Timing of Nat Geo Bin Laden Documentary Creating Unnecessary Election Controversy
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
