CITIZEN ALERT:
C-SPAN denies public TV access to 9-11 victims' families and 9-11 panel seeking answers and accountability.

**A public plea to citizens interested in fair and balanced media coverage -- please forward as appropriate**

Since mid-May, organizers of the 9-11 and the Public Safety press event, June 10th, at the National Press Club (NPC) in Washington, D.C, have been campaigning for media coverage. This past week, co-chair, Tom Flocco has solicited C-SPAN for coverage hoping for a live TV broadcast, or at minimum a taped and delayed broadcast.

C-SPANs web site says: "Certain events, like speeches at the NPC and news conferences by Congressional leaders, automatically receive coverage." The site also details pre-conditions that an event must meet to be selected for coverage:

1) The event should be of a public affairs nature.
2) The subject should be an issue of national importance.
3) Event should be selected to show balance between different sides of a particular issue.
4) Speakers participating should be closely related to the topic under discussion.

Initial reaction was positive; "This is very interesting, something we want to consider" said Rob Harleston, Assignment Editor, a sentiment echoed by Karen Gaither, another assignment editor. They requested that we keep them updated on any new developments and confirmations.

Friday was D-Day. The editorial/camera shoot committee met Friday afternoon after a few last minute calls to Tom requesting updates as to panelists and other media coverage, still expressing enthusiasm. Tom and co-chair Kyle F. Hence expeditiously dispatched confirmation updates and a detailed minute by minute agenda and timeline of presentation -- clearly indicating that positive momentum and significant interest was building for the event.

We were particularly pleased that representatives from the group organizing the June 11th Rally on Capital Hill (Families of September 11th) were planning on attending our conference and offering their own questions to our 9/11 investigative panel.

We now felt the people and the press were eager to hear the unaddressed issues and unanswered questions to be raised at our Monday event. And we felt somewhat confident based on their expressed interest that they would at the very least tape the show for a later broadcast given our focus on key issues with regard to the pubic safety.

But we were wrong!

Tom called C-SPAN at 5:30 pm to inquire about their TV coverage decision. He learned they had decided NOT to cover Monday's Unanswered Questions press event. They have instead scheduled detailed coverage of Bush Administration officials (VP Cheney, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge) and others promoting President Bush's new plan to centralize major national and domestic security and border agencies under the auspices of one government official -- administration events all afternoon.

Tom offered this response to his contact Ms. Gaither. He said, "C-SPAN has fallen for the Administration's 'damage control' and their effort to keep the FBI whistleblowers and the real, unanswered questions totally off the radar screen." "We are standing by our decision to cover Bush Administration events," Ms. Gaithor said, adding "I could not persuade the other editors to cover your program."

C-SPAN's bias toward airing the Homeland Defense restructuring issue is part of an ongoing diversion and reticence to address gross government failures and negligence surrounding 9-11, without responding to the general public call for full accountability.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

If you feel that the American people, and especially the family members who lost loved ones, deserve real answers, open investigations, and access to secret government documents; we are urging you to do the following:

1) Between 8AM and 2PM on Monday take a half hour to an hour to phone (most important), fax and email C-SPAN asking them why they are refusing any coverage or taping of such critically important subject matter. (If the phone is continually busy, that means others share your outrage and concern.)

2) Send an email and a fax if you have access to a fax machine. Please be courteous and concise in expressing your views.

KEY POINTS TO CONSIDER IN EXPRESSING YOUR VIEWS:

C-SPAN's website says that their editorial staff strives for balance. Why are they ignoring a press event at the easily accessible and prestigious National Press Club -- one that will cover key questions and critical information thus far not addressed by our national leaders? These issues include air defense and airport security failures, profits from pre-attack insider trading, anthrax attacks, encroachment on guaranteed constitutional rights, and the withholding of secret document, etc.

C-SPAN is refusing any coverage or taping of the press event on these 9-11 issues even though two of the three C-SPAN channels became open with no required congressional programming since the House of Representatives is not even in session on Monday afternoon.

Please urge C-SPAN to reconsider their decision and send a team to videotape the conference to be sure that substantive 9/11 issues, new information, and important questions are fully addressed that help build a case for a full and independent investigation.

KEY CONTACTS AND EDITORIAL STAFF MEMBERS:

Main number: 202-737-3220

Assignment editor: 202-626-7965 (Rob Harleston)

Assignment editor: 202-626-7965 (Ellen Schweiger)

Fax number: 202-737-6226

Viewer services: 765-464-3080

dceditor@c-span.org (Rob Harleston, Assignment Editor)

congress@c-span.org (Karen Gaither, Assignment Editor)

journal@c-span.org (producers of Washington Journal, shown daily)

viewer@c-span.org

events@c-span.org (C-SPAN established venue to suggest a public event -
polling email address)

radio@c-span.org (C-SPAN radio)

We are disappointed that C-SPAN has chosen not to cover unanswered questions, un-addressed issues, and hidden information pertinent to public safety and national security. However, we are hoping that the response of many Americans willing to phone, fax and email C-SPAN will convince them to reconsider their position and cover our event so many others will have the benefit of evaluating previously un-addressed issues.

The goal of our event is to raise glaringly obvious and disturbing questions that remain unanswered in the wake of 9/11. In its prejudiced decision not to cover this important event, C-SPAN is in effect taking our money (taxpayer cable-funded fees) and using it against us to deny public access to legitimate and credible inquiry regarding issues of paramount importance to the public safety and national security.

If we should fail in our attempt to have C-SPAN reconsider, we will call on concerned citizens and victim families to take the initiative to research civil procedure regarding
C-SPAN‘s actions. While UnansweredQuestions can play a minor role in this effort, it will remain true to its primary goal of galvanizing the public's call for answers and full accountability with regard to the events and issues surrounding September 11th.

C-SPAN IS TOO IMPORTANT A NATIONAL TREASURE AND MEDIA ASSET FOR US TO IGNORE THIS UNFAIRLY BIASED EDITORIAL DECISION.

Look for audio archive and transcript at our site (www.unansweredquestions.org) by the end of the week.

Thank you for your interest and support,

Sincerely,

Tom Flocco: tomflocco@cs.com
Kyle F. Hence: kylehence@earthlink.net
Catherine Austin Fitts: catherine@solari.com