PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee
of Illinois
1701 North Greenwood Road
Glenview, IL 60026
Contact: Greg Bedian
Tel: 917 428 1918
Fax: 718 651 3637
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
Community Groups Urge WTTW to Drop Program Featuring Genocide Deniers
Chicago, IL – A group of organizations involved in raising genocide
awareness have joined together to urge Chicago PBS affiliate WTTW Channel 11
to drop a program featuring two renowned genocide deniers scheduled to be
broadcast on Monday, April 17 at 11:00 pm.
The program, entitled `Armenian Genocide: Exploring the Issues,’ is intended
as a follow-on program to a documentary film directed by Andrew Goldberg
entitled `The Armenian Genocide,’ which will be broadcast at 10:00 pm the
same evening. Hosted and moderated by Scott Simon, `Armenian Genocide:
Exploring the Issues’ is in the form of a panel discussion where noted
Turkish historian Taner Akcam and award-winning author Peter Balakian engage
in a debate with genocide deniers Justin McCarthy and Omer Turan.
In a letter addressed to WTTW’s Director of Broadcasting Dan Soles, the
groups stated, `By airing the panel discussion, WTTW would do a great
disservice to its viewers by providing genocide deniers with a platform to
promote their views, allowing them to engage in the final stage of genocide,
or what Elie Wiesel has called `double killing,’ the murder of the memory of
the crime.’
The groups also objected to the program’s debate format because it affords
the same scholarly authority to genocide deniers as it does to legitimate
historians. `No matter how strong the rebuttal, in the absence of
appropriate context viewers who are unfamiliar with this period of history
may be inclined to wrongly believe that the Armenian genocide is the subject
of serious and genuine historical debate, casting doubt as to whether 1.5
million Armenians were really murdered,’ the letter stated.
Although the Goldberg documentary is being broadcast nationwide, PBS
affiliates in nearly every major market, including New York, Los Angeles,
Boston, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Miami, San Francisco, Detroit and St.
Louis, have chosen not to broadcast the `Armenian Genocide: Exploring the
Issues’ program.
The organizations which authored the letter reflect of broad spectrum of
Chicago’s ethnic communities which have been affected by genocide in the
past as well as groups engaged in trying to end the current genocide in
Darfur. They include the Armenian National Committee of Illinois, the
Assyrian Community of Illinois, the Cambodian Association of Illinois, the
Chicago Alliance to End Genocide, the Genocide Education Network of
Illinois, the Greek Pontians of Chicago- Xeniteas, the Hamazkayin
Educational and Cultural Association, the Holocaust Memorial Foundation of
Illinois, and the Ukrainian Genocide Famine Foundation – USA.
`The Armenian American community is profoundly grateful for the outpouring
of support it has received to help prevent the propagation of genocide
denial,’ stated Greg Bedian, chairperson of the Armenian National Committee.
`WTTW Chicago needs to understand it is not in the public interest to
provide genocide deniers like Justin McCarthy or Arthur Butz with an
opportunity to broadcast their distorted and hateful message,’ he concluded.
In addition to the letter sent by the organizations, WTTW has also received
numerous phone calls, letters and emails from individuals and groups urging
the station to rethink its decision to broadcast the panel discussion
program. A recent meeting of WTTW’s Community Advisory Board also decided
to urge the station not to air the program.
The text of the letter is attached.
April 11, 2006
Mr. Dan Soles
Director of Broadcasting
WTTW Channel 11
5400 N St. Louis Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60625-4698
Dear Mr. Soles,
It has come to our attention that WTTW is planning to air two programs
regarding the Armenian genocide in the month of April, the month in which
Armenians and others worldwide mark the anniversary of the extermination of
1.5 million Armenians from 1915-1923. As organizations who are actively
involved in raising awareness about genocide, we laud the station’s decision
to air `The Armenian Genocide,’ a thoroughly-researched and well-prepared
documentary by Andrew Goldberg. However, we must also express our serious
concerns regarding WTTW’s intent to follow the documentary with a panel
discussion featuring outspoken genocide deniers.
In his documentary, Mr. Goldberg took pains to include those who engage in
Turkey’s campaign of denying the Armenian genocide, but placed them in a
proper context so viewers will see them as deniers. Mr. Goldberg’s decision
to present these views provides an important perspective and contributes to
the overall objectivity of this documentary, making it an excellent example
of the high quality of programming we expect from WTTW.
On the other hand, the panel discussion employs the format of a debate,
granting genocide deniers Justin McCarthy and Omer Turan the same scholarly
authority on the subject as afforded to noted author Peter Balakian and
Turkish historian Taner Akcam. During the discussion, Mr. McCarthy
characterizes the genocide as a myth and implies that Mr. Goldberg’s work is
wholly fictitious. No matter how strong the rebuttal, in the absence of
appropriate context viewers who are unfamiliar with this period of history
may be inclined to wrongly believe that the Armenian genocide is the subject
of serious and genuine historical debate, casting doubt as to whether 1.5
million Armenians were really murdered. By airing the panel discussion,
WTTW would do a great disservice to its viewers by providing genocide
deniers with a platform to promote their views, allowing them to engage in
the final stage of genocide, or what Elie Wiesel has called `double
killing,’ the murder of the memory of the crime.
We therefore strongly urge you to join the PBS affiliates in Boston,
Providence, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Miami and
elsewhere who will be broadcasting Mr. Goldberg’s documentary without this
panel discussion. We look forward to your favorable reply on this matter.
Regards,
Armenian National Committee of Illinois
Assyrian Community of Illinois
Cambodian Association of Illinois
Chicago Alliance to End Genocide
Genocide Education Network of Illinois
Greek Pontians of Chicago- Xeniteas
Hamazkayin Educational and Cultural Association
Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois
Ukrainian Genocide Famine Foundation – USA