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GOP vs. ABC over next week's Obama health care special
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ABC News: Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer
Per TV Newser, ABC News is responding to a Republican backlash that has jumped off over its planned June 24 primetime special, "Questions for the President: Prescription for America."
The Republican National Committee wrote the network a letter expressing concern that the health care-focues special – which will film at the White House with President Obama taking questions from a live audience as well as online queries submitted by viewers – will deliberately leave out "opposing voices."
In a letter to ABC News president David Westin, RNC Chief of Staff Ken McKay writes, "I am concerned this event will become a glorified infomercial to promote the Democrat agenda. If that is the case, this primetime infomercial should be paid for out of the DNC coffers. President Obama does not hold a monopoly on health care reform ideas or on free airtime."
To that, ABC's Senior Vice President Kerry Smith responded this morning, "ABC News alone will select those who will be in the audience asking questions of the president. ABC News will have complete editorial control. To suggest otherwise is quite unfair to both our journalists and our audience."
[Scroll down to view both letters in their entirety.]
Furthermore, ABC's initial press release regarding the program states: "During the discussion from the East Room of the White House, President Obama will answer questions from an audience made up of Americans selected by ABC News who have divergent opinions in this historic debate. ABC News' Medical Editor Dr. Timothy Johnson will also take part in the conversation which will focus on different ideas for how to fix the system and how proposed changes will impact our already fragile economy."
As previously reported, network anchors Diane Sawyer and Charles Gibson will moderate "Questions for the President," airing next Wednesday at 10 p.m. EST. That morning, "Good Morning America" will originate from the South Lawn of the White House and include Sawyer interviewing President Obama about health care and other issues. Wednesday's program will also feature portions of Robin Roberts' exclusive interview with First Lady Michelle Obama.
On Wednesday evening, Gibson will anchor "World News" from the Blue Room of the White House.
In more updated info:
• ABCNews.com invites viewers to submit questions about health care reform at ABCNews.com/Politics beginning today. ABCNews.com will be working with Digg.com to select popular questions voted on by online users and some of those questions will be put to President Obama during the program.
• ABC News' daily political webcast, "Top Line", will focus on health care reform throughout the week of June 22. ABCNews.com senior political reporter and author of the Note, Rick Klein, will live-blog and interact with users as the forum airs and full video coverage of the forum will be posted online.
• A special section of ABCNews.com/Politics dedicated to the health care debate will offer comprehensive coverage of the forum and will continue as legislation is taken up in Congress.
• ABC News Radio will air portions of "Questions for the President: Prescription for America" and will also produce a special edition of its weekly news magazine PERSPECTIVE, that will include portions of the special. PERSPECTIVE will be available to ABC News Radio affiliates for use over the weekend of June 27-28.
Below is the full letter of RNC Chief of Staff Ken McKay, followed by the full response by ABC's Senior Vice President Kerry Smith.
Dear Mr. Westin:
As the national debate on health care reform intensifies, I am deeply concerned and disappointed with ABC's astonishing decision to exclude opposing voices on this critical issue on June 24, 2009. Next Wednesday, ABC News will air a primetime health care reform "town hall" at the White House with President Barack Obama. In addition, according to an ABC News report, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, WORLD NEWS, NIGHTLINE and ABC's web news "will all feature special programming on the president's health care agenda." This does not include the promotion, over the next 9 days, the president's health care agenda will receive on ABC News programming.
Today, the Republican National Committee requested an opportunity to add our Party's views to those of the President's to ensure that all sides of the health care reform debate are presented. Our request was rejected. I believe that the President should have the ability to speak directly to the America people. However, I find it outrageous that ABC would prohibit our Party's opposing thoughts and ideas from this national debate, which affects millions of ABC viewers.
In the absence of opposition, I am concerned this event will become a glorified infomercial to promote the Democrat agenda. If that is the case, this primetime infomercial should be paid for out of the DNC coffers. President Obama does not hold a monopoly on health care reform ideas or on free airtime. The President has stated time and time again that he wants a bipartisan debate. Therefore, the Republican Party should be included in this primetime event, or the DNC should pay for your airtime.
Respectfully,
Ken McKay
Republican National Committee
Chief of Staff
-----------------------
June 16, 2009
Mr. Ken McKay
Chief of Staff
Republican National Committee
310 First Street SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
Dear Mr. McKay:
I am in receipt of your letter of June 15, 2009 and wanted to respond to a number of false premises you raise regarding our ongoing and upcoming coverage of health care.
I hope we can all agree that a robust debate of health care issues and potential policies is in order.
To that end, ABC News announced plans to broadcast a primetime hour from the White House devoted to exploring and probing the President's position and the giving voice to questions and criticisms of that position. We hope that any American concerned about health care will find our efforts to be informative, fair and civil.
Second, ABC News prides itself on covering all sides of important issues and asking direct questions of all newsmakers -- of all political persuasions -- even when others have taken a more partisan approach and even in the face of criticism from extremes on both ends of the political spectrum. ABC News is looking for the most thoughtful and diverse voices on this issue. ABC News alone will select those who will be in the audience asking questions of the president. Like any programs we broadcast, ABC News will have complete editorial control. To suggest otherwise is quite unfair to both our journalists and our audience.
Third, there already has been extensive coverage of the upcoming health care debates, on ABC and elsewhere, and there will be much, much more. Indeed, we've already had many critics of the President's health care proposals on the air – and that's before a real plan has even been put before the country.
In the end, no one watching, listening to, or reading ABC News will lack for an understanding of all sides of these important questions.
Thank you for your interest.
Kerry Smith
SVP, ABC News
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