From www.nytimes.com
By BERNARD WEINRAUB, Published: November 4, 2003
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 3 - Under pressure from Republicans and conservative groups, CBS is weighing a decision to scrap a completed four-hour mini-series, "The Reagans."
CBS has already demanded changes in the film, said another figure involved, the director, Robert Allan Ackerman. … It is unusual for a network to start substantively re-editing a completed film only weeks before it is scheduled to be shown. A CBS spokesman declined to comment, and it was unclear why the network would consider bowing to pressure.
Those who have read the script said it depicts a controlling and fiercely determined Mrs. Reagan, who has poor relations with her children, and a president who is cheerful, distant and a bit out of touch. But over the last week Republican and conservative commentators have said that the CBS mini-series seemed to be biased and to be a distortion. Ed Gillespie, chairman of the Republican National Committee, sent CBS a letter last week requesting that associates of Mr. Reagan review it for historical accuracy. In the absence of such a review, Mr. Gillespie asked the network to place a disclaimer on the screen every 10 minutes, advising viewers that the production contained fictional material.
Asked what conservatives were objecting to, Gillespie said "The lack of a Halo. Ronald Reagan was clearly chosen by God to defeat the Evil Empire and spread the Holy Gospel of Tax Cuts, yet this film appears to show him as a mere human. We're certainly not going to stand for that."
Other conservative pundits agreed that mere facts were unworthy of the Great Communicator. "It doesn't matter whether Nancy actually had summits rescheduled because of her astrologer," said Newt Gingrich. "What's important is that Republicans don't want her portrayed that way. There is a higher truth than the mere churning of left-wing Hollywood stereotypes, and it derives from GOP Orthodoxy. Frankly, this sleazy resort to facts sickens me."
Asked if CBS were not truckling to powerful interests in a craven, even whipped-dog style of unctiousness not seen since the 1950s, CBS President Les Moonves replied "Look, I know what's going on. If this were prison, the GOP would be selling me for cigarettes in the exercise yard. But what can I do?" When it was suggested that CBS, a media giant with an extensive, if distant, history of broadcast excellence, could actually stand up for itself, Moonves replied "Well, theoretically, yeah. But I man, theoretically, I could be a man. But let's get real. These are politically powerful millionaires with a rabid agenda. Smart people truckle to them, they don't stand in their way." Some CBS staffers are reported to be working on a project called "the Les Moonves Story," the lead role of which will be played by a mouse. Or possibly just a piece of cheese.
Remember, Kids, the part in bold is actual 100% news-flavored media product.
The rest is the fakey part.
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