Democracy Now
Filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal say plans for their new documentary to air on public television have been quashed after billionaire Republican David Koch complained about the PBS broadcast of another film critical of him, "Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream," by acclaimed filmmaker Alex Gibney. Lessin and Deal were in talks to broadcast their film, "Citizen Koch," on PBS until their agreement with the Independent Television Service fell through. The New Yorker reports the dropping of "Citizen Koch" may have been influenced by Koch's response to Gibney's film, which aired on PBS stations, including WNET in New York late last year.
"Citizen Koch" tells the story of the landmark Citizens United ruling by the Supreme Court that opened the door to unlimited campaign contributions from corporations. It focuses on the role of the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity in backing Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who has pushed to slash union rights while at the same time supporting tax breaks for large corporations. The controversy over Koch's influence on PBS comes as rallies were held in 12 cities Wednesday to protest the possible sale of The Tribune newspaper chain, including the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, to Koch Industries, run by David Koch and his brother Charles.
Title: Did Public Television Commit Self-Censorship to Appease Billionaire Funder David Koch?
Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
1:26 PM
Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
1:26 PM
