America Strikes Back

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With Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff
For the story behind the story...

Thursday, Sept. 20, 2001 6:29 p.m. EDT
TV Stations Dump Bill Maher

Exclusive: At least three TV stations have dumped ultra-snide "Politically Incorrect" host Bill Maher because of his controversial remarks.

Starting tonight, the ABC stations in Des Moines and Sioux City, Iowa, and Lincoln, Neb., have dropped "Politically Incorrect" from their schedules until further notice, Ray Cole, president and CEO of Citadel Communications, which owns the three stations, told NewsMax.com this afternoon.

"We wanted to give the show an ample opportunity to explain, and in my view apologize," Cole told NewsMax. But he was disappointed in ABC's inaction and Maher's spinning and feeble attempts at apology, which initially included a statement that he's "never been good at grieving" on TV.

Sears, which along with Federal Express yanked ads from "Politically Incorrect," told Reuters news agency: "Bill and his guests have every right to voice their freedom of speech, and we applaud that. However, we have the right to air our broadcast advertising where we feel it's appropriate to reach out to our customers."

In a statement issued through a P.R. flack Wednesday, Maher said his views "should have been expressed differently."

"In no way was I intending to say, nor have I ever thought, that the men and women who defend our nation in uniform are anything but courageous and valiant, and I offer my apologies to anyone who took it wrong," the statement said.

"Too little, too late," said Cole, who was surprised that NewsMax was already reporting his decision, which had been made just this afternoon.

One of the viewers who flooded Cole's stations with complaints about Maher was NewsMax reader Neal J. Fisher, a Drake University student who told us "at least 50 people on campus" were involved in the dump-Maher movement. "There's been a much larger response from the community," he found out after contacting the station.

Cole said he didn't know of any other ABC stations pre-empting Maher yet. But there's hope. Take a stand by contacting your local ABC station and urging it to cancel "Politically Incorrect." Also, to e-mail ABC: [e-mail] or [e-mail].

And we salute Ray Cole and his company and Neal J. Fisher and his fellow activists for taking their stand.






God Bless America!
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