CITIZEN ALERT: C-SPAN denies public TV access to 9-11

Since mid-May, organizers of the 9-11 and the Public Safety
press event, June 10th, at the National Press Club (NPC) in
Washington, D.C, have been campaigning for media coverage.
This past week, co-chair, Tom Flocco has solicited C-SPAN
for coverage hoping for a live TV broadcast, or at minimum a
taped and delayed broadcast.

C-SPANs web site says: "Certain events, like speeches at the
NPC and news conferences by Congressional leaders,
automatically receive coverage." The site also details pre-
conditions that an event must meet to be selected for
coverage:

1) The event should be of a public affairs nature.
2) The subject should be an issue of national importance.
3) Event should be selected to show balance between
different sides of a particular issue.
4) Speakers participating should be closely related to the
topic under discussion.

Initial reaction was positive; "this is very interesting,
something we want to consider" said Rob Harleston,
Assignment Editor, a sentiment echoed by Karen Gaither,
another assignment editor. They requested that we keep them
updated on any new developments and confirmations.

Friday was D-Day. The editorial/camera shoot committee met
Friday afternoon after a few last minute calls to Tom
requesting updates as to panelists and other media coverage,
still expressing enthusiasm. Tom and co-chair Kyle F. Hence
expeditiously dispatched confirmation updates and a detailed
minute by minute agenda and timeline of presentation --
clearly indicating that positive momentum and significant
interest was building for the event.

We were particularly pleased that representatives from the
group organizing the June 11th Rally on Capital Hill
(Families of September 11th) were planning on attending our
conference and offering their own questions to our 9/11
investigative panel.

We now felt the people and the press were eager to hear the
unaddressed issues and unanswered questions to be raised at
our Monday event. And we felt somewhat confident based on
their expressed interest that they would at the very least
tape the show for a later broadcast given our focus on key
issues with regard to the pubic safety.

But we were wrong!

Tom called C-SPAN at 5:30 pm to inquire about their TV
coverage decision. He learned they had decided NOT to cover
Monday's Unanswered Questions press event. They have instead
scheduled detailed coverage of Bush Administration officials
(VP Cheney, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge) and others
promoting President Bush's new plan to centralize major
national and domestic security and border agencies under the
auspices of one government official -- administration events
all afternoon.

Tom offered this response to his contact Ms. Gaither. He
said, "C-SPAN has fallen for the Administration's 'damage
control' and their effort to keep the FBI whistleblowers and
the real, unanswered questions totally off the radar
screen." "We are standing by our decision to cover Bush
Administration events," Ms. Gaithor said, adding "I could
not persuade the other editors to cover your program."

C-SPAN's bias toward airing the Homeland Defense
restructuring issue is part of an ongoing diversion and
reticence to address gross government failures and
negligence surrounding 9-11, without responding to the
general public call for full accountability.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

If you feel that the American people, and especially the
family members who lost loved ones, deserve real answers,
open investigations, and access to secret government
documents; we are urging you to do the following:

1) Between 8AM and 2PM on Monday take a half hour to an hour
to phone (most important), fax and email C-SPAN asking them
why they are refusing any coverage or taping of such
critically important subject matter. (If the phone is
continually busy, that means others share your outrage and
concern.)

2) Send an email and a fax if you have access to a fax
machine. Please be courteous and concise in expressing your
views.

KEY POINTS TO CONSIDER IN EXPRESSING YOUR VIEWS:

C-SPAN's website says that their editorial staff strives for
balance. Why are they ignoring a press event at the easily
accessible and prestigious National Press Club -- one that
will cover key questions and critical information thus far
not addressed by our national leaders? These issues include
air defense and airport security failures, profits from pre-
attack insider trading, anthrax attacks, encroachment on
guaranteed constitutional rights, and the withholding of
secret document, etc.

C-SPAN is refusing any coverage or taping of the press event
on these 9-11 issues even though two of the three C-SPAN
channels became open with no required congressional
programming since the House of Representatives is not even
in session on Monday afternoon.

Please urge C-SPAN to reconsider their decision and send a
team to videotape the conference to be sure that substantive
9/11 issues, new information important questions are fully
addressed that help build a case for a full and independent
investigation.


KEY CONTACTS AND EDITORIAL STAFF MEMBERS:

Main number: 202-737-3220
Assignment editor: 202-626-7965 (Rob Harleston)
Assignment editor: 202-626-7965 (Ellen Schweiger)
Fax number: 202-737-6226
Viewer services: 765-464-3080
dceditor [at] c-span.org (Rob Harleston, Assignment Editor)
congress [at] c-span.org (Karen Gaither, Assignment Editor)
journal [at] c-span.org (producers of Washington Journal, shown
daily)
viewer [at] c-span.org
events [at] c-span.org (C-SPAN established venue to suggest a
public event -
polling email address)
radio [at] c-span.org (C-SPAN radio)

We are disappointed that C-SPAN has chosen not to cover
unanswered questions, un-addressed issues, and hidden
information pertinent to public safety and national
security. However, we are hoping that the response of many
Americans willing to phone, fax and email C-SPAN will
convince them to reconsider their position and cover our
event so many others will have the benefit of evaluating
previously un-addressed issues.

The goal of our event is to raise glaringly obvious and
disturbing questions that remain unanswered in the wake of
9/11. In its prejudiced decision not to cover this
important event, C-SPAN is in effect taking our money
(taxpayer cable-funded fees) and using it against us to deny
public access to legitimate and credible inquiry regarding
issues of
paramount importance to the public safety and national
security.

If we should fail in our attempt to have C-SPAN reconsider,
we will call on concerned citizens and victim families to
take the initiative to research civil procedure regarding
C-SPAN's actions. While UnansweredQuestions can play a
minor role in this effort, it will remain true to its
primary goal of galvanizing the public's call for answers
and full accountability with regard to the events and issues
surrounding September 11th.

C-SPAN IS TOO IMPORTANT A NATIONAL TREASURE AND MEDIA ASSET
FOR US TO IGNORE THIS UNFAIRLY BIASED EDITORIAL DECISION.


Please look for audio archive and transcript at our site by
the end of the week.

Thank you for your interest and support,

Sincerely,

Tom Flocco: tomflocco [at] cs.com
Kyle F. Hence: kylehence [at] earthlink.net
Catherine Austin Fitts: catherine [at] solari.com