Newsgroups: soc.motss
From: dbailey@cix.compulink.co.uk (Diane Bailey)
Subject: URGENT - Pat Robertson info Needed (expanded)
Reply-To: dbailey@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1992 05:09:32 +0000




Here's an expanded urgent appeal for help from Britain.

Thankyou to all who have already replied, but it looks like I
should have been more specific previously.

As I wrote earlier, Pat Robertson has applied for a cable /
satellite television license in Britain, which would also give
him access to all of Europe.  He wants to add his Family Channel
to the direct-to-home-dish services which can be received easily
and cheaply everywhere on this continent.  He would be alongside
MTV and CNN, Sky (which is like Fox and has the Simpsons) and
various movie channels - a dangerously accessible position for
ordinary viewers, as far we are concerned.

For him to be disqualified we need to show the licensing
authority that he is an _officer_ of an organisation that is
"wholely or mainly political".  Political means anything from
trying to influence voting, a change in law or public policy,
upwards.

Obviously he does these things all the time.  But the problem is
that the licensing authority is accepting Robertson's claim that
the Christian Broadcasting Network and the Family Channel are only
religious.  And, although I have lots of references to Robertson
"having an agenda", and to him writing this or that item of
filth, or to the Christian Coalition, the Christian Right, the
700 Club, The Coalition on Revival, the National Co-ordinating
Council and the Roads to Victory Conference, I have nothing
that places on record either that his companies have a purpose
which we can show is political (such as being there to increase
the number of right-wing legislators, or to stop abortion, or to
prevent LesBiGay rights), OR that actually says Robertson is an
_officer_ of one of the clearly political groups.

Does he have an official position in the Republican Party (or was
he just "leading the prayers" at their hate-fest)?

So, amongst your stuff, has anyone got, or can anyone find
(perhaps in a library, or through an on-line database) a specific
current reference that says anything like "Robertson is a council
member of ___, which wants ___", or that he perhaps officially
edits, or publishes a group's newsletter, or whatever.  Or a
reference to someone representative of CBN or the Family Network
or his other companies (of which we _do_ know he is an officer)
saying that they are there to do something or another that we can
show is political, rather than religious or commercial?

And has anyone got detailed addresses / numbers for any of the
groups listed above.

With his record of falsehood, the general stupidity of his logic
and in these heated election times I don't believe that he really
has kept himself so carefully insulated from these disqualifying
activities as the licensing authority here seem to believe.  Help
prove it!

Mail to me in case I might miss it here, and it will go straight
to the right place.  If it's a reference to a top newspaper that
we can extract here then brief details are fine (even Great!), or
if it could be faxed then fax it to +44 71 722 1115, or mail me.

We have to submit it by Tuesday - the process is really quick and
we had no notice.

We are in this position due to the 1990 Broadcasting Act which
Thatcher proposed.  He could never have hoped for a license here
previously.  It would make a nicely powerful story if anyone
could link her to Robertson - a joint speaking engagement, her on
one of his tv shows, or more.  Is he on the board of the Heritage
Foundation for example.

If he gets this license he keeps growing.  If he fails he might
stall - his proposed takeover of MTM productions (Hill Street
Blues, St Elsewhere, Lou Grant, the Mary Tyler Moore Show,
Capital News, WKRP in Cincinnati, Evening Shade, and the output
of Thirteen WNET, which includes Paul Simon's Born at the Right
Time tour documentary, etc) which he wants in order to add their
attractions to his "family programming" in the US might, for
example, also fail as a result.  As did his attempt to buy UPI
earlier this year.  It might also distract him from the US
elections.

Over to you!

Diane Bailey
dbailey@cix.compulink.co.uk