Obama Fines ABC For Broadcasting Charlie Brown Christmas; FCC Cites Christian Bias
The Federal Communications Commission, acting on an executive order issued by Barack Obama, fined the ABC television network for airingÂ A Charlie Brown Christmas, because several overtly Christian references were found to be âpotentially damaging, offensive and exclusionaryâ to non-Christians, according to a Commission spokesperson. The FCCâs Board of Directors â all Obama appointees â Â quietly insertedÂ the penalty notification as an addendum to last weekâs $1.1 trillion spending bill vote in Congress. The 1965 animated holiday favorite came under fire from Islamic and other non-Christian organizations that petitionedÂ for equal network time to airÂ alternativeÂ religious programming or none at all during the traditional holiday season. The original requestÂ calling for âaffirmatively active non-Christian and/or non-denominational programmingâ was submitted to the network in 2009, with no movement taking place until this year. Speaking on behalf of the FCC, legal counsel Khalid Soetoro wrote: In 2010, a list of alternative programming was submitted to the network by the Commission including Ahmal and the Night Visitors,Â andÂ Ramadan Tales, a well-known Middle-Eastern animated childrenâs holiday special. The stage version of the Christmas story has also come under fire, igniting constitutional debateÂ over aÂ 2012Â elementary school production in Little Rock, Arkansas. âThe Charlie Brown fableÂ is not the story of my culture, nor does it reflect the experienceÂ of my parents or my children,â saidÂ Soetoro. âAs universal asÂ Charlie BrownÂ appears on the surface, it actually is exclusionary for a major,Â growing segment of the worldâs population. No action was taken by the network, soÂ they effectively forced our hand. We thank the President for his assistance and executive wisdom,â added Soetoro. The special will still be available for online purchase on DVD, or by subscription services such as Netflix. An online streaming option for home viewers has also been restricted until equivalent programming options are offered by streaming sites. Violation of ObamaâsÂ executive order will result in site shutdowns andÂ additional Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fines levied against internet service providers (ISPs). Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin took to Facebook toÂ express her reaction: âThe further erodation of our Christian family values practiced by Obama and his cronies is evident nowÂ more than ever during ourÂ most religiously observed time of the year. ObamaâsÂ advancing de-Christianization agenda against America and her allies becomes bolder with each passing year and executive appointment, whileÂ his attacks on our cherished cultural and entertainmentÂ media venue outlets continue to arrogantly erodeÂ our core beliefs for generations to come.â The Disney Company, parent of the ABC Television Network, willÂ reportedly file a motion to appeal.