Many media outlets — radio, television and print — regularly feature MRC guests on their programs, quote MRC spokespeople in their articles, and cite MRC research in their stories. Below is a sampling of MRC making news in the news media. Links are provided when available, and were active when posted.

Baltimore Sun
"Reagan Movie Raises Issue of Truth, Credibility," by David Zurawik
November 30, 2003

"The filmmakers said they consider it unfair that conservative watchdog groups such as Brent Bozell's Media Research Center focused much of their campaigns on the quote, which appeared in a script leaked to the media..."

See Story

Washington Times
"Leaked Memo Sparks Cries of News Media Bias," by Charles Hurt
November 28, 2003

"Tim Graham, a journalism expert for the conservative Media Research Center, blames a liberal bias by reporters and editors for the dearth of stories about the content of the memos. 
"Leaks which make liberals look bad aren't as interesting or newsworthy to liberal reporters as leaks that make the Bush administration look bad," he said..."

See Story

TownHall.com
"Murder and the Anti-Gay," by Brent Bozell
November 28, 2003

"Academics who study popular culture marvel at how Hollywood has used its propagandistic powers to sell social issues. This normally means persuading by any dramatic means necessary that traditional values are not only wrong but archaic, even dangerous. It's not enough to disagree with a conservative position. Hollywood must demonize it, suggest that conservatism is not just unworkable, but dark. When failure comes, they imagine some fraudulent conservative's going to lash out in rage and kill..."

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Jacksonville Business Journal
"Flagler Professor Tapped for Media Board"
November 24, 2003

"Felix Livingston, professor of economics and business at Flagler College in St. Augustine, was recently appointed to the board of advisors for the Free Market Project...

"The Free Market Project was developed by the Media Research Center to bring balance to economic reporting on television and to promote fair portrayal of the business community in the entertainment media..."

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Washington Times
"Inside Politics," by Greg Pierce
November 21, 2003

"Most of the media are suppressing the revelation, in a Weekly Standard story by Stephen Hayes released over the weekend, of a lengthy list compiled by the Defense Department of information gathered by various intelligence agencies about 13 years of connections between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda," the Media Research Center reported yesterday. 
"ABC, CBS and NBC have yet to mention it while CNN and the New York Times have only cited it briefly in opinion columns or segments, not news stories, and though The Washington Post has reported on it, the paper has devoted nine times more words to a probe of the leak of the memo than to the powerful contents of it," the MRC's Brent Baker writes at www.mediaresearch.org. (The New York Times did run a story on the subject yesterday, on the bottom of page A14.)"

See Story

Washington Times
"Inside Politics," by Greg Pierce
November 20, 2003

"The 'moderate' Dick Gephardt? In the midst of a story Tuesday night on the decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Court that equality under the law compels a right to gay marriage, NBC's Jim Avila tagged Gephardt, a Democratic presidential candidate and former House minority leader, as a 'moderate,' " the Media Research Center's Brent Baker reports at www.mediaresearch.org.

"Avila maintained that while Bush backers 'are virtually united in their opposition' to gay marriage, Democrats 'are split,' with 'liberals like Dennis Kucinich, who support gay marriage' and 'moderates, like Richard Gephardt, who stopped short of backing gay marriage,' but still back civil unions..."

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St. Petersburg Times
"Jennings, Tampa Share Spotlight," by Eric Deggans
November 18, 2003

"Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales in particular has singled out Jennings for steady criticism, along with the Washington, D.C., conservative watchdog group Media Research Center, which calls Jennings "Palestine Pete" in one Web page it maintains.

"Jennings, who has heard such complaints for years, brushes off the barbs. 'I think it's admirable for reporters to be skeptical, provided they're not cynical,' he said. 'But I'm not any more skeptical about Republican administrations than I am about Democratic administrations.'"

See Story

ChronWatch.com
"Louisiana's Jinadal Didn't Fit Media Mold for 'Minority' Candidate," by Jim Sparkman
November 19, 2003

"Brent Bozell writes an interesting story on the Media Research Center site concerning the recent Louisiana governor's race. Bozell notes the odd way the media handled, ignored really, the candidacy of Republican Bobby Jindal. Jindal is the son of an immigrant from India, raised in Baton Rouge, a Rhodes scholar, and a health care expert. The media knows how to deal with candidates like David Duke who fit their profile of a GOP candidate. Jindal was clearly a minority candidate, but he didn't fit the media mold for such. Or, as the New York Times put it in so many words, he is not a minority candidate that minorities will vote for. Translation? It's impossible for a ''true'' minority to be a conservative..."

See Story

Boston Globe
"The Reagans to Air Nov. 30," by Suzanne Ryan
November 18, 2003

"....Brent Baker, vice president of the watchdog group the Media Research Center, said he was 'disappointed and disturbed that Showtime would go forward with a product that is so obviously flawed. We hope that people don't watch it....We fear that it'll be a very derogatory and liberal take on his life.'

"Baker said that based on what he's read about the script, he believes 'it's a mocking film of him as kind of a befuddled old guy playing second fiddle to Nancy and other operatives. Certainly, it's not a positive take on him as a take-charge guy. We were hoping Showtime would do more to try to edit it and make it a better overall production.'"

See Story

New York Times
"Showtime To Present Reagans This Month," by Bill Carter
November 18, 2003

"Several of the groups that pressured CBS have said that putting the film on a pay cable outlet will not diminish the opposition to it. Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the Media Research Center, a conservative group, said yesterday that his organization had not yet decided what course of action to take against Showtime.

"He noted that because the film has no advertisers, a boycott of sponsors of Showtime is not possible, and the group may not feel that a call for subscribers to drop Showtime will be effective. He suggested that few conservatives were likely to be Showtime subscribers because of some of its programming, including the gay-themed series 'Queer as Folk.'"

See Story

Current.org
"Tucker Carlson’s Plan for Fridays: Cartwheel Through a Minefield," by Karen Everhart
November 17, 2003

"I don't think you can balance PBS with one show when we find liberal bias on many shows," said Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the conservative Media Research Center, in Alexandria, Va. Graham said it's too early to say whether Carlson's show will satisfy conservatives.

See Story

Washington Times
"Tuning Into TV," by Christian Toto
November 12, 2003

""Moyers is the chief volcano of outrage over there," Tim Graham, an analyst at the conservative watchdog group Media Research Center, told AP. He said he sensed PBS has been made defensive by the drumbeat of conservative criticism of Mr. Moyers..."

Orlando Sentinel
"Reagan Watchdogs in Deity Denial," by Adam Kushner
November 12, 2003

"...A so-called watchdog group, the Media Research Center, sent a letter of complaint to 100 CBS advertisers, asking them not to support the miniseries. And Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie demanded that CBS either allow Reagan devotees to screen the movie for accuracy or display a disclaimer on the screen every 10 minutes during the broadcast. The 40th president, his defenders said, was not an insensitive bigot...

"...In fact, the film was mostly balanced. According to the Times, Brolin depicts a steadfastly principled man. The script credits him with winning the Cold War and portrays the first lady as loyal and protective. But this was not good enough for the Media Research Center, which said CBS showed "disgustingly poor taste" for airing a "distorted film about the former president when he is in the latter stages of Alzheimer's disease." Should Americans wait until presidents are dead to discuss their records?...

See Story

CitizenOnline.net
"PBS Hires Conservative Tucker Carlson for Weekly Talk Show," by the Associated Press
November 12, 2003

"Moyers is the chief volcano of outrage over there,’’ said Tim Graham, an analyst at the conservative watchdog group Media Research Center. He said he sensed PBS has been made defensive by that criticism."

See Story

Current.org (Website for "The Newspaper About Public Broadcasting")
"Elsewhere on the World"
November 11, 2003

Conservative columnist Brent Bozell informs us that NPR didn't really need the $200 million gift from Joan "Mommy Peacebucks" Kroc. The Media Research Center also scoffs at the idea that Kroc saw NPR as "objective."
posted at 11:12 AM EST

See Story | See Bozell Column | See November 10 CyberAlert

Seattle Times
"PBS Hires Conservative Pundit," by AP
November 11, 2003

Tim Graham, of the conservative watchdog group Media Research Center, said that while he's pleased about Carlson's show, most conservatives believe PBS could have done better: "Maybe he's what PBS wants. He's not a red-meat thrower."

See Story

Washington Post.com
"PBS Hires Conservative Carlson for Show," by David Bauder, Associated Press
November 11, 2003

"Moyers, a former official in the Lyndon Johnson administration, angered some conservatives with his commentaries.

"'Moyers is the chief volcano of outrage over there,' said Tim Graham, an analyst at the conservative watchdog group Media Research Center. He said he sensed PBS has been made defensive by that criticism."

See Story

Capital Times (Madison, Wisc.)
"Media Musings: Pursuing a Truth Felt in the Heart," by Rob Thomas
November 11, 2003

"While much of the controversy rightly centered on a mainstream network caving in to protests from special interests, the flap over "The Reagans" speaks to a larger unease that many people, especially historians, have about docudramas. One spokesman for the conservative-leaning Media Research Center summed up all docudramas, whether they be quickie TV movies like 'The Elizabeth Smart Story' or ambitious theatrical movies like 'JFK,' as 'abominations.'"

See Story

Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Is Bush Right About Liberal Media Bias?" by Eric Black
November 10, 2003

"[Brent] Baker, vice president of the Media Research Center, which documents what it considers liberal bias in journalism, said that the president's complaint is valid but that since Bush went public with his argument, the situation has improved.

"The cause of the excessive negativism wasn't so much bias against Bush as bias against the war and the general, permanent journalistic bias in favor of negative news, Baker said.

"There was a point a few months ago when the only news we were getting out of Iraq was bad news," he said. Many reporters who had opposed the war in advance and predicted it would go badly were embarrassed when the military operations of March and April went so well, Baker said. This summer, when U.S. casualties started mounting, many of those same reporters seized on the bad news as evidence that they had been right all along, he said.

"Nobody reasonable is arguing that the death of soldiers isn't newsworthy," Baker said. The issue, he said, is whether positive developments and news of the more peaceful regions of Iraq should be shut out entirely..."

See Story

New York Sun
"Showtime Shoots for Buzz with 'The Reagans,'" by Ken Magill
November 10, 2003

"...Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the conservative Media Research Center, which mounted a letter campaign against the film, concedes that the resulting controversy may help Showtime.

"'I'm willing to acknowledge that Showtime may have a sudden influx of Democratic subscribers or just curious subscribers,' said Mr. Graham...

"...The Media Research Center, headed by right-wing press critic Brent Bozell, sent letters to 100 top advertisers threatening to boycott any that advertised on 'The Reagans.'"

See Story (subscription required)

The Nashville City Paper
"Producers Should Rethink Notion of Artistic License," by Ron Wynn
November 10, 2003

"...But CBS Chairman Leslie Moonves ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the negative publicity, especially since the Media Research Group and L. Brent Bozell had written a letter to 100 major television sponsors urging that they 'refuse to associate your products with this movie.'"

See Story

San Jose Mecury News
"Docudrama or Doctored Drama: TV Values Entertainment Over Historical Accuracy," by Charlie McCollum
November 9, 2003

"...In other words -- and an eight-minute highlight reel sent out by CBS only confirms this -- ``The Reagans'' is just another docudrama like many that have aired in the past.

"It very well may be -- as Brent Bozell, founder of the conservative Media Research Center, said last week -- that `'there is no such thing as creative license to invent falsehoods about people. I don't care who you are. You don't have that right.''"

See Story

Los Angeles Times
"History is All the Drama Needed for Reagan's Story," by David Shaw
November 9, 2003

"...L. Brent Bozell III, president of the Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group, blasted the movie as 'a partisan attack against one of America's most beloved presidents."

See Story

New York Times
"It's Not Just the Media. These Days, Everybody's Biased," by Geoffrey Nunberg
November 9, 2003

"Modern conservatives talk about objectivity not as an ideal to strive for but as a dangerous delusion.

"'Being a journalist is not like being a surveillance camera at an A.T.M., faithfully recording every scene for future playback,' L. Brent Bozell of the conservative Media Research Center has written. 'Journalists make subjective decisions every minute of their professional lives...'"

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St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"Lost in Translation," by Gail Pennington
November 9, 2003

"...The Media Research Center, a conservative media watchdog group, asked advertisers to boycott the miniseries. Other online campaigns led to thousands of protesting e-mails to CBS and affiliate stations before the network pulled the plug on Tuesday, less than two weeks before the scheduled Nov. 16 debut..."

See Story

Financial Times (London, England)
"Censoring 'The Reagans' is Dangerous Nonsense," by Christopher Caldwell
November 8, 2003

"The agitation soon took a populist turn. Talk-radio boiled over. Michael Paranzino, a Republican consultant, launched a website called BoycottCBS.com, and its visitors deluged the network with 80,000 e-mails urging it to cancel the mini-series. The conservative Media Research Centre contacted CBS's sponsors, some of which demanded to be given pre-screenings of the film. Last week the network relented. It sold the The Reagans at a loss to its struggling sister cable station, Showtime, which will air it some time next year...."

Fox NewsWatch
Fox News Channel
November 8, 2003

Neal Gabler, media writer: "...So when Les Moonves says that he pulled it because it wasn't balanced or it wasn't good, look it, if -- you could indict television executives for the quality of their programming, they'd all be serving life in Leavenworth -- saying he pulled this because right-wing pressure from the Media Research Center, from Matt Drudge, from a number of radio talk show hosts -- you know, made this just more trouble than it was worth. And it gave them -- it gave the right-wing veto power over broadcast television.

Jane Hall, American University professor: "...the other thing that is true is the Media Research Center, Matt Drudge, the Republican National Committee, all these people got on board. Somebody spent $9 and had a CBS boycott Web site, who was a Republican, former Republican congressman's aide. The left wing is not this well organized."

Fox News Channel
Hannity & Colmes
November 7, 2003

MRC President Brent Bozell: "Everyone is entitled to his opinion. But when you give your opinion and call it news, then we've got a problem. And when you do a made for TV movie where you purport to show the life of Ronald Reagan and then make up things about him -- and I will underscore over and over again, the man is dying of Alzheimer's and can't defend himself -- then you've really performed like a piece of slime in my book..."

Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Last Word
November 7, 2003

"This was a left-wing smear of one of the nation's most beloved presidents and CBS got caught."
--Brent Bozell, founder of the conservative Media Research Center, on the decision by CBS to pull the mini-series "The Reagans."

Washington Times
"Kroc Widow Wills $200 Million to NPR," by Jennifer Harper
November 7, 2003

"'Mrs. Kroc was a major Democratic donor, a partisan peacenik who fits right in with NPR's liberal agenda. But no one mentions that,' Tim Graham of the Media Research Center said yesterday.

"Mrs. Kroc donated at least $42 million to found two university-centered peace studies institutes and has been described as a "liberal Democratic activist" in some news reports.

See Story

Baltimore Sun
"Public Radio gets Bequest of More Than $200 Million," by Chris Kaltenbach and Mary Carole McCauley
November 7, 2003

"'I think there are conservatives in Congress who would like to cut $200 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting budget [which was $362.8 million for 2003] but I don't think they will,' said Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the Media Research Center, a conservative media watchdog group based in Alexandria, Va.

"'Any Republican congressman who honestly and sincerely believes in his heart that public broadcasting is not the province of government does not want to go back into his district and be accused of being anti-Mozart.'

"However, he said, Kroc's gift should buttress conservatives' arguments that entities such as NPR do not deserve government funding.

"'She was a liberal Democrat,' he said. 'The fact of the matter is that this is like receiving a $200 million gift from [international ecological organization] Greenpeace. It shows NPR's political bias, and it ought to taint them in the public arena.'"

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Boston Globe
"Extraordinary $200m Bequest Stuns, Elates NPR Staff," by Mark Jurkowitz
November 7, 2003

At the same time that it has enhanced its clout and prestige, NPR has become an increasing target for those -- particularly conservatives -- who take issue with its coverage. A recent column by L. Brent Bozell III, president of the Media Research Center, a conservative media watchdog, declared that "National Public Radio is properly understood, even by the media, as radio by and for liberals, not the general public."

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Townhall.com
"Censorship of the Reagan Attack Film?" by L. Brent Bozell
November 7, 2003

Across America, people who love Ronald Reagan and appreciate the mountains he moved as our leader for eight years sent out a blitz of e-mails, phone calls and petitions protesting CBS's plan to air "The Reagans," a vicious, dishonest piece of "researched" character assassination. In response, CBS president Les Moonves did something both unexpected and necessary: He pulled the plug on this smello-drama.

See Story

Wichita Eagle (Kan.)
"Reagan Miniseries to Air on Showtime," by David Bauder, AP
November 7, 2003

"...the conservative Media Research Center asked advertisers to consider boycotting the film.

"'This was a left-wing smear of one of the nation's most beloved presidents and CBS got caught,' said Brent Bozell, founder of the Media Research Center."

See Story

The Sydney Hay Show
KFNX-Phoenix, Ariz.
November 7, 2003

Media Analysis Director Tim Graham discussed CBS's decision to move the Reagans miniseries to Showtime and ABC's special "Jesus, Mary and da Vinci," which examined a novelist's claims that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had a child.

American Daily.com
"Total Victory," by John LeBoutillier
November 7, 2003

"All those who objected vociferously to this movie deserve hearty congratulations for forcing CBS to back down. In fact, it has never happened like this before. Brent Bozell and Reed Irivine have fought hundreds of similar battles and this is their finest hour. 

Newsmax, Drudge and others also share in the credit.

And so do thousands of you readers who let it be known that we were not going to stand for this trash job of two wonderful people, Ronald and Nancy Reagan....

See Story

The Battalion (Texas A&M daily)
"Rewriting History," by Matt Maddox
November 6, 2003

"This fall, there were two hatchet jobs made into movies. The first is the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," the gory remake of the classic horror movie. The second film of the fall is the gruesome remake of the legacy of President Ronald Reagan, a pitiful attempt to duplicate the presidency, and one that is not worth viewers' time or money to see...

"...The Reagans," which has been in the making for four years, was scheduled to air on CBS Nov. 18. Much to the displeasure of its producers, there has been a public outcry in the wake of the release of its script. The Media Research Center called on advertisers to boycott the film, while the Republican National Committee asked that CBS submit the film to historians for review prior to release..."

Christian Science Monitor
"Activists Win a Round in TV's Culture War," by Daniel B. Wood and Gloria Goodale
November 6, 2003

"...The Republican National Committee asked CBS to screen the film for historians, and RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie suggested the network run a disclaimer "that this is not a film that is supposed to be historically accurate." Brent Bozell, head of the Virginia-based Media Research Center, the largest conservative media watchdog group, sent a letter to 100 top corporate advertisers asking them not to support the biopic..."

See Story

The Mercury (Australia)
"Reagan Film Dumped After Protests," by Phillip Coorey
November 6, 2003

"...A conservative website www.boycottcbs.com received more than 50,000 protest e-mails, and conservative media watchdog, the Media Research Centre, lobbied the country's top 100 corporate advertisers asking them not to support the series..."

The Advertiser (Australia)
"Lobbyists Block TV Series on Reagan," by Phillp Coorey
November 6, 2003

"...A conservative website www.boycottcbs.com received more than 50,000 protest e-mails, and conservative media watchdog, the Media Research Centre, lobbied the country's top 100 corporate advertisers asking them not to support the series..."

The New Zealand Herald
"Showbiz: Reagans Unplugged"
November 6, 2003

"...Supporters of the former President, who has Alzheimer's disease, were concerned the miniseries would be critical of him. The conservative Media Research Centre had asked major advertisers to review the script and consider not buying commercial time on the show..." 

See Story

Provo Daily Herald (Utah)
"Furor Over 'The Reagans' Reflectes Larger Battle Over the Ex-President's Legacy," by Hillel Italie, AP
November 6, 2003

"In protesting "The Reagans," the miniseries that CBS decided to pull this week, supporters of the former president were defending not just a man, or a politician, but his principles.

"This was a left-wing smear of one of the nation's most beloved presidents and CBS got caught," says Brent Bozell, founder of the conservative Media Research Center, which had asked advertisers to consider boycotting the film..."

See Story

Hillel Italie's Associated Press story also ran in:

Buffalo News
"CBS Pulling of Reagans is Revealing" 
November 6, 2003
See Story

San Jose Mercury News
"'Reagans' Furor Reflects Larger Battle," by Hillel Italie, Associated Press
November 5, 2003
See Story

Miami Herald
"Reagans Furor Reflects Larger Battle"
November 5, 2003
See Story

St. Paul Pioneer-Press
"Cowards at CBS Play Us for Fools," by Brian Lambert
November 6, 2003

"...The usual suspects have been in even higher dudgeon than normal. The Drudge Report ran days of outraged headlines. Bill O'Reilly railed. L. Brent Bozell organized a campaign threatening advertiser boycotts. The Republican National Committee fired off a read-between-the-lines letter to CBS president Les Moonves demanding Reagan-friendly "experts" review the film prior to air — or else..."

See Story

Brian Lambert's column also ran in:

Tallahassee Democrat
""Reagans miniseries: CBS Displays Cowardice Under Fire"
November 6, 2003
See Story

Salt Lake City Tribune
"Cowardly CBS Pulls Reagans, Caves in to Conservative Attack" 
November 6, 2003
See Story

The Laura Ingraham Show
Westwood One Radio Network
November 6, 2003

Media Analysis Director Tim Graham discussed ABC's one-hour special, "The Da Vinci Code," that explored claims that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene and had a son.

The Dennis Edwards Show
WSPA-York, Pa.
November 6, 2003

Director of Media Analysis Tim Graham discussed CBS's decision to move "The Reagans" to the Showtime network.

The Matthew Hill Show
WPWT-Bristol, Tenn.
November 6, 2003

Director of Media Analysis Tim Graham discussed CBS's decision to move "The Reagans" to the Showtime network.

Center for American Progress.com
"Think Again," by Eric Alterman
November 6, 2003

"The far-right food chain that chewed up and spit out “The Reagans” was composed of Michael Reagan, Matt Drudge, Sean Hannity, Bill O’ Reilly, Joe Scarborough, and Brent Bozell’s Media Research Center - who started contacting CBS advertisers - and finally Republican National Committee Chair, Ed Gillespie..."

See Story

Chicago Sun-Times
"Reagan Series Critics Defended His Ideals, Too," by Hillel Italie, AP
November 6, 2003

"In protesting ''The Reagans,'' the miniseries that CBS decided to pull this week, supporters of the former president were defending not just a man, or a politician, but his principles.

''This was a left-wing smear of one of the nation's most beloved presidents, and CBS got caught,'' said Brent Bozell, founder of the conservative Media Research Center, which had asked advertisers to consider boycotting the film.

See Story

CBN.com
"Another Judge Blocks New Partial Birth Abortion Ban," by David Brody
November 6, 2000

"...Meanwhile, it seems the story of what a partial birth abortion really is all about is not being told. It is a procedure where the abortionist delivers the entire baby except the head. Then the skull is punctured with scissors and the brains are sucked out. A study by the Media Research Center shows that out of more than 200 stories on this topic by the big three TV networks, only 18 explained the gruesome medical basics of the procedure."

See Story

The Michigan Daily
"Reagan Supporters Fight Against CBS"
November 6, 2003

"In protesting 'The Reagans,' the miniseries that CBS decided to pull this week, supporters of the former president were defending not just a man, or a politician, but his principles.

“This was a left-wing smear of one of the nation’s most beloved presidents and CBS got caught,” says Brent Bozell, founder of the conservative Media Research Center, which had asked advertisers to consider boycotting the film..."

See Story

Salon.com
"Craven Broadcasting System," by Rebecca Traister
November 5, 2003

"The decision came after weeks of debate -- fueled by the right-leaning Fox News Network and conservative watchdog group Media Research Center -- about the movie, which stars James Brolin as the former actor, California governor and president, and Judy Davis as his second wife, Nancy...."

See Story (subscription required)

Broadcasting & Cable
"It's Showtime for the 'The Reagans,'" by Steve McClellan and Allison Romano
November 5, 2003

"Brent Baker, vice president of the Media Research Center, said he thought CBS bowed more to 'grassroots' pressure from groups like his. The MRC wrote a letter to the 100 top advertisers urging them to boycott the miniseries because of its distorted view of history..."

See Story

Book Excerpt
Bernard Goldberg, Arrogance: Rescuing America From the Media Elite. Warner Books, 2003, p. 124.

“...The quotations that follow are courtesy of the Media Research Center, which as far as a lot of liberal media elites are concerned is a right-wing outfit outside Washington, DC, populated by a bunch of conservatives who spend way too much time monitoring way too many television sets and reading way too many newspapers and who get way too excited when they spot even the slightest hint of liberal bias in the news.

“Are the elves at the MRC conservative? Absolutely! Do they love poking holes in liberal media elites? Sure! But so what? What they put out are actual verbatim quotations that come from journalists themselves. On this, the Media Research Center is meticulous. So, with the understanding that many elite journalists hate them, I offer up this observation, with apologies to Harry Truman: The MRC folks don’t give the media hell; they just tell the truth and the media think it’s hell.”

The Sean Hannity Show
ABC Radio
November 5, 2003

Host Sean Hannity read excerpts from the MRC's latest Media Reality Check, "Anti-Reagan Agenda of CBS News Exposed," on the air.

San Jose Mercury News
"Conservatives Cheer CBS' Decision to Drop Reagan Miniseries," by 
November 5, 2003

"The campaign against the program was coordinated by the conservative Media Research Center that sent letters to potential advertisers urging them to read a copy of the final script before buying air time on CBS.

"The center's president Brent Bozell sent letters to the CEOs of the 100 companies that spend the most money advertising on television urging them to consider whether they wanted to be associated with the program.

"Rich Noyes, research director for the center, said he had concluded CBS was not getting sufficient ad revenue and changed the venue for the program.

"That would explain the switch to cable where advertising is not a factor,'' he said.

Both Noyes and Michael Reagan said there had not been a formal campaign to pressure CBS, but rather separate actions by groups and individuals who support Reagan's legacy..."

See Story

Daily Orange (Syracuse University, NY)
Staff Editorial: "CBS Has a Rocky History of Balancing Content with Commerce"
November 5, 2003

"...CBS has been the subject of a flurry of complaints from conservative groups such as the conservative Media Research Center, which instructed advertisers not to buy airtime on the program..."

The Gary Allen Show
WOOD-Grand Rapids, Mich.
November 5, 2003

Research Director Rich Noyes discussed CBS's decision to move "The Reagans" miniseries to Showtime.

On Point with Tom Ashbrook
National Public Radio
November 5, 2003

Media Analysis Director Tim Graham was part of a panel discussion about CBS's decision to move "The Reagans" miniseries to Showtime, a pay cable network.

The Paul Schiffer Show
WHK-Independence, Ohio
November 5, 2003

Director of Media Analysis Tim Graham discussed CBS's decision to move "The Reagans" to the Showtime network.

Sacramento Bee
"CBS Runs from the Reagans," by Rick Kushman
November 5, 2003

"The Washington-based Media Research Center, which exists mostly to harass anyone who might differ with its causes, rallied other conservatives and friends of Reagan -- including the screamers of talk radio who are always looking for a fight -- to say they were shocked, shocked to learn that Hollywood scriptwriters make things up. News flash: Hollywood makes things up.

"The MRC, among other things, contacted advertisers with the implied threat that they'd be dragged into the controversy, and for most advertisers, that threat is huge, even if it's not aimed directly at them...

"...The folks at the Media Research Center know this, and they struck CBS in its most vulnerable spot: money. Whatever the reasons, Moonves knows when to fold 'em."

See Story

Oregon Daily Emerald.com
"The Angry Peacemaker," by Joseph Bechard
November 5, 2003

"[Toby] Keith's viewpoints have sometimes costed him valuable exposure. ABC removed him from its Fourth of July special last year when, according to Keith, Peter Jennings said he wouldn't allow that type of angry, incendiary music on his show.

"Conservative talking heads -- especially the nitwits at the Media Research Center -- quickly pounced on ABC, labeling it a bastion of liberal news bias. Even Democratic Senator Zell Miller of Georgia, who recently published a book criticizing his own political party, joined in lambasting Jennings...

See Story

Contra Costa Times
"CBS Ditches Reagan Movie, Denies It Gave In to Pressure," by Chuck Barney
November 5, 2003

But Reagan admirers said it was a question of accuracy and sensitivity.

"This was a left-wing smear of one of the nation's most beloved presidents, and CBS got caught," said Brent Bozell, founder of the conservative Media Research Center, which had asked advertisers to consider boycotting the film.

Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah)
"CBS Sends 'The Reagans' to Showtime; Republicans, Conservatives Pressure Network," by Suzanne C. Ryan, Boston Globe 
November 5, 2003

"The move is a huge victory for the Republican National Committee and the watchdog group the Media Research Center. The RNC's chairman Ed Gillespie had sent a letter to CBS chairman Leslie Moonves last week, requesting the series be reviewed by a team of historians for accuracy or that a disclaimer run every 10 minutes during the program indicating that the film was fictional.

"The Media Research Center had sent letters to 100 corporations urging them to review the script or the movie before buying ads. Conservative cable TV commentators and radio talk-show hosts, including the former president's son Michael Reagan, had also complained about the show.

See Story

Bergen Record (NJ)
"Facing Pressure, CBS Drops Plans to Air Reagan Movie," by David Bauder, AP
November 5, 2003

"...The miniseries became a hot topic on talk radio and the TV news networks. The chairman of the Republican National Committee wrote to CBS president Leslie Moonves, asking for historians to review the movie, and the conservative Media Research Center asked advertisers to consider boycotting the film.

"This was a left-wing smear of one of the nation's most beloved presidents and CBS got caught," said Brent Bozell, founder of the centre..."

International Herald Tribune
"CBS Pulls Miniseries on Reagans," by Maria Newman
November 5, 2003

"...Also last week, L. Brent Bozell 3rd, the president of the Media Research Center, a conservative group, sent a letter to 100 top television advertisers, urging them to review the script before agreeing to advertise on the miniseries. Bozell called the movie "a partisan attack against one of America's most beloved presidents..."

See Story

Toronto Star
"Neo-cons Brace for Reagan Series," by Antonia Zerbisias
November 5, 2003

"...Nor has the Republican Party leadership, which has demanded either changes or a constant "crawl'' warning viewers that this is a distortion of reality. Nor has anybody at the Media Research Center, a right wing watchdog, which called for an advertiser boycott of the show. Nor has Ronald's son Michael, who has been fulminating against the production on his nationally syndicated radio show, available in 200 markets..."

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The Mark Larson Show
WCBQ-San Diego, Calif.
November 5, 2003

Director of Media Analysis Tim Graham discussed CBS's decision to move "The Reagans" miniseries to Showtime.

The Mitch Albom Show
WJR-Detroit, Mich.
November 5, 2003

Director of Media Analysis Tim Graham discussed CBS's decision to move "The Reagans" miniseries to Showtime.

The Vicky Newton Show
KMOX-St. Louis, Mo.
November 5, 2003

Research Director Rich Noyes discussed the fallout from CBS's decision to move "The Reagans" miniseries to Showtime, a pay cable network.

MSNBC
November 5, 2003

Director of Media Analysis Tim Graham debated if the Reagans miniseries, which CBS refused to air, should be shown on Showtime, a pay cable network.

Washington Times
Editorial: "Win One for the Gipper"
November 5, 2003

"...Several individuals deserve credit for safeguarding Mr. Reagan's legacy. Jim Rutenberg of the New York Times broke the story about distortions in the miniseries script. Matt Drudge's constant scoops and persistent advocacy was the locomotive that pulled the train. Michael Paranzino organized the BoycottCBS.com movement, which received thousands of hits. Television host and producer Merv Griffin attested to specific inaccuracies. RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie wrote to CBS President Leslie Moonves requesting that either the miniseries be fact-checked or that viewers be informed of its fictions. The Media Research Center's Brent Bozell wrote advertisers requesting they review the series before making their sponsorship decisions..."

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The Washington Times
"CBS Yields on Reagan Movie," by Jennifer Harper
November 5, 2003

"The public got a taste of the series' content through snippets of the script released to the press in late October. Protests mounted over the next few weeks from, among others, the RNC, the Media Research Center (MRC) and longtime Reagan friend, actor/producer Merv Griffin, who observed that the "C" in CBS stood for 'cowardly.' 

"Others called it downright cruel.

'The original decision to broadcast a factually distorted film about the former president when he is in the latter stages of Alzheimer's disease showed disgustingly poor taste,' said MRC President Brent Bozell yesterday.

'This is another reason why Viacom would do well to ensure the movie accurately portrays history instead of rewriting history to suit a liberal agenda,' he said, advising Viacom 'to clean this mess up before airing it on Showtime'..."

See Story

The Early Show (CBS)
Reporter: Jerry Bowen
November 5, 2003

Bowen: "And [The Reagans] was knocked off the network by a leaked script and eight minute video clip that fueled conservative outrage."
Brent Bozell, Media Research Center: "CBS invented things out of whole cloth which defamed the man."

Seattle Post-Intelligencer
It's Showtime for 'The Reagans' as politics take over," by Melanie McFarland
November 5, 2003

"...Though the Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group, asked advertisers to boycott "The Reagans," there's little chance that would have happened. Controversies like this usually result in high ratings, which in turn make advertisers hungrier to spend ad dollars on a program. For instance, Heinz could have used this forum to remind us that Reagan, in addition to helming a period of terrific economic recovery, deemed ketchup a vegetable..."

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Baltimore Sun
"Shelving of 'Reagans' Touches Off Hot Debate," by David Zurawik
November 5, 2003

"One of the harshest critics of The Reagans has been the Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group that had urged an advertiser boycott in reaction to what Brent Bozell, its founder, termed 'a left-wing smear of one of the nation's most beloved presidents." Bozell yesterday called CBS' decision "a wise one'..."

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USA Today
"Conservatives Cheer Mini-Series Cancellation," by Bill Nichols
November 5, 2003

"...The Media Research Center asked advertiseers to review the script. The GOP set up a Web site, Support-Reagan.com, to fuel a protest...

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Chicago Tribune
"Pressured CBS drops mini-series on Reagans," by Vincent J. Schodolski and John Cook and Frank James.
November 5, 2003

The campaign against the program was coordinated by the conservative Media Research Center, whose president, Brent Bozell, sent letters to the CEOs of the 100 companies that spend the most money advertising on television urging them to consider whether they wanted to be associated with the program.

Rich Noyes, research director for the center, said he had concluded CBS was not getting sufficient ad revenue and that's why it sold off the program. Some critics said the film should have been shelved instead of moved to cable TV.

Both Noyes and Michael Reagan said there had not been a formal campaign to pressure CBS, but rather separate actions by groups and individuals who support Reagan's legacy..."

See Story

Toronto Star (Canada)
"CBS Pulls Reagan Special," by David Bauder, AP
November 5, 2003

"The miniseries became a hot topic on talk radio and the TV news networks. The chairman of the Republican National Committee wrote to CBS president Leslie Moonves, asking for historians to review the movie, and the conservative Media Research Center asked advertisers to consider boycotting the film..."

See Story

San Jose Mercury News
"CBS Pulls 'The Reagans," by Charlie McCollum
November 5, 2003

"...The film was attacked on right-wing radio talk shows across the country. The Republican National Committee asked CBS to screen the film for a team of historians, with GOP Chairman Ed Gillespie suggesting the network run a 'crawl' reminding the audience 'that this is not a film that is supposed to be historically accurate.' Brent Bozell -- president of the Media Research Center, a conservative media watchdog group -- called for an advertising boycott...

See Story

New York Sun
"Beleagured Network Admits Made-for-Tv Biopic is Biased," by Pia Catton
November 5, 2003

"...L. Brent Bozell III, president of the Media Research Center — who sent letters to 100 of CBS’s advertisers advising them not to buy spots during the program — also reacted coolly.

“The movie had lost all credibility and Viacom would be well-advised to clean this mess up before airing it on Showtime,” he said in a statement..."

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New York Times
Editorial: "CBS Cancels 'The Reagans'"
November 5, 2003

"...CBS denies that it bowed to pressure yesterday when it decided to pull the program, but it had been besieged by talk-radio listeners and the Republican National Committee. The Republicans wanted a disclaimer on the screen every 10 minutes warning that the program contained fictional material. A conservative watchdog group urged advertisers to review the script before running commercials..."

See Story

New York Times
"Shifting 'Reagans' to Cable Has CBS Facing New Critics," by Bill Carter, Jim Rutenberg and Bernard Weinraub
November 5, 2003

"On Oct. 28, the Media Research Center, a conservative group led by L. Brent Bozell that monitors the news and entertainment industries for what it sees as liberal bias, wrote a letter to a list of 100 top television sponsors urging them to 'refuse to associate your products with this movie'...

"The various conservatives who protested 'The Reagans' said they did not coordinate their actions. 'There wasn't time,' Mr. Bozell said. 'It was a desperate outcry. You can expect us to say something. You can expect Pat Buchanan to write a column. But when Lou Cannon, who has a track record of being in staunch disagreement with Reagan, when Merv Griffin — who hasn't been attending our vast right-wing conspiracy meetings — speaks out as forcefully as they did, that really tells you the depth of outrage'...

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Orlando Sentinel
"CBS Dumps Reagan Docudrama Amid Furor About its Accuracy," by Hal Boedeker
November 5, 2003

"Brent Bozell, who had spearheaded a protest against the miniseries, called CBS' decision "a wise one" and warned Viacom to "clean this mess up before airing it on Showtime." Bozell is president of the Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group...."

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Boston Globe
"Amid Heat, CBS Pulls Reagan Film," by Suzanne C. Ryan
November 5, 2003

"The move is a huge political victory for the Republican National Committee and the watchdog group the Media Research Center. The RNC's chair, Ed Gillespie, had sent a letter to CBS chairman had sent a letter to CBS chairman Leslie Moonves last week, requesting that the series be reviewed by a team of historians for accuracy or that a disclaimer run every 10 minutes during the program indicating the film was fictional.

"The Media Research Center had sent letters to 100 corporations urging them to review the script or the movie before buying ads. Conservative cable TV commentators and radio talk-show hosts, including the former president's son Michael Reagan, had also complained about the show..."

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Ottawa Citizen (Canada)
"Furore Prompts CBS to Cancel Reagan Mini-series," by David Bauder, AP

"...The miniseries became a hot topic on talk radio and the TV news networks. The chairman of the Republican National Committee wrote to CBS president Leslie Moonves, asking for historians to review the movie, and the conservative Media Research Center asked advertisers to consider boycotting the film.

"This was a left-wing smear of one of the nation's most beloved presidents and CBS got caught," said Brent Bozell, founder of the centre..."

See Story

Houston Chronicle.com
"Conservatives Complain, So CBS Yanks 'The Reagans,'" by Chronicle News Services
November 5, 2003

"...Supporters of the former president, who has Alzheimer's, have been upset about the miniseries since a portion of the script appeared in the New York Times last month. The conservative Media Research Center asked major advertisers to review the script and consider not buying commercial time on the show. Ed Gillespie, chairman of the Republican National Committee, told CBS president Leslie Moonves that historians should review the miniseries for historical accuracy, or that a disclaimer should be run declaring the program fiction..."

See Story

Chicago Tribune
"Reagan Miniseries to Air on Showtime," by David Bauder, AP
November 5, 2003

"The miniseries became a hot topic on talk radio and the TV news networks. The chairman of the Republican National Committee wrote to CBS President Leslie Moonves, asking for historians to review the movie, and the conservative Media Research Center asked advertisers to consider boycotting the film.

"Brent Bozell, founder of the Media Research Center, scoffed at the notion that CBS was stifling free speech.

"There is no such thing as creative license to invent falsehoods about people," Bozell said. "I don't care who you are. You don't have that right."

See Story

CNN.com
"CBS Pulls Reagan Mini-series," by AP
November 5, 2003

"The miniseries became a hot topic on talk radio and the TV news networks. The chairman of the Republican National Committee wrote to CBS President Leslie Moonves, asking for historians to review the movie, and the conservative Media Research Center asked advertisers to consider boycotting the film.

"This was a left-wing smear of one of the nation's most beloved presidents and CBS got caught," said Brent Bozell, founder of the Media Research Center..."

See Story

The following newspapers and web sites also carried the David Bauder story from Associated Press...

Seattle Times
"CBS Cancels Miniseries"
November 5, 2003
See Story

Houston Chronicle
"CBS Pulls Reagan Miniseries, Calls its Project Unbalanced"
November 5, 2003
See Story

Indianapolis Star
"Reagans Miniseries Won't Air on CBS"
November 5, 2003
See Story

Charlotte News & Observer
"CBS won't air 'Reagans' miniseries"
November 5, 2003
See Story

South Florida Sun-Sentinel
"Reagan Miniseries to Air on Showtime"
November 5, 2003
See Story

Roanoke.com
"Reagan Mini-series on Showtime Next Year"
November 5, 2003
See Story

Daily Herald (Suburban Chicago's Information Source)
"Why CBS Cancelled the Reagan Miniseries"
November 5, 2003
See Story

The State (Columbia,SC)
"Reagan Miniseries to Air on Showtime"
November 4, 2003
See Story

St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"CBS Cancels Reagan Miniseries"
November 4, 2003
See Story

San Diego Union-Tribune
"CBS Cancels Reagan Miniseries"
November 4, 2003
See Story

Omaha World-Herald
"CBS Cancels Reagan Miniseries"
November 4, 2003
See Story

San Jose Mercury News
"Reagan Miniseries to Air on Showtime"
November 4, 2003
See Story

BBC London
November 4, 2003

Research Director Rich Noyes discussed CBS's decision to move "The Reagans" miniseries to Showtime.

The Karen Grant Show
KION-Monterey, Calif.
November 4, 2003

Research Director Rich Noyes discussed CBS's decision to move the planned miniseries on the Reagans to Showtime.

Newsday
"GOP Outcry Makes CBS Rethink Airing 'Reagans,'" by Greg Braxton and Bob Baker, LA Times Staff Writers
November 4, 2003

"...Among the protests against CBS: The Republican National Committee late last week asked CBS to screen the film for a team of historians. GOP Chairman Ed Gillespie suggested CBS run a "crawl" reminding the audience "that this is not a film that is supposed to be historically accurate." Brent Bozell, president of the Virginia-based Media Research Center, the largest conservative media watchdog group in the U.S., sent a letter to the country's top 100 corporate advertisers asking them not to support the miniseries..."

Newsday.com
"CBS Dumps Reagan Miniseries,' by Verne Gay
November 4, 2003

"The cancellation is good news for Americans who were upset for years about a small group of people in Hollywood who were able to have their point of view shown on national TV without any one able to stop it," say Brent Baker, vice president of the Media Research Council, a conservative media watchdog organization based in Alexandria, Va..."

See Story

San Francisco Chronicle
"CBS Seen Shelving Reagan Miniseries, Threat of Ad Boycott Over 'Unfair' Portrayals," from the New York Times staff reports
November 4, 2003

"On Oct. 28, the Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group, called on 100 major companies to review the script of "The Reagans" and consider avoiding buying advertising time on the series.

"Center President L. Brent Bozell told the Associated Press: "Reagan is being portrayed as a hateful, half-nut homophobe. . . . The makers of the movie are deliberately defaming him and lying about him..."

See Story

South Florida Sun-Sentinel
"GOP Outcry Makes CBS Rethink Airing Reagans," by Greg Braxton and Bob Baker, LA Times staff writers
November 4, 2003

"...Among the protests against CBS: The Republican National Committee late last week asked CBS to screen the film for a team of historians. GOP Chairman Ed Gillespie suggested CBS run a "crawl" reminding the audience "that this is not a film that is supposed to be historically accurate." Brent Bozell, president of the Virginia-based Media Research Center, the largest conservative media watchdog group in the U.S., sent a letter to the country's top 100 corporate advertisers asking them not to support the miniseries. Radio talk-show host Michael Reagan, the former president's eldest son, vented his displeasure..."

See Story

Chicago Tribune
"GOP Outcry Makes CBS Rethink Airing Reagans," by Greg Braxton and Bob Baker, LA Times staff writers
November 4, 2003

"...Among the protests against CBS: The Republican National Committee late last week asked CBS to screen the film for a team of historians. GOP Chairman Ed Gillespie suggested CBS run a "crawl" reminding the audience "that this is not a film that is supposed to be historically accurate." Brent Bozell, president of the Virginia-based Media Research Center, the largest conservative media watchdog group in the U.S., sent a letter to the country's top 100 corporate advertisers asking them not to support the miniseries. Radio talk-show host Michael Reagan, the former president's eldest son, vented his displeasure..."

See Story

Baltimore Sun
CBS Cancels Reagan Miniseries," by David Bauder, AP
November 4, 2003

"The miniseries became a hot topic on talk radio and the TV news networks. The chairman of the Republican National Committee wrote to CBS President Leslie Moonves, asking for historians to review the movie, and the conservative Media Research Center asked advertisers to consider boycotting the film.

"This was a left-wing smear of one of the nation's most beloved presidents and CBS got caught," said Brent Bozell, founder of the Media Research Center..."

See Story

Dallas Morning News
"No Teflon Here: As Outcry Rises, CBS Drops 'Reagans," by Ed Bark
November 4, 2003

"'CBS essentially was saved from itself by the outcry. Only after the controversy occurred did they suddenly decide it may not be fair and balanced,' said Media Research Center vice president Brent Baker, whose conservative organization had urged major corporate advertisers to 'refuse to associate your products with such a movie'"..."

See Story

MSNBC
Scarborough Country
November 4, 2003

Tim Graham, MRC Director of Media Analysis: "...I think this is really the first time that conservative pressure has led a network to cancel things. I think there's other examples when civil rights protests and so on have led to shows meeting an early end. I remember just a few years ago UPN had a show called "The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer" with -- I guess it was a comedy about a black guy who was Lincoln's butler, and the civil rights groups got that killed really fast. So certainly, not the first time the networks have taken a look at public comment and said, "Maybe this wasn't such a great idea." But it's certainly, I think, is the first time that conservative pressure has made them reconsider..."

CBS Evening News with Dan Rather
Reporter: Jerry Bowen
November 4, 2003

Bowen: "And [The Reagans] was knocked off the network by a leaked script and eight-minute video clip that fueled conservative outrage."
Brent Bozell (identified on screen as "conservative media watchdog"): "CBS invented things out of whole cloth which defamed the man."

ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings
Reporter: Brian Rooney
November 4, 2003

Rooney: "Then the Republican National Committee, and the conservative media watchdog, jumped in to defend President Reagan."
Brent Bozell (Media Research Center on-screen identification): "Every administration has its warts. Ronald Reagan had his as well. Burt what happened in this film was that the producers invented things about him. This is a man who's dying of Alzheimer's right now and doesn't deserve to be slammed the way he was slammed."

MSNBC.com
"CBS Pulling 'The Reagans,''' by the AP
November 4, 2003

"The chairman of the Republican National Committee wrote to CBS President Leslie Moonves, asking for historians to review the movie, and the conservative Media Research Center asked advertisers to consider boycotting the film.

'This was a left-wing smear of one of the nation’s most beloved presidents and CBS got caught,” said Brent Bozell, founder of the Media Research Center...

See Story

FoxNews.com
"CBS Won't Air 'Reagans' Miniseries"
November 4, 2003

"That led to a pressure movement by Republican-based political groups and Reagan supporters, some of whom threatened to boycott CBS and products advertised during the program.

"...One group, the Media Research Center, asked major advertisers to review the script before buying commercial time during the broadcast..."

See Story

Los Angeles Times
"GOP Outcry Makes CBS Rethink Airing 'Reagans,'" by Greg Braxton and Bob Baker
November 4, 2003

"...Among the protests against CBS: The Republican National Committee late last week asked CBS to screen the film for a team of historians. GOP Chairman Ed Gillespie suggested CBS run a "crawl" reminding the audience "that this is not a film that is supposed to be historically accurate." Brent Bozell, president of the Virginia-based Media Research Center, the largest conservative media watchdog group in the U.S., sent a letter to the country's top 100 corporate advertisers asking them not to support the miniseries. Radio talk-show host Michael Reagan, the former president's eldest son, vented his displeasure...

See Story

The New York Times
"CBS is Reconsidering Mini-series on Reagan," by Bernard Weinraub
November 4, 2003

"...At the same time L. Brent Bozell III, president of the Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group, sent a letter to 100 top television advertisers, urging them to review the script before agreeing to advertise on the mini-series. Mr. Bozell called the movie "a partisan attack against one of America's most beloved presidents." Other conservative commentators have joined in the criticism. Meanwhile Merv Griffin, the former television host and a longtime Reagan friend, called the series a "cowardly act" on MSNBC recently..."

See Story

The Rush Limbaugh Show
November 4, 2003

Director of Media Analysis Tim Graham discussed CBS's decision to pull the mini-series on "The Reagans" with guest host Mark Belling.

Associated Press
"CBS Pulling Reagan Mini-series," by David Bauder
November 4, 2003

"...The miniseries became a hot topic on talk radio and the TV news networks. The chairman of the Republican National Committee (news - web sites) wrote to CBS President Leslie Moonves, asking for historians to review the movie, and the conservative Media Research Center asked advertisers to consider boycotting the film.

"This was a left-wing smear of one of the nation's most beloved presidents and CBS got caught," said Brent Bozell, founder of the Media Research Center.

See Story

Deseret News
"CBS Cancels Reagan Mini-series," by David Bauder, AP
November 4, 2003

Supporters of the former president, who has Alzheimer's disease, are concerned the miniseries contained numerous inaccuracies. The conservative Media Research Center had asked major advertisers to review the script and consider not buying commercial time on the show.

See Story

Eonline.com
"CBS Bows to Gipper Gripes," by Lia Haberman
November 4, 2003

"...Supporters of Reagan, now 92 and suffering from Alzheimer's disease, attacked such historical inaccuracies. The conservative Media Research Center called on advertisers to boycott while the Republican National Committee asked that CBS run a disclaimer identifying the flick as fiction..."

See Story

KNXT-Las Vegas, Nev.
November 4, 2003

Research Director Rich Noyes discussed "The Reagans" mini-series.

ABC Radio
Life in America with Sam Donaldson
November 4, 2003

Director of Media Analysis Tim Graham discussed "The Reagans" mini-series.

WMUZ-Detroit, Mich.
The Bob Duko Show
November 4, 2003

Research Director Rich Noyes discussed "The Reagans" mini-series.

WTOP-Washington, D.C.
Noon News
November 4, 2003

Research Director Rich Noyes commented on CBS's decision to pull "The Reagans" mini-series.

WLW-Cincinnati, Ohio
The Bill Cunningham Show
November 4, 2003

Director of Media Analysis Tim Graham commented on CBS's decision to pull "The Reagans" mini-series.

The Chuck Harder Show
Talk America Radio Network
November 4, 2003

Research Director Rich Noyes commented on CBS's decision to pull "The Reagans" mini-series.

KTRH-Houston, Texas
November 4, 2003

Director of Media Analysis Tim Graham commented on CBS's decision to pull the mini-series on the Reagans.

KSLR-San Antonio, Texas
The Adam McManus Show
November 4, 2003

Director of Media Analysis Tim Graham discussed CBS's decision to pull "The Reagans" mini-series.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation
November 3, 2003

MRC Research Director Rich Noyes discussed "The Reagans" mini-series with Australian correspondent John Shovelan.

The Record (Bergen Co., NJ)
"Furor Grows Over Reagan Mini-series," by Muriel Dobbin, McClatchy Newspapers
November 3, 2003

"...Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center, said he had written to the nation's top 100 advertisers asking them to preview 'The Reagans' before making a sponsorship decision.

"In a column, Bozell wrote, 'There are two kinds of films about presidents: documentaries which dwell on factual examination and fictional movies which have a habit of wildly making things up to satisfy the demands of effective entertainment or propaganda..."

Bulletin's Frontrunner
"CBS Chairman Says Aspects of Reagan Film 'Go Too Far'"
November 3, 2003

"...Brent Bozell, president of the Washington-based Media Research Center, announced he had written to the nation's top 100 advertisers asking them to preview 'The Reagans' before making a sponsorship decision..."

Fox & Friends
Fox News Channel
November 3, 2003

MRC President L. Brent Bozell discussed the planned Reagan mini-series and the MRC's letter to America's 100 largest corporate sponsors, asking that they review the script before sponsoring the program. Here are some excerpts from Bozell's comments:

"...If CBS is indeed going to be defaming this President, this man who is dying of Alzheimer’s, with such scurrilous attacks as have been reported and not denied by CBS, I might add, then no sponsor ought to be sponsoring this show. I have no problem with the sponsoring, sponsoring an honest show on Ronald Reagan, but not this, this is garbage."

"...This movie is produced by two gay activists who won or are winning an award in Los Angeles for gay activism. It stars Barbra Streisand’s husband. Barbra Streisand has said she hates Ronald Reagan for what he did with the AIDS crisis, as if he did something wrong...You know, this isn’t the first time that they’ve accused Ronald Reagan of complicity in the AIDS epidemic. It’s hideous that they do this, but this is character assassination when you can’t debate them on the merits."

"...This is the mind-set of Hollywood that they would actually think that it’s permissible to defame somebody like this, because they have an agenda and the agenda is more important than the truth."

The Blanquita Cullum Show
Radio America Network
November 3, 2003

Research Director Rich Noyes discussed the controversy over CBS's "The Reagans" mini-series.

Open Line with Fred Anderle
WOSU-Columbus, Ohio
November 3, 2003

Director of Media Analysis Tim Graham discussed ownership concentration and other media issues.

AzCentral.com 
"Conservative Groups Protest Reagan Miniseries," by Stephen Battaglio, New York Daily News
November 2, 2003

"Media Research Center President Brent Bozell says his organization has sent a letter to the "top 100 corporate advertisers" claiming the movie has "blatantly distorted the history and is nothing more than a partisan political attack against one of America's most beloved presidents..."

See Story

Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Reagan Mini-series Dispute Grows, but Will CBS Suffer?" by the Associated Press
November 2, 2003

"On Tuesday, the watchdog Media Research Center decided to take action, calling on 100 major companies to review the script and consider avoiding buying ad time.

"'The Reagans' appears to be a blatantly unfair assault on the legacy of one of America's greatest leaders," center President L. Brent Bozell III wrote in a letter to potential sponsors. 'Reagan is being portrayed as a hateful, half-nut homophobe. It's not that the historical record is being distorted. It's that the makers of the movie are deliberately defaming him and lying about him...'"

See Story

Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Reagan Mini-series Prompting Outrage," by Muriel Dobbin, Star-Tribune Washington Bureau Correspondent
November 2, 2003

"Brent Bozell, president of the Washington-based Media Research Center, announced he had written to the nation's top 100 advertisers asking them to preview 'The Reagans' before making a sponsorship decision.

"In a column, Bozell wrote, 'There are two kinds of films about presidents: Documentaries which dwell on factual examination and fictional movies which have a habit of wildly making things up to satisfy the demands of effective entertainment or propaganda....'"

See Story

Rocky Mountain News (Denver, Colo.)
"CBS 'The Reagans' Triggers Controversy," by Lynn Elber, AP
November 1, 2003

"On Tuesday, the watchdog Media Research Center decided to take action, calling on 100 major companies to review the script and consider avoiding buying ad time on the miniseries.

The Reagans appears to be a blatantly unfair assault on the legacy of one of America's greatest leaders," center President L. Brent Bozell III wrote in a letter Tuesday to potential sponsors.

"'Reagan is being portrayed as a hateful, half-nut homophobe,' he said in an interview. 'It's not that the historical record is being distorted. It's that the makers of the movie are deliberately defaming him and lying about him...'"

See Story

Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
"Controversy Over 'The Reagans' Delights CBs," by Ken Parish Perkins
November 1, 2003

"Conservatives haven't seen it but hate it, condemning it as inaccurate and fearing that it will unfairly blemish Ronald Reagan's legacy.

"L. Brent Bozell III of Media Research Center hasn't seen it but hates it, saying Reagan is unfairly characterized as dense, unqualified, hateful, and a leader of the free world who thought gays brought AIDS upon themselves.

"CBS hasn't seen it, either, at least not as a finished product.

"But they absolutely love that everyone hates it -- and is so willing to express that hatred. On television. In print. On the Web..."

See Story

Fox Newswatch
Fox NewsChannel
November 1, 2003

Eric Burns, host: "...The Media Research Center, a conservative group, is sending a letter to the top 100 corporate advertisers in the country urging them not to sponsor the upcoming Ronald and Nancy Reagan miniseries on CBS. Another group has set up this Web site urging people to boycott companies that do sponsor the miniseries and not to watch it themselves...

"...So what it seems like...is that the protests and threats of protests have got CBS backpedaling in its thinking about this miniseries."

Washington Times
"Friends Are Furious with Reagan Series," by Jennifer Harper
November 1, 2003

"...Earlier this week, Media Research Center President Brent Bozell sent a letter to 100 of the nation's leading TV advertisers, urging them to review the script and the production itself before committing to any sponsorship.

"The miniseries has blatantly distorted history and is nothing more than a partisan attack against one of America's most beloved presidents," Mr. Bozell wrote."

See Story

2003 Archive