Al Gore Blasts News Corp. For "Abuse Of Power" In Kicking Current Off Italian TV
May 19, 2011 5:19 pm ET by Christine Schwen
As the Guardian reported, former Vice President Al Gore is fighting back against News Corp. for forcing his television network off the air in Italy. According to Gore, Current TV was told it would be dropped from News Corp.'s Sky Italia because of the network's decision to hire Keith Olbermann.
Gore pushed back against the News Corp. decision, noting that the incident demonstrates how the company lets ideology get in the way of its business decisions:
In an interview with the Guardian, Gore said the Current TV news and documentary channel was told unexpectedly three weeks ago that it could no longer be carried by Sky Italia because of its decision to hire a US left-leaning commentator often critical of Murdoch's company.
He added that the decision reflected how News Corporation operated worldwide. "News Corporation is an international conglomerate with an ideological agenda. It seeks political power in every nation they operate. They wield that power to shut down voices that disagree with the agenda of Rupert Murdoch," Gore said.
Gore also noted that the incident should give pause to UK decision makers, who are currently reviewing a proposal for News Corp. to become the sole owner of BSkyB:
"I know that News Corp is close to reaching an agreement to buy BSkyB. Now I may not be a party to that debate, but if anybody believes that [News Corp] will remain hands off if there are diverse opinions that do not agree with its ideological agenda then they are fools. This is proof positive of their abuse of power," Gore said.
Media Matters' Senior Advisor Ilyse Hogue agreed, telling the Telegraph, "We hope this will give the UK decision makers a pause before they allow the company more control in their country."
Olbermann also responded to the controversy via his Twitter feed, writing:
He went on to quote Winston Churchill, tweeting:
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Hoosier, I don't watch Olbermann, but he's no worse than the idiots that you idolize. You just disagree with him. One might suggest that it is YOU who never grew up.
Until then, it's just another inconvenient truth in TV programming.
He can't seem to catch a break, can he?
A false equivalency. One is committed to getting to the truth (which happens to have a liberal bias), the other is committed to distortion and lies to push a right-wing world view. If you have proof that Current TV has used lies and distortion to promote the left wing agenda, then post the links to that proof here. MMFA has enough examples to prove the charges against News Corp, so I don't need to find them for you.
Read carefully, it's not bias, it's liberal bias.
As claimed by the right wing.
I didn't realize iowalib was a right winger
That's not news, panzer, that's propaganda.
You're hopeless, and based on your posts, not a conservative. Just a groupie.
I went back and found the video of Ann Coulter and Bill Maher when you said her face turned beet red, and there is absolutely no way that you could see redness in her face. None, bintxie. You just made that up. It wasn't satire, it wasn't hyping something, it was just you making it up out of whole cloth based on the fact that Maher shocked her with the off-the-wall come-back that she didn't have a quick response to her. That's what you do here every day to anyone that dares post on a forum that you believe should be reserved for only those who conform to the philosophy of the far-left propaganda organization that is Media Matters, you say they are just Fox bots. You're a very lazy thinker, but you like to pretend otherwise, that you speak from a position of on high as this 'conservative who is a real conservative, not some Fox News drone'. You say you don't give a rats-@ss about David Brock, but really, you're trying awfully hard to imitate him in his own back yard for someone who claims not to care about him.
Also, if you don't already know this, all valid points will be immediately followed by name calling and or spelling/grammer issues by other bloggers.
As for me, I know my time is just about up here, but it was a fun ride.
Wow, you really just don't get it do you? The truth shouldn't have bias should it? If that is so then why does Faux keep telling you it does? Facts only have a liberal bias when when they don't fit the right wing agenda, but I wouldn't expect you to get the facetiousness in that, do you get that? I guess I could spell it out, but I have more fun watching you struggle........
MMFA simply is trying to STOP this faux conservative propaganda machine.
Open your eyes, Iron Man.
I'm asking because it seems the Republicans have already forgotten, and that was just this morning.
I know I know, it's toooootally different because this is denying access to information based on political ideology and the other incident is...?
Do you ever wear your underwear outside your pants? I'm just asking because you strike as the kind of person who would do that and not realize you'd done it until sometime in the afternoon.
Beck was kicked off radio stations due to protests from the PEOPLE/ADVERTISERS. Current was kicked out of Italy due to a CORPORATE decision.
Make a note of it.
Thanks again for confirming your ignorance!
It's not a "claim."
If Italians have a problem with this move, they can choose another provider, u know, a satellite dish.
Noi doubt you can document several similar statements that you made in the wake of Bush's "I'm the decider" rant.
Just a small small correction: It was the Boston Herald.
The Globe leans left, The Herald leans right.
I live in Massachusetts so I know this. And I know the Boston Globe would never be denied an invite to any Democratic event ;-)
Most of it coming from a Herald columnist, Howie Carr. Howie is not a huge fan of the Kennedy clan ;-) However some of what Carr dished out about Ted, & other family members was deserved, IMHO.
Carr also has an afternoon radio program. He ain't a Limbaugh or Beck. He does actually research his stories. And I've never heard a lie [at least when I've been listening], but Howie Carr can be brutal to the Left.
Socialism is not evil. Socialism is not against the Constitution. Socialism is not illegal. Obama is not a Socialist. He's governing as a moderate Republican, much like Clinton did.
Lastly, there is no decades long plot to take over the country. We do occasionally make progress, which would be much easier if we didn't have to drag Faux Cons and Republicans kicking and screaming into the modern world at the same time.
Any discussion of the subject of Socialism as a practical alternative to capitalism must begin with a clear idea of what is meant by socialism. The Socialist Party defines this under the three broad headings of common ownership, democratic control and production solely for use. By common ownership we mean an equal relation between all people to the means of production. By democratic control we mean that social policy and action will be decided by the whole community. Production solely for use will replace the present capitalist system under which goods take the form of commodities for sale on the markets. In socialism, voluntary co-operation will produce goods directly for needs without the intervention of buying and selling."
http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/etheory/Early90s/html/90PracticalSocialism.html
http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/so/Socialism
Yes, I am aware that Murdoch pushed Bush's agenda. I don't happen to agree with it all, but if the choice is between that and your agenda? LOL I'll stick with the lesser evil. I'll call out Sgt. Shultz, Madcow, Olberfuror, Chrissy "Tingles" Matthews and the rest of the useful idiots. You keep fighting your fight against the rightwing. Maybe we'll get lucky and both of us will win.
What exactly is "Your Agenda"? You mean taking care of the less fortunate, like Jesus practiced? I thought Christians believed in that. Do you mean mean making the society more important that the individual? I though Jesus believed in that. Maybe your just not a Christian. SHHHHHH Don't tell that other Right Wingers, they may throw you out........
As for my fight against the "rightwing," I AM from the right. My fight is against the faux conservative BS from Fox/hate talk radio. They are DESTROYING true conservatism.
Lord, you are an IDIOT and a PARROT. Get a clue, hon.
from a commie leftist bill ayers, van jones, marxist, socialist, tree hugging, climate changer............... yeee haaaa.........
In a May 19th Press Release (disguised as a news article) in its website's business section, Sky Italia said that it had been willing to renew it's agreememt with Current TV at unspecifed, current "market" rates, but --- despite a declining viewership --- Current TV had asked for double its existing fee(s). In other words, it's all Current TV's fault. No mention was made by Sky Italia of Current TV's claim that it was dropped by Sky Italia because of Olbermann. The May 19th Sky Italia PR comes, of course, 3 weeks after the fact.
Click here for the Sky Italia PR. I had to put it thru Google Translator to get it into (a fair approximation of ) clear English. Less luck using Babel Fish, tho.
Bossman Rupy destroys his competition by signing exclusive partnerships with companies to do business with News Corporation. This shuts out competitors for several years.
He's a ruthless businessman.
http://www.mediaite.com/online/keith-olbermann-says-se-cupps-parents-should-have-used-planned-parenthood/
As much as I dislike the power news corpse has over the global media, I cannot in good faith support the extention of Current TV and Olbermann's crass and personal attacks upon those he disagrees with.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-january-21-2010/special-comment---keith-olbermann-s-name-calling
MSNBC is a better network without him.
Then along came the Dirty Digger, that evil snake Murdoch.
His print empire grew and dragged its standards into the gutter, and along with them went the rest, leaving few relatively impartial sources left to balance his dumbed down propogandised filth. His cable and sat channels did the same to TV...where once the BBC was a trusted impartial and accurate source it had to dumb down in an attempt to keep up with Sky. So followed ITV, leaving C4 alone to fly the accurate news flag.
Murdoch is pure poison, tainting all he touches. Luckily it seems the UK public and thus the politicians have woken up to this. The Conservative Party are now looking very openly like Murdy shills, and this BSkyB fiasco is hammering them in opinion polls. Non Murdy papers run with glee the news about his papers filthy illegal spying tactics, and the legal knives are being sharpened in anticipation of court cases. His attempt to buy BSkyB is on hiatus with no sign of being concluded and approved.
Good! We managed to run the scumbag out of the UK, and now I hope we dismantle his shabby empire of lies and free our media of his poisonous influence.
And as for Current....well when Keith starts his show on the 20th June watch the website hits for Current skyrocket.