Ed Shultz’s Debut on Armed Forces Radio Canceled (Rush still on)

[RedEarth]

BREAKING: Barber Cancels Ed Shultz’s Debut on Armed Forces Radio
Armed Forces Radio (AFR) is a station that is broadcast to American troops overseas through “over 1,000 outlets in more than 175 countries.” It currently features an hour of programming from right-wing host Rush Limbaugh. There was no comparable progressive program.

Today, that was supposed change. Ed Shultz – the most popular progressive radio show in the country — was supposed to start broadcasting on Armed Forces radio. Jones Radio, the company that syndicates the Ed Shultz show, received an email on September 29 from an Armed Forces Radio official confirming that one hour of the Ed Shultz show would begin airing today, October 17.

But morning this at 6AM, the producer of the Ed Shultz show, James Holm, received a call from Pentagon communications aide Allison Barber. She told Holm that she was calling so early to let Shultz know his show would not begin airing on AFR today. You’ll remember Barber as the aide caught coaching troops before a photo-op with President Bush last week.

Barber told Holm that the Ed Shultz show would not start on AFR today because her boss, Pentagon spokesman Larry DiRita, was out of the country and couldn’t approve it. Barber also said she was going out of the country soon for a week-and-a-half. Holm asked Barber if the show would begin when DiRita and Barber returned. Barber said she couldn’t guarantee that.

Here’s the really interesting part. Barber told Holm she heard Ed announced that he would begin on AFR during his show Friday. Shultz’s show Friday began with audio outtakes of Barber sounding foolish as she rehearsed the troops “Q&A session” with Bush.

http://thinkprogress.org/2005/10/17/barber-cancels-shultz/

[jsamuel]

1. not political at all

:sarcasm:

[Oreo]

2. Disgusting

more of the same from the corrupt and evil Bush regime

[napi21]

3. Ohhhh, is Big Eddie going to be PISSED!

If she didn't like him demeaning her last week, she better tune in today!

[Richard Steele]

4. RIIIGHT. As if Larry DiRita needs to approve this HOURS before airtime!

Their excuses for their actions are always lame
and transparent.
This is just more of the same.

Can't have the troops hearing any opinions other
than the PARTY's, now can we?

[Land Shark]

22. Exactly! Barber is implying real time military censorship

[Lex]

24. Yeah, and "out of the country" doesn't mean unreachable!

That's such bull.

Cellphones, internet, Blackberrys, etc.

It's not like "out of the country" renders one incapable of being communicated with.

And isn't she a "communications" officer?

!

[budkin]

5. What a load of horseshit! n/t

[KittyWampus]

6. either they air Schultz for equivalent time Rush is on or take Rush off

Congressional Democrats have a jolly good issue here.

[Lubernaut]

7. Amazing.

Guess I need to listen to his show today!

[Dangerously Amused]

8. Link to the show, anybody?

Thanks.

[LiberalinNC]

9. Here ya go...

http://www.wegoted.com/index.asp

[Lex]

10. They'd rather have a proven LIAR and DRUG-ABUSER than Big Eddie

which tells you how many "morels" they have.

[LincolnMcGrath]

11. F*cking Cowards

K + R #5

WHY is it the SMALL GUB'MINT Cons who have whined for 40 years about PBS, are perfectly happy the broadcast the drug addled freak all over the world on the tax payers nickle?


Republican=Cowardice

[Miss Chybil]

12. Par for the course. Should make good fodder for Olberman and

Cooper, though.

[LincolnMcGrath]

13. "Put me on the list" lol

:rofl:

[lady lib]

14. "I am now on the long list of people who have been screwed by

the Bushies." "Now I know why you want to impeach this guy."

Yup.

[texpatriot2004]

15. The new Exec Order 10/14/05 squelches military dissent.

Link to * EO
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/10/20051014-1.html

Link to DU thread on topic
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5075821&mesg_id=5075821

[G_j]

18. damn!

that is outrageous!
I hadn't heard about that.

[texpatriot2004]

20. Yeah, happened last Friday, there are a few threads on it here

talking about the order and what it does. It's hard to read. It could effect the Abu Ghraib photos that were supposed to be released this Wed. 10/19/05. Don't know yet but it looks like the order is in response to that issue.

[checks-n-balances]

34. Interesting timing for that Executive Order, isn't it???

Right after Corporate Media covered the rehearsed spontaneity between Bush's handlers & the troops. Just one day afterward. And also on the same day that Big Eddie announced that he'd be on AFR beginning this week.

Coincidence? I DON'T THINK SO!

[meganmonkey]

16. That's just fricking lovely

:puke:

Why am I not surprised?

[Rex]

17. Rush gets his 1 hour of hate, but liberals cannot get 1 hour of truth.

The Pentagon doesn't role like that!

[Walt Starr]

19. Why does this surprise anybody?

There's no way in hell AFR is going to play anything but the (Repuke) party line.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

21. Just heard Schultz say he now understood why impeachment is necessary

He's pretty pissed.

[StClone]

28. Ed is fair and he has given W too a fair a treatment to prove it

Maybe that will change...Rush lies...Schultz, fair and truthful...take your pick AFR.

Do they lie about everything in the military to support and protect Haliburton bottom line?

[highplainsdem]

23. The story's on the Huff Po website now, too:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2005/10/17/pentagon-cancels-debut-of_n_9036.html

[Mr_Spock]

25. Just another sonofabitch that needs to be removed immediately

from a position of power. Disgusting, absolutely disgusting. x(

[slybacon9]

26. This is just the kind of story that needs to GROW

it will increase listeners and awareness. Grab it Kieth...

kick

[Vinnie From Indy]

27. Doesn't Diriata have a cell phone?

How about email?

[Lex]

30. Haha! And she is "Pentagon communications aide Allison Barber . . . "

Not so good at aiding "communications" I'd say.

[Coloradan4Truth]

29. Here is the web-site for Armed Forces Radio -

http://www.afrts.osd.mil/

They have a contact us link with a list of email addresses. I'm going to email them asking why Ed Schultz's show was pulled and cc. Keith Olberman.

[Tabasco_Dave]

31. Kick n/t

.

[Eric J in MN]

32. Please email this story to the mainsteam media.

Here is the email list:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=109x17759

[Eric J in MN]

33. kick

kick

[DemonFighterLives]

35. Big Eddy seemed a little stumped by this

You need to in bed with the Neocons to get a place on their radio and tv shows. Dissent is verboten.
Is Barber another Brownie?

[Roland99]

36. Lying liars.

[chat_noir]

37. Barber on AFR censorship

BOB GARFIELD: Eric Boehlert's piece raised the question --I'll put it to you: Doesn't American Forces Radio have a-- an explicit mandate to balance politically charged programming?

ALLISON BARBER: American Forces Radio has a mandate to do two things: the first is to provide a channel for commanders to have an access to be able to communicate with their deployed troops. The second mandate is to provide news, information, and entertainment for the morale of the troops that is similar to that of what they would have if they were not deployed.

BOB GARFIELD: Well since you raised the issue of morale of the troops, are you comfortable with programming that dismisses, for example, the Abu Ghraib scandal as a "frat prank" at the same time your own Department of Defense is launching courts martial and investigations of torture and homicide?

ALLISON BARBER: The challenge for us is that part of our policy is also that we are prohibited to manipulate or censor, so not only is that something that is aired, because we're not allowed to manipulate to censor programming, we also air news and information where people are sometimes critical of our troops. But the bottom line is the men and women in the military are smart people. They hear that as just somebody's opinion. They don't have to listen to it. They have options. They can turn off or turn on whoever they want to.

BOB GARFIELD: Well, not whoever they want to. They can't turn on, for example, Howard Stern, the second most highly rated radio program in America and one that has taken a decided anti-Bush administration turn the last six months. If they can turn on Rush Limbaugh to hear him rant about feminazis, why can't they hear Howard Stern?

ALLISON BARBER: To be honest with you, our troops haven't asked for Howard Stern. We have some issues with some of the sexual content of Howard Stern, just like most Americans do.

BOB GARFIELD: And yet a moment ago you told me that you don't censor the information.

http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/transcripts_060404_grunts.html


edited to change everything