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Another Outrage by a Despicable
Television Network
Tuesday, November 12, 2002
By Bill O'Reilly
Hi, I'm Bill O'Reilly. Thank you for watching us tonight.
First of all, a salute to all of you that served your country on this Veterans Day. The nation is in your debt. Enjoy the day.
The Talking Points Memo this evening concerns another outrage by a despicable television network.
A few weeks ago, VH-1 broadcast a program called "Music Behind Bars" that featured two convicted killers playing in a
rock band. More 40,000 Americans e-mailed that network in protest of the program. And all the companies that sponsored it issued statements they had no idea of the show's content.
Now VH-1 has done the same thing again, featuring a concert with two more convicted murderers. And this time, we're going to hold the sponsors and the host accountable.
First the facts. In 1982, 18-year-old Lisa Mosbrook was stabbed to death by Tony Morrison, who was sentenced to life in prison
in West Virginia. In 1995, 21-year-old Michael Hart was shot in the back by Jason Henthorne, also in West Virginia. Hart died. Henthorne was sentenced to 15 years to life.
Fast forward to this week, where VH-1 has this posted on its Web site. "Tony and Jason are two inmates serving life
sentences for murder. Tony's R&B band Midnight Love and Jason's country band, Dakota, are among the 14 musical groups at the Mount Olive Correctional Complex in West Virginia. In
this episode, the two men must get along and combine styles when the musical director asks them to collaborate and create a song for VH-1's upcoming concert."
What is this, a Broadway show? What the heck's going on inside that prison? Fourteen bands? Why not they let these guys out to
tour? This is just revolting. Two men that took the lives of a young man and a young woman being featured in a musical drama by VH-1, which is making money off this?
Enough is enough. Most large companies have stopped sponsoring this garbage. But here are the one that haven't, and I
will no longer do business with any of them unless they apologize and drop VH-1 entirely. Progressive Auto Insurance, the Nautilus Group, maker of the Bowflex Home Fitness Machine,
and the following entertainment projects, I Spy, Sum of All Fears, Half-Past Dead, Totally Hit CD, Femme Fatale, Beavis and Butt Head, and Jackass: The Movie, which is fitting.
Those enterprises are toast as far as I'm concerned.
And then there's the actor Dylan McDermott, the front man in this Music Behind Bars series. McDermott is, of course, being
paid, and it is blood money. We asked for a statement from McDermott, but his people ignored that request. The man stars in the ABC program The Practice, which I will never watch again.
McDermott, the sponsors, and VH-1 are all contemptible for what they are doing. There's no excuse for this kind of stuff.
In a moment, we will talk with Michael hart's mother, who is suffering greatly because of the program. But McDermott, the sponsors, and VH-1 simply don't care.
Well, we do, and thousands of other Americans do as well. This is a free country, and VH-1 can do what it wants, and so can we.
And that's The Memo.
— You can watch Bill O'Reilly's Talking Points and "Most Ridiculous Item" weeknights at 8 & 11p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com
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