. I suppose we can see that the later one is a verse with words that rhyme. Rhyme has nothing to do with the words we use, in this case, because the only rhyme or harmony, in this example, is inclusive only to white supremacists.
Let us work together for beating inflation and gasoline prices, not argue for one side or the other. Such ways are an abomination against democracy, supported by Satan and the Evil Spirit.
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Commentary, democracy, Economics, Regulated Capitalism, Commerce, Energy, human-rights, Journalism & Media, Living & Learning Moment, Mister Doug Notes, Mister Doug Report, Op-ed
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