Uh-oh: CBS News to air anti-GA hit piece on Wed. 1/14

This next link will take you to their video preview page where if you scroll
down to last link called-
Evening News: Next
It will bring up the ad for the GA piece.
What a farce!
I guess next they'll do a piece on how I can take my boat
anywhere I please without reporting to the Government.

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_vi...s500251.shtml#

David H wrote in message ...
I just saw a "teaser" piece during the CBS Evening News promoting their
"investigation" on security at GA airports, to air tomorrow (Wed.
1/14). It looks like it's going to be just awful.


Snipped from the CBS website: There's an email address I plan on
sending an email to.

----------------------------
(CBS) And here's an early look at what we're working on for tomorrow's
broadcast:

There are thousands of general aviation airstrips around the country
with little or no security. How can that be after 9-11? We'll have the
story on Wednesday's CBS Evening News.

If you would like more information on any of these stories or the
broadcast, please click on the following address and e-mail us:

AOPA has something up on this on the home page.

Just saw the teaser via the CBS website. I sent them a well-reasoned and
thoughtful e-mail, which of course means it will be promptly discarded.
Still it can't hurt.

I'm going to try and record it tonight on video tape.

--
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Good Flights!

Cecil
PP-ASEL

Check out my personal flying adventures complete with pictures and text at:
www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -
"

"Cecil E. Chapman" wrote in message
om...
AOPA has something up on this on the home page.

Just saw the teaser via the CBS website. I sent them a well-reasoned and
thoughtful e-mail, which of course means it will be promptly discarded.
Still it can't hurt.


Actually it will hurt. CBS is a BUSINESS that is measured by the number or
people who watch their programming and the more feedback they get the better
(to them).

Mike
MU-2


I'm going to try and record it tonight on video tape.

--
--
=-----
Good Flights!

Cecil
PP-ASEL

Check out my personal flying adventures complete with pictures and text
at:
www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -
"

"Mike Rapoport" wrote in message
ink.net...
|
| "Cecil E. Chapman" wrote in message
| om...
| AOPA has something up on this on the home page.
|
| Just saw the teaser via the CBS website. I sent them a well-reasoned
and
| thoughtful e-mail, which of course means it will be promptly discarded.
| Still it can't hurt.
|
|
| Actually it will hurt. CBS is a BUSINESS that is measured by the number
or
| people who watch their programming and the more feedback they get the
better
| (to them).
|

Actually, the email signaled to CBS that their show will be watched by every
pilot in the country. No doubt there are CBS executives sitting around
saying, "That worked pretty well. Let's do it again."

C J Campbell wrote:

Actually, the email signaled to CBS that their show will be watched by
every pilot in the country. No doubt there are CBS executives sitting
around saying, "That worked pretty well. Let's do it again."

So here I am, ready to write something. I see your point, but what
alternative is there to complaining? I don't like the idea of ignoring it.

What do people suggest?

BTW, I was planning to ask when they'll be discussing the fact that trucks
can go anywhere without flight plans or talking to ground traffic control.
Considering how often trucks have been used in terrorist attacks, both
world-wide and in the US, this is terrifying.

I wasn't even going to mention that I'm a pilot (it's not really relevant to
my point).

- Andrew

Besides what I posted above, I PS'd my email to CBS by telling them to relay
a message to their advertisers that I will no longer be viewing any CBS
shows, including their network news. Then I emailed a local FBO owner who
promptly got a hold of the nearest CBS affiliate to interview him. No where
did I indicate that I was a pilot.
--
Jim Burns III

Remove "nospam" to reply



So here I am, ready to write something. I see your point, but what
alternative is there to complaining? I don't like the idea of ignoring
it.

What do people suggest?

BTW, I was planning to ask when they'll be discussing the fact that trucks
can go anywhere without flight plans or talking to ground traffic control.
Considering how often trucks have been used in terrorist attacks, both
world-wide and in the US, this is terrifying.

I wasn't even going to mention that I'm a pilot (it's not really relevant
to
my point).

- Andrew

Not that it will do any good, but I sent the following to CBS:

I am writing, with no expectations of it having any effect, to express my
grave dissatisfaction with the promotional spots you are running for this
evening's newscasts. In these spots, you promise to reveal the grave
security threat that general aviation airports pose to our country. These
spots - and presumably the report you intend to run this evening - are
focused on a threat that is at best extremely remote.

Like almost any other pilot, I could cite any number of reasons why this
nation's light aircraft present far less of a threat than nearly every other
means of transportation. The simple fact, however, is that your
organization isn't even remotely concerned with telling the other side of
the story. Any number of national organizations, such as the Airplane
Owners and Pilot's Association (AOPA), would have happily granted on-camera
interviews for this story if they had been invited to do so. Since CBS News
failed to take even this basic and obvious step, one can only conclude that
your broadcast will reflect only one reporter's misguided understanding of
the world.

CBS News is not serving the public interest with this report, and is not
adhering to it's commitment to use the public airwaves in a responsible
manner.

In closing, I want to assure you that my letter should not be taken as an
indicator that I will be viewing your broadcast this evening. I also won't
bore you with threats to boycott your broadcasts in the future. The truth
of the matter is that my family simply gave away our television three years
ago, and have never looked back. A big part of our decision to do so came
from being exposed to over-hyped, inaccurate, and uninformative news reports
such as this one. In fact, I urge to continue on the road you have chosen.
Every time you present something that a good number of people know to be
patently false, you impugn your credibility with the public even further.
Eventually, you just may offend everyone enough to get them to follow my
family's example.

"Geoffrey Barnes" wrote in message
nk.net...
Not that it will do any good, but I sent the following to CBS:
[snip]
In closing, I want to assure you that my letter should not be taken as an
indicator that I will be viewing your broadcast this evening. I also
won't
bore you with threats to boycott your broadcasts in the future. The truth
of the matter is that my family simply gave away our television three
years
ago, and have never looked back. A big part of our decision to do so came
from being exposed to over-hyped, inaccurate, and uninformative news
reports
such as this one.

Good man!!

I disconnected our cable two years ago...we have a 54" TV, but the only
signal it gets from the DVD and VCR players.

I contacted the owner of the FBO at KAUW where there is also a CBS station
in town. He emailed me back and said that they were on their way out for an
interview to get his reaction to the network story.
--
Jim Burns III

Remove "nospam" to reply

"David H" wrote in message
...
I just saw a "teaser" piece during the CBS Evening News promoting their
"investigation" on security at GA airports, to air tomorrow (Wed.
1/14). It looks like it's going to be just awful.

It showed a home on a residential airpark, and a woman in a hangar
saying "we can just come and go anytime we want, with no restrictions!"
Footage shows a Cessna approaching and landing. Announcer voice-over:
"You heard that right, NO RESTRICTIONS. Wait until you see what we
found. You'll be shocked. Tune in tomorrow for a CBS Evening News
Investigation."

Disgusting. This looks like it's going to be awful.

I just heard it again as I was typing this: "The trouble with security
at small airports, tomorrow." Looks like they're going to hype it a
lot. Ugh, where's my barf bag....


David H
Boeing Field (BFI), Seattle, WA
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