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[Just more indications that Multistakeholderism will really need to
deal with the very intimate relationship between State and
BigCorporates, particularly as it relates to the participation of
developed countries and 'their' multinational corporations. This is
important for internet governance because there are parties that in
a multistakeholder context get to double dip (or many more times
over) at the inclusiveness trough... That articles like this still
get published in the US is important, but needs to be understood
beyond a simple safety valve and a few bad apples, if indications
are that these are systemic. The question would remain to what
extent are companies and folk linked to IG playing this kind of role
particularly when profit rather than efficiency or effectiveness or
service is the goal.]<br>
<h2 class="itemTitle"> PBS Killed Wisconsin Uprising Documentary
"Citizen Koch" To Appease Koch Brothers </h2>
<span class="itemDateCreated"> Tuesday, 21 May 2013 09:19 </span> <span
class="itemAuthor"> By <a
href="http://truth-out.org/author/itemlist/user/45704">Brendan
Fischer</a>, <a
href="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/05/12118/pbs-killed-wisconsin-uprising-documentary-citizen-koch-appease-koch-brothers"
target="_blank">PRWatch</a> | Report </span>
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<p><span class="wf_caption" style="margin-bottom: 5px;
margin-left: 5px; float: right; display: inline-block;"><img
style="margin: auto;"
src="cid:part11.01080402.06000203@gmail.com" alt="(Photo:
Elsewhere Films)" width="306" height="340"><span
style="clear: both; text-align: left; margin-top: 3px;
width: 306px; display: block;">(Photo: Elsewhere Films)</span></span>"Citizen
Koch," a documentary about money in politics focused on the
Wisconsin uprising, was shunned by PBS for fear of offending
billionaire industrialist David Koch, who has given $23 million
to public television, according to <a
href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/05/27/130527fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=all"
target="_blank">Jane Mayer of the </a><a
href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/05/27/130527fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=all"
target="_blank">New Yorker</a>. The dispute highlights the
increasing role of private money in "public" television and
raises even further concerns about the Kochs potentially
purchasing eight major daily newspapers.</p>
<p>The film from Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Carl Deal and
Tia Lessin documents how the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens
United decision helped pave the way for secret political
spending by players like the Kochs, <a
href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prwatch.org%2Fnode%2F9964&ei=tsmaUdDQLIny0QHI6oDwCg&usg=AFQjCNEOnf4HBSJQ8BGj3vavqIepmupfzQ&sig2=0oobaf33G0SO9POLK_IQQQ&bvm=bv.46751780,d.dmQ"
target="_blank">who contributed directly and indirectly</a> to
the election of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker in 2010 and <a
href="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2012/02/11289/americans-prosperity-nonprofit-spreading-pro-walker-message"
target="_blank">came to his aid again</a> when the battle
broke out over his effort to limit collective bargaining. </p>
<p>Originally slated to appear on PBS stations nationwide as part
of the "Independent Lens" series, "Citizen Koch" had its funding
pulled after David Koch was offended by another PBS documentary
critical of the billionaire industrialists.</p>
<p>"People like the Kochs have worked for decades to undermine
public funding for institutions like PBS," Deal told the Center
for Media and Democracy. "When public dollars dry up, private
dollars come in to make up for the shortfall."</p>
<p>And that private funding can conflict with PBS' "public"
mission and its editorial integrity. The PBS distributor "backed
out of the partnership because they came to fear the reaction
our film would provoke," Deal and Lessin said in a statement.
"David Koch, whose political activities are featured in the
film, happens to be a public-television funder and a trustee of
both [New York PBS member station] WNET and [Boston member
station] WGBH. This wasn’t a failed negotiation or a divergence
of visions; it was censorship, pure and simple.”</p>
<p><strong>"Park Avenue" Documentary Raised Koch Hackles</strong></p>
<p>In November of last year, the New York PBS affiliate WNET aired
a documentary by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, "Park
Avenue," that explored growing income inequality by contrasting
the lives of residents in a luxury apartment building in
Manhattan with individuals living on the other end of Park
Avenue, in the Bronx. The film focuses on one of the apartment's
wealthiest residents, David Koch, and does not paint a
particularly positive image of the billionaire industrialist and
his brother, Charles.</p>
<p>Koch is also a board trustee and major donor to WNET. And
WNET's president called him before the documentary aired to
alert Koch to the critical content -- and took the nearly
unprecedented step of airing a disclaimer from Koch following
the film calling it "disappointing and divisive." WNET also
replaced the original introduction to the film, which had been
narrated by actor Stanley Tucci, with one calling the film
"controversial" and "provocative." </p>
<p>“They tried to undercut the credibility of the film, and I had
no opportunity to defend it,” the film's director Gibney told
Mayer. "Why is WNET offering Mr. Koch special favors?"</p>
<p>Independent Television Service (ITVS), an arm of PBS that funds
and distributes independent films, had funded "Park Avenue," and
aired it as part of ITVS' popular "Independent Lens" series that
runs on dozens of PBS member stations. ITVS also funded "Citizen
Koch" and it was also slated to be aired on the Independent Lens
series. </p>
<p>But "Citizen Koch" got caught in the blowback.</p>
<p><strong>Fearing Koch Backlash, Funding Pulled on "Citizen Koch"</strong></p>
<p>ITVS was excited about the "Citizen Koch" documentary before
"Park Avenue" aired. In April 2012, the company informed Deal
and Lessin their film would receive $150,000, and that “Everyone
here at ITVS looks forward to working with you on your very
exciting and promising program.”</p>
<p>But once "Park Avenue" aired, WNET blamed ITVS for impacting
its relationship with David Koch and not providing advance
notice of the film's contents. Mayer writes: </p>
<p>"[WNET President Neal] Shapiro acknowledged that, in his
conversations with ITVS officials about 'Park Avenue,' he was so
livid that he threatened not to carry its films in the future.
The New York metropolitan area is the largest audience for
public television, so the threat posed a potentially mortal blow
to ITVS."</p>
<p>ITVS got the message, and quickly changed its tune on "Citizen
Koch."</p>
<p>Lessin and Deal began receiving pressure from ITVS executives
to change the title and de-emphasize the Kochs' political
influence. One executive told the filmmakers the title was
"extremely problematic" and that “we live in a world where we
have to be aware that people with power have power.”</p>
<p>On a conference call in January, ITVS executives acknowledged
the push-back from WNET over the "Park Avenue" film, and again
urged the filmmakers to change the storyline. Sources told Mayer
that what their message was "Get rid of the Koch story line
... Because of the whole thing with the Koch brothers, ITVS knew
WNET would never air it."</p>
<p>"It is always a struggle for documentaries to get out there,"
Deal told CMD. "That's why PBS and ITVS are so important: they
support independent filmmakers to say new things on the public
airwaves." But because of funding pressures, "we won't have
access to that audience now," he said. "We're disappointed."</p>
<p><strong>PBS Reaction to "Citizen Koch" Proved the Film's Point:
Money Talks</strong></p>
<p>"Citizen Koch," which premiered at Sundance in January and
competed for Best Documentary, followed the activism and
struggles of former Republicans who felt betrayed by Walker's
union-busting move (which he never mentioned on the campaign
trail). The film documents the role of Koch-funded entities like
Americans for Prosperity, which spent <a
href="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2012/06/11604/politifact-false-about-koch-support-walker"
target="_blank">$10 million</a> aiding Walker in his recall
election. The film's final scene shows an Americans for
Prosperity official making the incredible claim the group is
"just like the Red Cross, just like any other nonprofit.”</p>
<p>In April of this year, one day after the film had its Dairy
State premiere at the Wisconsin Film Festival, ITVS informed
Lessin and Deal it had "decided not to move forward with the
project."</p>
<p>In a statement, the filmmakers said this is an ironic turn:
“It’s the very thing our film is about—public servants bowing to
pressures, direct or indirect, from high-dollar donors.”</p>
<p>"I don't believe there was a concerted conspiracy to keep
'Citizen Koch' off of public television, with David Koch as a
ringleader," Deal told CMD. "Instead, Koch's presence and role
in that world created an environment that was hostile to our
message. And that was enough." </p>
<p>Just before Mayer's New Yorker article was published, on May
16, David Koch resigned from WNET's board. The resignation was
the result, a source told Mayer, "of his unwillingness to back a
media organization that had so unsparingly covered its sponsor."</p>
<p><a
href="http://org.salsalabs.com/o/632/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=13288"
target="_blank">As has been widely reported</a>, the Kochs are
now considering a purchase of eight major daily newspapers
currently owned by the Tribune Companies. And that has Deal
worried. </p>
<p>"For anybody who says the owner or funder of an outlet doesn't
have an impact on what gets published, I hope they'll think
again."</p>
<p> </p>
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