Timing of Nat Geo Bin Laden Documentary Creating Unnecessary Election Controversy

Bozell Calls on Network to Delay Airing Until After Election Day

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Media Research Center is calling on The National Geographic Channel to delay the airing of “SEAL Team Six: the Raid on Osama bin Laden” until after Election Day. The documentary is currently scheduled to premiere in prime-time on Sunday, November 4, two days before voters head to the polls to decide the 2012 Presidential Election.

One of the companies behind “SEAL Team Six” is The Weinstein Company, co-chaired by Harvey Weinstein, a major donor to the Democratic Party and long-time fundraiser for Barack Obama.

According to a report in the liberal New York Times, President Obama plays a “prominent” role in the film. The Times also reveals that since its debut at Cannes, “SEAL Team Six” has been recut to enhance Obama’s role at the request of Weinstein. At one point in its production, the film even included a scene showing Obama’s Republican rival Mitt Romney opposing the raid.

Media Research President Brent Bozell reacts:

“National Geographic Channel’s decision to air “SEAL Team Six” two days before the election, along with Harvey Weinstein’s insistence Barack Obama be more prominently featured, is raising reasonable concerns. We don’t want to pass judgement on the content, because we haven’t watched the film. But timing is what matters.

“If the National Geographic Channel puts off airing this documentary by just three days, and there’s absolutely no reason why they can’t, it shows they have no agenda. If they don’t postpone it by just 72 hours, it will clearly show that they do. We want to believe that they don’t have an agenda. We’re asking the National Geographic Channel to delay the airing of this documentary until after Election Day.”

 



To schedule an interview with MRC President Brent Bozell or another MRC spokesperson, please contact Jeremy Little - jlittle@crcpublicrelations.com (703)-683-5004