Nightline controversy

According to Poynter Online, The Sinclair Broadcast group, which owns several ABC affiliates, mainly in the Southeast, will refuse to air Friday night's Nightline. Why? Because Ted Koppel will read the names of the servicemen and women who have died in Iraq. Here's part of Sinclair's reasoning. It's flawed. Click the link above for the whole disgusting thing: "The ABC Television network announced on Tuesday that the Friday, April 30th edition of Nightline will consist entirely of Ted Koppel reading aloud the names of U.S. servicemen and women killed in action in Iraq. Despite the denials by a spokeswoman for the show the action appears to be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq." Thankfully, ABC responds, in part: "We respectfully disagree with Sinclair's decision to pre-empt "Nightline's" tribute to America's fallen soldiers which will air this Friday, April 30. The Nightline broadcast is an expression of respect which simply seeks to honor those who have laid down their lives for this country. ABC News is dedicated to thoughtful and balanced coverage and reports on the events shaping our world with neither fear nor favor -- as our audience expects, deserves, and rightly demands. Contrary to the statement issued by Sinclair, which takes issue with our level of coverage of the effects of terrorism on our citizens, ABC News and all of our broadcasts, including "Nightline," have reported hundreds of stories on 9-11. Indeed, on the first anniversary of 9-11, ABC News broadcast the names of the victims of that horrific attack."