Subscribers to various cable TV packages may have noticed a new channel recently, but a New York State Assemblyman, Kieran Lalor, wants it removed — and is threatening to boycott the provider.
WAMC Al Jazeera America began broadcasting in the U.S. August 20. Assemblyman Kieran Lalor, a Fishkill Republican, says constituents began calling and emailing him, saying they were offended that Al Jazeera programming was part of a basic pre-paid package. He says he then stumbled across the channel while searching for a Yankees game at a family barbeque.
Lalor, a Marine Corps veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, says he has written to executives at Verizon, which is his provider, Comcast, DirecTV, and Dish Network, asking them to drop Al Jazeera America from their basic cable packages.He says he purposely chose the anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks as the deadline for cable companies to remove Al Jazeera from the package.y(
Lalor says if Al Jazeera America is not removed from basic cable packages by September 11, he will lead a boycott of the providers.
In an e-mailed statement, a Comcast spokeswoman says, “Al Jazeera purchased Current TV earlier this year and recently began broadcasting Al Jazeera America. Comcast is abiding by its affiliate agreement with Current TV and carrying Al Jazeera America.”
Verizon, meanwhile, has responded to Lalor’s August 26th letter to the Verizon chairman with a letter of its own, saying that Verizon offers more than 575 channels on FiOS TV, including more than 100 news and information channels that viewers can choose to watch or not watch. The letter adds that the assemblyman’s correspondence has been forwarded to the FiOS TV content and planning teams.
Even the new government in Egypt has banned al-Jazeera, while Al-Gore scored $100 million to push it into the homes of millions Americans.
It’s a shame that they have protected speech. Just wish they would take their speech elsewhere. I’m sure the Whitehouse has a premium subscription to the channel.
Their right to free speech is as sacrosanct as ours. If THOSE assholes took over, just how long would OURS last? Truth wins out every time; give them enough rope and they will HANG THEMSELVES…EVERY TIME!!!
I haven’t owned a TV for 30 years.
Laughing… so funny. Soledad… where are you?
Al Gore just goes to prove that we better do our home work and cut government down to size so we can manage the politicians better than we have (NOT) been doing. Just think he was VP of the USA and look at him now. Stelios
James I Totally Agree!
How much worse for America than the Obama administration can Aljazeera be?
At least one can turn Aljazeera off!
BOYCOTT the terrorist muslim mouth piece. I would do all I can to shut this Obama loving terrorist channel. Al Gore is a traitor and should be tarred and feathered on the aljazeera channel.
Al G u greedy pig ,oink
This new Al Jazeera channel has been trying to promote their new show of lies on nearly every Dish channel. I am tired of their ads, even on Fox news channel.
I have created a list of frequented favorites and made sure that channel is excluded! They are doomed to fail if everyone else does the same.
get on mailing list of florida family assoc ffa they will keep you apprised of their sponsors
so far Proctor &Gamble is the only major company that still advertises on AJAM
I already support the Florida Family Association and sign their petitions, to encourage advertisers not to advertise with Al Crap. They do a good job and many advertisers leave al crapo. We too can boycott the evil media station and boycott all advertisers who use their evil service.
Now that’s a politician I can support! We need more clear-thinking men of conviction just like him to run this country.
As much as I don’t care for Al-Jazeera, they are protected by the 1st Amendment, just as FOX (FAUX) News, or Chicken Noodle News (CNN)….but until Al-Jazeera is caught broadcasting something that advocates Jihad or any other activity that advocates or otherwise promotes breaking the law, they have just as much right to be on the air as anyone else who pays the broadcast licensing fees to individual cable operators…
No they are NOT protected by the first amendment. Protection by the First Amendment applies to U S Citizens ONLY. It is one of the advantages to BEING a citiizen of the United States. We do not have to extend U S Rights to a bunch of foreign lunatics. If this has changed in the last 35 years then God help us all we are cooked.
The owners of the broadcast licensee ARE US Citizens, as foreign nationals are barred from owning broadcast properties. This is per FCC policy and Federal Law.
Granted, I think allowing Al-Jazeera airspace is a piss-poor idea, but it is nonetheless constitutionally protected. I’d just as soon see Al-Jazeera in a mushroom cloud, but I don’t get to make that call. Constitutional protections extend to ALL who are on United Stares soil.
This goes back to the Miranda v. Arizona decision of the 1960s, where suspects are REQUIRED to be informed of their constitutional rights at time of arrest, regardless of their status in the country, be it citizen, permanent resident, visitor, or illegal alien…the protections protect ALL, lest tyranny raise its ugly head, and deprive all of us of our God-given rights.
Do not get into a pissing contest with me on this one, Engler; I know the law better than you on this, and with 35+ years as a legal, political and military analyst, you will LOSE on this one, and lose big
If you want to change it, keep in mind that amending the 1st Amendment can be amended THE OTHER WAY, and that it is YOUR religious freedoms IN PARTICULAR that could be targeted.
As I said before — as a RULE OF LAW — unless they seek to, or incite others to break the law and/or rise up against the Government of the United States, they (in this case, Al-Jazeera America) are on Constitutionally protected ground, period, full stop, END OF DUSCUSSION!!!
The most powerful means of chopping off the head of this brand of snake is through boycotts. NOTHING — and I mean NOTHING — is more powerful than hitting them (sponsors) below the belt/wallet, and killing their bottom line. THAT will snap wayward sponsors back to reality than anything else. ***
Agreed. This tactic of applying our Bill of Rights to Jihadist is illegal and insane. They have no rights under our laws. Remember this, these people broadcasted Americans being killed in Iraq.