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(E) History Channel - A&E
By Nenad N. Bach | Published  01/20/2002 | Media Watch | Unrated
(E) History Channel - A&E
Dear All,We Will Win this battle. No doubt. We just have to learn that others are doing it too and better then us for a long time. It takes some risk, financing, guts and passion. Pamet i postenje. Brains and Honor.Here we go. Call. E-mail. Fax. To A&E, Charlton Heston , sponsors.But PLEASE BE POLITE. Not polite words are counterproductive. PERIOD!best,Nenad www.historychannel.comHistory Channel/A&E Viewer RelationsAttn: Charlie Maday, Program DirectorE-mail: viewr1@aetv.comFax: 212-983-4370History channel is part of :A&E Network, 235 E. 45th St. New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-210-1400Fax: 212-983-4370Mr. Charlton HestonPresidentNational Rifle Association1250 Waples Mill RoadFairfax, Va. 22030Phone: 703-267-1000-------------------The program, Sworn to Secrecy, Balkans Tinderbox aired on Wednesday,Jan. 16, from 9-10 a.m. Here's how the the History Channel's Web site describes theprogram:Balkans Tinderbox:A look at the secret forces behind the strife throughout the Balkan States. From a single gunshot in Sarajevo that started WWI to the Nazi occupation in WWII to ethnic cleansing and the war in Kosovo, this volatile region has long been a threat to world peace. Charlton Heston narrates. TV PGFrank Mustac-----------------------------To: viewr1@aetv.comDate: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 21:08:12 -0800Subject: Balkans tinderboxHistory Channel /A&E Viewer RelationsAttn: Charley Maday, Program DirectorDear Sir:No words could be adequate to describe the anger and outrage Croatianviewers feel regarding Wednesday's program "Sworn to Secrecy, BalkansTinderbox" in which you slander and malign a whole nation with deliberatelies, inaccuracies and gross exaggerations by pretending it to be ahistorical documentary. It would require several pages to address all thelies in this so-called documentary, so I am limiting myself to justmention a few.How dare you portray the notorious Bosnian Serb concentration camp ofOmarska as a Bosnian Croat camp holding Muslims, when even the slightestcheck of world reports of that year would have clearly shown to even animbecile that Omarska was a Serb-run camp in which Croats and Muslimswere tortured and killed daily until the Western press finally exposed itand forced the Serbs to close it down. Or have your "history experts" notnoticed that the Serb camp commander of Omarska was recently tried andsentenced by the ICTY in The Hague for the terrible crimes committedthere? Just what documentation do you have to make the absurd statement that thelate Croatian President Tudjman approached Serb general Mladic andBosnian Serb leader Karadzic to divide Bosnia? - General Mladic? - he whowas one of the Serb military commanders overseeing the destruction andoccupation of one third of Croatia! Where did you get your informationfrom - straight from Milosevic and his propaganda machine? But then , you probably believe that Milosevic is the innocent man unjustly accused of the horrendousatrocities committed with his blessing by his henchmen in Croatia, Bosniaand Kosovo! Your program was without doubt one of the worst anti-Croatian, pro-Serbpropaganda pieces of garbage seen in the recent past. We demand aretraction and apology to your viewership for the outrageousmisrepresentation of actual historical events under the guise of history,for poisoning the minds of many young students watching it and we expectyou to have the decency to remove the program promptly. Appalled,Hilda M. FoleyMedia Relations National Federation of Croatian Americans13272 Orange Knoll,Santa Ana, Ca 92705------------------------------------ Well, no need for a coffee this morning, the pure adrenalin of seeing the latest garbage that the Serbian lobby has managed to place on TV will keep me awake, no problem. I think it is important to find out who produced and paid for this trash, but equally, if not more importantly, to advise the History Channel sponsors/advertisers that their money is going towards advertising their products during apologist/propaganda shows that discredit not only the History Channel, but also any companies that promote themsleves during these absurd programs. I'm sure that big corporations, for example Kellogs, would not want to be associated with war-crimes apologists; we need to advise them that their advertising dollars are going towards shows like this. Our embassy needs to get off its derrier and into action as well. What are they being paid for? Allen-----------------------------------To all unfortunately, the Croatian Embassy staffs (in London, Ottawa, Washington and other embassies around the world - this problem is not just limited to the United States) seem to think that this type of work is the primary responsibility of the diaspora - in otherwords, "us".Well - there's some truth to this. But, this needs to be a team effort. We are being swamped with Serbian propaganda. Another reason why the CAA and the NFCA need to start co-operating, or at least start talking with each other. Tony Margan.-------------------------------I already wrote to A&E and the History Channel. And I am about to writeto the Ambassador and the Public Affairs Office in Zagreb. Thispropaganda has got to stop.Judy - St. Louis------------------------------Whomever suggested going after the sponsors of the program - the advertisers - is an excellent way to get the message across to just what one-sided filth they are being connected with. I would also suggest that we have someone with name recognition and/or title write an editorial disputing the "facts" in the program and send that off to the nation's largest newspapers such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal. For added punch, throw a line into the editorial naming the sponsors/advertisers to get their attention as well.jg ------------------------ Well done, I am writing to the History Channel right now as well. I would also appreciate if anyone who saw this program could advise me which corporations advertised during its airing, I would like to contact their public relations offices. I think that getting sponsors (at least some) to withdraw advertising funds will be the quickest way to get a reaction from the History Channel management. Allen Milcic Mississauga, CanadaDear Sirs:Your current series of shows titled "Balkan Tinderbox", in the 'Sworn to Secrecy' program, is an absolute travesty. The information provided therein is acutely anti-Croatian, attempts to make excuses and apologies for the aggressors in the "Balkan" conflict ("Balkan" is a misnomer in itself), while at the same time blaming the victims. The show is a pathetic compilation of largely baseless speculation, fraught with inaccuracies and falsehoods, full of embellishment and downright slanderous to the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian people at large. It serves up the same old lies, distortions and propaganda that one would expect from a Slobodan Milosevic (former president of Yugoslavia and war criminal, in case you have forgotten) public relations desk; this is NOT what one would expect from a TV channel purporting to present and teach HISTORY. How DARE you show the CROATIAN and Muslim victims of Omarska Concentration Camp, a camp run by the Bosnian Serbs, and blame the CROATS for this?? How dare you suggest that the Republic of Croatia, under attack by Serbian forces and fighting for its very existence, tried to make deals with Serbia vis-a-vis Bosnia?? This is libel, slander, and an outright scandal! I am absolutely aghast, and I can tell you with all seriousness that, should this mockery of a TV show not be pulled from the air with due apologies and retractions, myself, my family, my friends, and, indeed, the entire North American audience of the History Channel that is of Croatian descent will never again subscribe, watch or otherwise support your station. I fully expect that the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia will be contacting you as well with a strong note of protest, and I would not be surprised if legal action were contemplated. The children of North America watch your shows and learn from them; you have, therefore, taken upon yourself the responsibility and duty to provide quality, TRUTHFUL programming. Shows such as "Balkan Tinderbox" are a complete failure to do so, and are either a sign of wanton negligence, serious incompetence, or of a despicable sell-out of values to the highest bidder by allowing propaganda garbage to be aired. Disgusted,Allen MilcicMississauga, Canada-----------------------------------Dear all, I just received this note from Deanie G. and my blood pressure is goingup without having seen it. Please everyone, sit down and write yourprotest to the History channel. I feel very strongly that the CroatianEmbassy should also write a strong letter objecting these lies. Theysimply cannot be allowed to be disseminated among the US viewers, amongthem especially many high school and college students, the futuregeneration Croatia will be dealing with. Hilda Foley History channel is part of :A&E Network, 235 E. 45th St. New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel 212-210-1400----- Forwarded Message -----Subject: History ChannelDear Hilda,Want to get your blood pressure up?The History Channel is running a series "Balkan Tinderbox". It was soooobad, I had to turn it off before I had a stroke. All of the old lies,distortions, half-truths, etc. They even showed a clip of Omarska (youknow, the starving Muslims and Croats) and said it was a "Croatian Campfor the Muslims that they doublecrossed!" Even said that when Tudjmancouldn't get a deal out of Milosevic (to carve up Bosnia), he contactedKaradzic and Mladic! Now really???I'm sure I'm not the only one that saw it, so the e-mails should beflying soon. Deaniedistributed by CROWN - www.croatianworld.net - CroWorldNet@aol.comNotice: This e-mail and the attachments are confidential information.If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail and the attachments is strictly prohibited and violators will be held to the fullest possible extent of any applicable laws governing electronic Privacy. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify the sender by telephone or e-mail, and permanently delete this e-mail and any attachments.
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