CNN Employee On Tape: Cheney "X" Is "Freedom of Speech" - "Tell Bush And Cheney To Stop Lying"
Posted by Bill Quick
DAILY PUNDIT
*** SEE LATEST UPDATE BELOW - PRESKA THOMAS DEFENDS AUTHENTICITY OF TAPE ***
Listen to the tape here.
dailypundit.com
I interviewed Preska Thomas of Team Hollywood, an "international marketing company" today, after Team Hollywood sent out the following press release:
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U.S. Newswire : Releases : "CNN Caught OffGuard..."
To: National Desk
Contact: Jane Redding of Team Hollywood Inc., 310-289-2143
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 22 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following statement concerning CNN's airing of an 'X' over live video of Vice President Cheney was released today by Team Hollywood:
Monday morning, Nov. 21, 2005, at 11:00 AM, as CNN aired Vice President Dick Cheney's speech live from the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, the cable network flashed onscreen, repeatedly, a large black 'X' over the Vice President's face, while a headline at the bottom of its screen read, "CHENEY: I DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS WRONG TO CRITICIZE."
Unfortunately for CNN, a large number of their demographics also participate in Internet communities and Blogs, representing a large portion of their viewership and posing a threat to news cable and newspaper subscriber's fees.
Millions from across the country telephoned CNN to alert the network about an accidental "X" over the Vice President's face, only to be told that the "X" was intentional against the present administration. CNN callers flooded the Internet and online communities with calls to boycott the network.
Likewise, the international marketing consulting firm Team Hollywood Inc., responsible for a database of over 11 million Americans, both Democrats and Republicans from across the country, was consumed with the calls. "The volume of calls to our company became an issue that could not be ignored," stated Joan Friedman of Team Hollywood. "We needed a statement on behalf of the Internet community callers and their newsworthy Blogs, so we made the call."
When the founders of the company, Preska Thomas and Kevin Finn, made contact with the network, to their surprise they were bullied and harassed in the same way by the Headline News desk. Callers were repeatedly told by CNN, "Tell the President and Vice-President Dick Cheney to stop lying." Team Hollywood's conversation with the newsdesk was recorded. When the tape is played back, amongst political statements being made by the network were the words that the "X" was intentional, as an act of free speech by CNN.
Kevin Finn said, "The Vice-President is a symbol of the United States, much like the American flag. For CNN to desecrate the image of the Vice President is the same as the Iranians burning the U.S. flag at a rally staged for the whole world via television. It is a slap in the face to all those who serve and have served in the armed forces".
A Democrat caller, Tricia Rosenberg of Beverly Hills, Calif., compared the big "X" across the Vice President's face to the markings of a serial killer's hit list. "I can't believe that CNN resorted to such a tacky object".
Preska Thomas said, "Fair and balanced? I am certain that we have all heard those words before. Not exactly smart as a FOX! News should be non-partisan."
CNN was caught off-guard at the company's headquarters in Atlanta by the recording. The statements that were made through their Headline News desk are not acceptable and there are calls on the Internet for investigation by the FCC, the FBI and the Trilateral Commission.
>>>
Ms. Thomas played the tape she states was made of the call discussed above to CNN Headline News on the phone for me. I have not seen the actual tape itself, and have no first-hand knowledge of its authenticity.
You can listen to the tape here.
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In it, a male voice is clearly heard to say that the X overlaid on Vice President Dick Cheney's face during the broadcast of his speech to the American Enterprise Institute on 11-21-05 was an exercise of CNN's "freedom of speech." The unidentified man added, "Tell Bush and Cheney to stop lying," as well as other inflammatory attacks on the President and the Vice President.
Ms. Thomas said the recording was made between six and seven p.m. PT on 11/21/05, and adds that the female voice on the tape is hers.
Attempts to contact CNN Headline News for comment were unsuccessful.
Developing...
(Via Real Teen- Right on the Right , who provided the original tip).
rightontheright.com
UPDATE: As I continue to try to get through to somebody at CNN for comment on this, I came across a verbal disclaimer that sometimes plays before you get a live person. It advises that those answering the phones at the main CNN HN number are essentially call-takers, and "don't speak for CNN." I don't know if the CNN employee in the call above is one of those call-takers, but I'd hazard a guess it's a likely possibility. In which case this would not, of course, be an "official" CNN position. Still, the message conveyed under the CNN purview remains startling, to say the least.
UPDATE: 7:56 AM PT, 11/23/05: There is quite a bit of opinion around the blogosphere this morning to the effect that the call is a hoax. I have to admit the reference to the "Trilateral Commission" is off-putting, and the "teamhollywood.com" web site looks phony. Still, I did speak with a woman who claimed to be Preska Thomas and, later, when I called to have the tape re-played (bad first recording), I spoke to a man who said he was Kevin Finn. I made the recording over a speakerphone, but it is faithful to the original. I did no editing to the recording of the phone call. I do have some snippets of Ms. Thomas ranting at me over the phone as well. I may post those, too. As I said originally, I cannot attest to the authenticity of the tape. However, if the tape is not authentic, we do need to know in what way it is inauthentic. Was the entire thing staged? Was a call actually made to CNN? If so, were the replies the CNN call taker made faked, altered, or were they accurate?
I'll be trying to reach the TeamHollywood people again shortly for further clarification, and will update as soon as I have anything to report.
UPDATE: 9:04 AM, PT 11/23/05: TeamHollywood Spokesman Denies Tape A Hoax.
I just finished speaking with Preska Thomas, a spokesman for TeamHollywood, and the female voice on the tape cited above. She told me the tape was not a hoax and that she would be willing to submit a copy of the tape for authentication. (I would presume any such copy would need to be made under controlled, verifiable circumstances). She told me the call was made on the evening of September 21, the day of VP Cheney's speech, between six and seven-thirty in the evening, to the news desk of CNN Headline News. She said that the tape was not altered in any way, and explained that in the two instances where she said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, rewind," she was speaking to the CNN call-taker, not making reference to any editing process on the tape itself. She also added that she would not jeopardize her company or her personal credibility by making and publishing a phony tape.
You can listen to a recording of our conversation here.
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