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Me#1You#10
Site Admin
Joined: 06 May 2004
Posts: 6503
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 Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 10:08 pm Post subject: Local Maine Cable Operator In Need Of Support? |
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Got any e-mails left for a courageous local cable president in Maine?
| Quote: | Turmoil at MCCTV in 'Stolen Honor' wake
By Anthony Ronzio
Rockland Village Soup
ROCKLAND (Nov 1): Members of the board of directors of Maine Coast Community Television have distanced themselves from the airing of a controversial documentary on John Kerry, saying the station's president acted on his own to show the film.
Maynard Stanley, president of the new Midcoast local access cable television station, started airing "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal" last week. The 43-minute film critical of Democratic presidential candidate Kerry is airing three times a day.
After the film aired, the vice president of MCCT, Rick Winslow, said the nonprofit station's board of directors never approved showing the film. Winslow has since resigned as vice president because of the controversy over the film.
"If it had been approved by MCCT for air, it would have probably been balanced with the other side's opinion -- since it's so controversial," Winslow said.
This week, MCCT started airing "Going Up River: The Long War of John Kerry" twice daily at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., according to Winslow.
Like "Stolen Honor," "Going Up River" features interviews with Vietnam veterans, but is based on a biography of John Kerry, "Tour of Duty," written by George Brinkley.
A longtime friend of Kerry, George Butler, produced and directed the film. Butler is best known as the director of "Pumping Iron," the 1977 documentary that launched the career of an unknown Austrian bodybuilder named Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Schwarzenegger is now the Republican governor of California. Butler lives on a farm in New Hampshire.
The board of MCCT will meet Nov. 4 at the McLain School to discuss a reaction to Stanley's airing of "Stolen Honor." The public meeting begins at 7 p.m.
Winslow, who still serves on the MCCT board, said Monday it is possible Stanley could be removed as president of the fledgling station.
When reached Monday, Stanley said he aired the video as a private citizen, and felt he didn't require board approval because the film met all the conditions for MCCT.
"There was no profanity, no nudity, and no immoral content," Stanley said. As the top producer of shows for the station, he added, the board hasn't shown interest in reviewing the dozens of other tapes he provides.
"I was disappointed that Sinclair broadcasting decided to pull the film," Stanley said. "I didn't show this with malicious intent. This is about freedom of speech."
Based in Rockland, Rockland Bureau Chief Anthony Ronzio can be reached at 207-594-5351 or by e-mail at aronzio@villagesoup.com.
Rockland Village Soup
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Email: mcct@mainecoasttv.com
Last edited by Me#1You#10 on Wed Nov 03, 2004 10:19 pm; edited 6 times in total |
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Navy_Navy_Navy
Admin
Joined: 07 May 2004
Posts: 5777
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| Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for giving me the opportunity to congratulate this station manager. 
_________________
~ Echo Juliet ~
Altering course to starboard - On Fire, Keep Clear
Navy woman, Navy wife, Navy mother |
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CaptnJack
Ensign
Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 71
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| Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 10:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks for the email addy,, I sent him a big THANK YOU |
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Stevie
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 25 Aug 2004
Posts: 1451
Location: Queen Creek, Arizona
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| Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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me too, mine will be sent within minutes.... just wanted to post this so you
would know, I'm on it also.
Hurray for him!!! another great American! free speech for all of us, not
just John Kerry! Wish we had such a brave soul out here.... I think I'll start emailing them also!
_________________
Stevie
Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage
morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should
be arrested, exiled or hanged. |
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Me#1You#10
Site Admin
Joined: 06 May 2004
Posts: 6503
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| Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 12:58 am Post subject: MCCT board dissolved in 'Stolen Honor' flap |
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Further developments...sure sounds like Maynard Stanley took a courageous position, and he appears to have significant community support...
| Quote: | MCCT board dissolved in 'Stolen Honor' flap
ByAnthony Ronzio
ROCKLAND (Nov 5): The founder of Maine Coast Community Television dissolved the station's board of directors on Thursday, after the airing of a controversial political documentary on the local access cable station jeopardized its nonprofit status.
Rick Winslow read a short statement dissolving the board at the end of a politically heated three-hour meeting at the McLain School. As the founder and director of the station, Winslow has total control over its administration.
Last week, the president of MCCT, Maynard Stanley, began airing "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal," a controversial documentary about the Vietnam War record of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry.
Stanley aired the copyrighted film without informing Winslow, the founder of the station, an oversight that violated Winslow's agreement with the National Heritage Foundation, which provides MCCT its nonprofit 501c3 status.
MCCT is a project of the National Heritage Foundation, according to Dale Preston, the philanthropic development officer for MCCT and the organization's liaison to the foundation.
Though Stanley had procured the copyright for "Stolen Honor," Preston said his failure to give the paperwork to Winslow meant the tape began airing technically without copyright -- and therefore opened up Winslow, and the foundation, to liability if sued.
"The National Heritage Foundation relies on Rick's promise to not expose the foundation to liability," Preston said. "Copyright laws appear to have been violated."
Preston's sentiments were unpopular with the dozens of audience members who vocally supported Stanley's airing of the film. Many criticized the board for trying to squelch Stanley's right to free speech by punishing him for showing "Stolen Honor."
"I'll be damned if you're going to let him be kicked around like that," said Bob Shotwell of Camden.
Former Rockland City Councilor Mike McNeil said, "I looked all around for a copy of 'Stolen Honor' and I couldn't find one. I could find 65 copies of 'Fahrenheit 911.' To me this is about freedom of speech and I applaud you for [showing] it."
"I applaud Maynard," said Steve Waterman of South Thomaston. "If anyone can be called a true American hero, he falls into that category."
Sinclair Broadcast Group was set to air the film locally on WGME-TV in late October, but objections from the Kerry campaign, some veterans groups and others led to its replacement with a different documentary about Vietnam prisoners of war.
After the film's cancellation, Stanley procured a tape of the film from its producer, Red, White and Blue Productions of Harrisburg, Pa., and began airing it Thursday on MCCT, channel 7 on the Adelphia dial.
Stanley said he also made several copies of the tape and sent them to local access stations throughout Maine and New England.
When the remaining board members were notified "Stolen Honor" was appearing, a second documentary, "Going Up River: The Long War of John Kerry," started airing Sunday to bring a balance, according to Winslow.
Though Stanley apologized to the MCCT board for playing "Stolen Honor" without notifying members first, he continued to maintain he did nothing wrong.
"We are a public access station, not a Democrat, Republican, or Green access," Stanley said. "We cannot allow or disallow programming because of our political beliefs."
John Jeffers, a board member of MCCT, told Stanley politics had little role in this controversy. "We were exposed," Jeffers said. "We need to ensure your actions don't affect us in the long run."
Preston, speaking for the National Heritage Foundation, said MCCT's nonprofit status could be revoked because it opened up the foundation to litigation.
In the end, that was all Winslow needed to hear. Reading a short letter at the end of the meeting, he resigned from the board of directors and then, as founder of the station, dissolved the group for good.
MCCT still exists, but now with Winslow as its sole face. A new board will be formed with many of the same faces, but Stanley's future with MCCT is seriously in doubt.
Preston said if Stanley continues to serve with MCCT, he'll have to discuss with the heritage foundation the station's future.
"He is too dangerous and too irresponsible," Preston said about Stanley. "He doesn't understand and respect the relationship with the National Heritage Foundation and it's put us all in a bad light."
Rockland Village Soup |
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Barbie2004
Commander
Joined: 18 Sep 2004
Posts: 338
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 9:04 pm Post subject: |
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A very sad day in the "People's Republic of Maine." 
Is there a follow-up? Did he get his position back?
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Me#1You#10
Site Admin
Joined: 06 May 2004
Posts: 6503
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| Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 5:16 pm Post subject: |
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In the "all politics is local" department, the brouhaha continues in one Maine community...be sure to read the comments to the original story linked at the bottom of the website...
| Quote: | MCC Television reborn with no money or tax-exempt status
By Michael Sabiers
Rockland Village Soup
ROCKLAND (Feb 2, 2005): The lone remaining member of local-access cable station Maine Coast Community Television, president Maynard Stanley, named five people to a new board of directors at a meeting Monday afternoon.
He also acknowledged that the station had lost its nonprofit status and website and that it was broke.
Nearly everything Stanley said, including the legality of the meeting itself, was challenged by several former MCCT board members and others in the audience.
They claimed the meeting had not been announced in a newspaper of record at least seven days in advance, as required by the organization's bylaws.
Several in attendance also questioned the disposition of about $600 of the organization's money, the status of the MCCT website and whether the new board would be perceived as neutral given that most of the new board members are active in the Republican Party.
Rockland Village Soup - cont'd |
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