From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 4/27/06:
http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/washington/washington/entries/2006/04/27/airwaves_battle.html
Airwaves Battle on Air Force One
By Ken Herman
The controversy du jour aboard Air Force One today was one near and
dear to the hearts of many otherwise happy couples:
Command and control of the TV tuner.
"It’s come to my attention that there’s been requests -- this is a
serious question -- to turn these TVs on to a station other than Fox,
and that those have been denied," Washington Post reporter Jim
VandeHei told Press Secretary Scott McClellan.
"My question would be, is there a White House policy that all
government TVs have to be tuned to Fox?"
"Never heard of any such thing," said McClellan, soon to be replaced
by Tony Snow of Fox News, long viewed as an operation that enjoys most
favored network status in the Bush White House.
"My TVs are on all four different channels at all times," McClellan
said of the four-screen array across from his West Wing desk.
He also noted that every White House television has split-screen
capability.
"Well," said VandeHei, "they always seem to be tuned to Fox."
He went on.
"And these are paid for by taxpayer dollars. And my understanding is
that you guys have to watch Fox on Air Force One. Is that true?"
No way, said McClellan.
"First time I’ve ever heard of it," he said.
"First time you’ve brought it to my attention, meaning the first time
the press corps has brought it to my attention. In fact, I’ve watched
other channels on here."
Despite McClellan’s TV options, the record will show that -- other
than when the movie of reporters’ choice is showing (and that
frequently invites a gender-based battle over what to watch), Fox is
showing on the screens in the press cabin of Air Force One.
As McClellan and VandeHei talked TV channels, Agence France Presse
photographer Tim Sloan volunteered that he was the one who raised the
issue.
"I was the Fox victim," he said, "and I was told, the quote was, ‘No,’
when I asked for CNN. ... I was told, ‘We don’t watch CNN here. You
can only watch Fox.’"
Asked who told him that, Sloan said "the magic people at the other end
of the phone" in the press cabin.
McClellan said he found the issue "quite amusing, to tell you the
truth."
"I mean there are a lot of people on this plane that do watch that
channel," he said of CNN.
"First time you brought it to my attention. I’ll go see what we can do
on it."
Moments later, after a quick trip up front, McClellan came back with
the update.
"We just called up. They’re going to be changing it, at your all’s
request, to the channel that you requested, which is CNN," he said.
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Goodness. Are the Republicans *that* afraid of the truth?
Harry
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