UPDATE: In the wake of my post Tuesday on The Daily Beast, management of WETA, the PBS affiliate in Washington, D.C., has reversed its course concerning the documentary Torturing Democracy. Following a series of meetings that occurred yesterday, WETA has decided to show the documentary tonight at 10 p.m. We expect this announcement to be made publicly later this morning.
Thursday's New York Times got PBS' senior vice president for programming, John Wilson, to respond to the query I posed yesterday on The Daily Beast into why the first date he could offer a broadcast slot for Torturing Democracy was January 21, 2009.
"That the first date offered happened to be the day after the Bush administration is to leave power 'absolutely is coincidental,' he said. 'It was the date that offered itself up.'" And Lea Sloan, another PBS representative, described just what stiff competition the cutting-edge documentary was up against: "Several factors prevented a summer airdate, including scheduling of the animated sitcom 'Click & Clack's As the Wrench Turns' and the political conventions, and a desire not to compete against the Olympics, Lea Sloan, a PBS spokeswoman, said."
So there you have it. A headline-grabbing documentary exposing the Bush administration's descent into torture was driven off the PBS program by a cartoon. I'd say Wilson's initial response—silence—was much smarter. New York viewers can catch the show tonight at 9 p.m. on WNET.
Related: Did PBS Bury an Exposé on Torture?
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Scott Horton is a law professor and writer on legal and national security affairs for Harper's Magazine and The American Lawyer, among other publications.
Scott Horton is a law professor and writer on legal and national security affairs for Harper's Magazine and The American Lawyer, among other publications.
Scott Horton is a law professor and writer on legal and national security affairs for Harper's Magazine and The American Lawyer, among other publications.
by Scott Horton
Some cities are showing it starting this week. I live in Tucson and it's not on here, but you can view it on the site. It's like preaching to the choir, but it's very interest.
Just saw it last night. It's like waking up from a bad dream to a nightmare. How could we have let this happen? How is it that we never started impeachment proceedings for the biggest criminal administration in American history, but started impeachment proceedings over lying about a blow job? If we, as a country made as big a stink about this as we did about losing our 401Ks these last few weeks, American torture of uncharged human beings never would have gone on for 5 or more years. I'm horrified and embarrassed.
Can you get to Maryland Public Television (some of whose stations overlap WETA). I asked them about this, and they're not airing until January, either (as of this morning).
Greetings from another Tucsonian:
I just talked to our local PBS affiliate KUAT and they do not have it on the schedule for October, the receptionist said maybe November and, that they have received many calls requesting it be shown.
So if you have a moment, please drop them a note.
HA! As soon as I read this I wrote an angry email to WETA in DC and I just received response this afternoon:
"Thank you for watching WETA TV 26 and for taking the time to contact us.
WETA will be airing the 90 minute film Torturing Democracy on October 17th at 10 p.m. The film will also be followed by a 30 minute panel discussion. For more information about the film, you can visit the official website. Here is the link: http://www.torturingdemocracy.org/
Perhaps someday our country will again be free enough that we will hear the inside story of how PBS has been slowly strangled by the right-wing lo these last eight years.
I am also from Tucson... what is going on here? Is there some secret Scott Horton fan club in Tucson? Or is it just people who've moved here to protest at Camp Huachuca?
I saw it last night in Chicago - not on the main PBS station
The web site torturingdemocracy.org will not open on my computer - I believe it is being jammed in some way