Y2K Newswire uncovers proof that businesses are pressuring local NBC affiliates to yank the Y2K Movie, due to air this Sunday. Details inside... http://www.y2knewswire.com/19991119.asp *** Exclusive feature. Must credit Y2K Newswire ***

CORPORATE CENSORSHIP IN KANSAS CITY!

Y2K Newswire has now learned and verified that a consortium of businesses in the Kansas City area are pressuring the local NBC affiliate -- KSHB-TV, channel 41 -- to yank the Y2K Movie, due to air this Sunday.

Y2K Newswire was told, in a telephone interview, this consortium includes the local utility company: Kansas City Power and Light. Y2K Newswire was told, "It was a coalition representing a whole group in the Kansas City region. And that was the group that decided they wanted to send the letter [to suggest taking the Y2K Movie off the air]."

At press time, KSHB-TV had not responded to whether they would cave in to corporate pressure to yank the controversial movie.

In a fax obtained by Y2K Newswire, Kansas City's Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) explains they asked Channel 41, "...that they either not run the movie or that they provide a disclaimer and news coverage of how well the region is prepared." The fax also claims Kansas City Power & Light (KCPL) has written a similar letter.

Also in the fax: an admission that, "...there has been pressure from national groups not to show the movie..."

Y2K Newswire spoke with an MARC spokesperson who confirmed the authenticity of the fax and reiterated concern that the movie might have unintended consequences, saying, "Our concern is for the safety of the residents of the greater Kansas City region. And anything that might create unnecessary worry regarding Y2K does concern us, yes."

But Y2K Newswire asks: if Kansas City area businesses are really concerned about the safety of residents, why don't they urge Channel 41 to run a safety-oriented Y2K preparedness education segment?

Interestingly, Y2K Newswire may agree that the Y2K Movie does not represent the apex of responsible television programming. Y2K Newswire suggests that replacing the movie with a documentary educating people about Y2K preparedness is far more constructive.

But don't expect business consortiums to rally behind this common sense idea. The Y2K Movie, apparently, isn't Must See TV.

EDITORIAL SEGMENT

Important Questions:

Where is the cry from businesses to banish TV violence? If they really care about the safety of the people, why do they tolerate televised murders and other gore?

If the businesses really care about the safety, why didn't they urge the TV stations to air responsible Y2K education programs? Y2K Newswire is aware of one high-quality documentary that would help teach the people about Y2K: but affiliate stations refuse to run it, saying it's, "Too scary!"

Why do businesses feel they alone have the right to dictate what programs are appropriate for Americans to watch?

What does this say about the integrity of television stations who cave in to corporate pressure?

What about the advertising link? Don't these TV stations make their money from the advertisements run by the same companies urging them not to run the Y2K Movie? Isn't this, effectively, a form of advertiser blackmail? "You don't run the movie and we won't yank our ads..."

More to follow...

# End #

-- Brooklyn (MSIS@cyberdude.com), November 18, 1999

Answers

All of this lying and corporate PR will end up causing the real panic. What are they so, so worried about if they're Y2K peachy-keen? Corporations telling people they're ready are simply lying. This is a unique situation in history and they won't know what to be READY for until the event onset. We are beyond the threshold of of orderly purchasing for the masses for certain.

I fear a 10 now. This is not gonna be pretty.

-- PJC (paulchri@msn.com), November 18, 1999.

I've already TOLD these bozos what to do, and I'm NOT gonna tell them again: Put their advertising dollars behind "All-Nude Celebrity Mudwrestling" during the appropriate time slot on the opposing ABC/CBS/Fox affiliate -- if they have THAT little confidence in the people who pay the bills.

Pressuring the local NBC affiliates to kill it, though? Trust me, boys -- that's going to do more harm than good...

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), November 18, 1999.

I wish that the...

National Weather Service would help censor all hurricane or tornado disaster movies, they are really, really violent.

FEMA would help censor all earthquake or volcano disaster movies, they are really, really violent.

The National Association of Police Officers would help censor all movies with Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwartznegger, or Jacki Chan as they are really, really violent.

Remember kids, people don't kill people, guns, movies, and other things kill people, so help us stop this madness.

-- Uncle Bob (UNCLB0B@Tminus43&counting.down), November 18, 1999.

One thing that has bothered me about the "Y2K-TM" supression stories is motive. I can understand the banks being concerned about bank runs. But why the power companies? No such thing as a run on electricity.

One possible explanation might be scrutiny. If enough people get up set, folks might start asking questions the utilities don't want to answer.

-- Pete (pberry1_98@yahoo.com), November 18, 1999.

If there is enough outcry against the movie, even to the point of outright censorship, the public may get a clue and watch it..or at least wonder what it was that they missed. The net result may be exactly opposite of what the utilities and other naysayers had in mind. In other words, by protesting, they could be shooting themselves in the foot...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), November 18, 1999.

They are afraid of the Day Before The Storm People who rise up in mass from the foggy and dark grave yard, with arms stretched stiffly before themselves, they begin to walk staggering, dropping pieces of rotting clothing and skin, they're fingernails packed with the boggy dirt, and leaves left untouched in their hair, and in unison, each one intent on personal survival and unaware of the masses of other zombies walking beside themselves, they head on down to the Piggly Wiggly. The citizens upon seeing them approach begin to scream, and in terrified fashion race through the doors of the Piggly Wiggly to escape the coming of the Day Before The Storm People, they rush to their homes and bolt their doors, the drapes are pulled, and whole families crouch together in tight packs behind a locked cellar door in silence and frozen horror. The Day Before The Storm People enter, a checker is pushed aside, a stocker is hurled down the aisle, and the orgy begins as each one scratches, struggles and fights for toilet paper, milk, bread, and other worthless items as emergency preparedness. The carts are pushed with violence into the back of that zombie, and into the side of another, oaths and curses are exchanged, the zombies begin to fight claiming ones own needs over anothers, and then in a mass they leave the Piggly Wiggly a stripped and demolished mess, to now in staggering fashion with their shoulders bumping each others head for the local gas station.

Maybe the movie should be pulled, if it really risks opening the door to the sound of the dirt being pawed through in the foggy and dark grave yard? What if these people in Kansas are right? What if they aren't game to have their businesses destroyed and the safety of their employees jeopardized by the awakening of The Day Before The Storm People? What if they really see that coming and are indeed for prepardness, prepared themselves, and grasp this is too late? That what is out there are The Day Before The Storm People?

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), November 18, 1999.

The local TV station should ask the utility companies to provide it with all the VERIFIED, DOCUMENTED legal trail showing that they have tested everything, and can GUARANTEE that the utilities will NOT be interrupted in 2000.

In return, if the TV station is satisfied that the documentation is genuine, then THE TV STATION COULD BROADCAST THE DISCLAIMER THEMSELVES, SAYING THAT ALL THE UTILITIES HAVE IT IN LEGAL WRITING THAT THERE WILL BE NO PROBLEMS IN 2000.

If the utility companies refuse, then the TV station should state this in the news , including the refusal to provide any documentation of preparedness, and REFUSE to broadcast ANY disclaimer from the utilities at any time before, during, or after the movie airs.

This would be fair to everyone if everyone is honest. But what are the odds of any of this scenario playing?

-- profit of doom (doom@helltopay.ca), November 18, 1999.