From
Act for Change:
DISH Network has just announced that under the guise of public interest programming it is adding to its broadcast lineup a 24/7 channel produced by the U.S. Department of Defense that previously was aimed only at U.S. military personnel.
Eli M. Noam of Columbia University defines public interest programs as "programs that go beyond pure entertainment and provide a cultural, civic, informational or educational function."
Under U.S. law, the federal government is banned from producing propaganda aimed at influencing the American people. Despite this ban, the television channel which is one hundred percent controlled by the Pentagon, will beam highly produced daily news programs promoting the interests of the Pentagon and paid for by U.S. tax payers into millions of American homes.
More across the break...
So the question that needs to be asked is "When does a program go beyond being informational and become indoctrinational?" Well, the fact it is produced by the Pentagon is a pretty good clue that it is not to be trusted.
Let us not forget that the Pentagon insistently and consistently lied to the American people about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. As a result of this "successful" military public relations campaign, we are now bogged down in a ferociously expensive and increasingly deadly occupation that fans the flames of terrorism in the Middle East.
Let's get on this, Kossacks. You can go to this link to send an editable form letter to DISH Network (text below). But we should also be contacting our congressmen and women to tell them to monitor this effort by the Pentagon to disseminate their propaganda to the general public. We need our checks and balances.
Here is the text of the form letter at Act for Change:
I was alarmed to learn of DISH Network's plan to make the Pentagon Channel available to American subscribers under the guise of "public interest" programming.
Under U.S. law, the federal government is banned from producing propaganda aimed at influencing the American people. The Pentagon Channel is 100 percent controlled by the Department of Defense and will beam highly produced daily news programs promoting the interests of the Pentagon and paid for by U.S. tax payers into millions of American homes.
Few will now dispute that the Pentagon propagated unsubstantiated and ultimately false stories about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction to provide the public with a case for preemptive war.
Propaganda like the Pentagon Channel is not in the public interest. In fact, it threatens the very foundations of democracy which depend on an independent and informed citizenry. I urge you to drop the Pentagon Channel from your lineup of public interest programming now.
The letter is editable so you can add your own comments or change info if you like.