# The Sinclair Broadcast Group and Boris **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2018, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042 "2018-03-05T02:47:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/1 "2018-03-05T02:47:20Z")
It used to be that your local station would run editorials taking positions on this or that subject, and occasionally they would let someone with with a contrary opinion take a few minutes of prime on-air time to give their side of the story. If your local areas has a station that belongs to [The Sinclair Broadcast Group](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stations_owned_or_operated_by_Sinclair_Broadcast_Group) you are probably subjected to far-right editorials a couple times a week by Boris Epshetyn, “star” of _Bottom Line With Boris_. Do you know I say “probably subjected” instead "probably selected if your local Sinclair station swings to the right? It’s because Sinclair stations, no matter which way they swing politically, _have_ to Boris’ little spiel, without commentary or opposing opinion… You can read about Sinclair’s quest to usurp Fox in [here.](https://www.truthdig.com/articles/sinclair-broadcasting-outstrips-fox-news-to-become-de-facto-trump-tv/) Have you seen any of the _Bottom Line With Boris_ pieces? What is your opinion of them? ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/2 "2018-03-05T12:06:12Z")
I haven’t seen him other than in clips but heard about it in the context of Sinclair backing Trump and in return getting favorable decisions from the Trump FCC helping it expand. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/3 "2018-03-05T16:12:29Z")
Wasn’t he that loudmouth liar with a British accent who used to be a WH spokesman before he was (predictably) fired? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/4 "2018-03-05T16:26:36Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Wasn’t he that loudmouth liar with a British accent who used to be a WH spokesman before he was (predictably) fired? No, this is someone different. [Here is a sample](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXKoBzFMAp0) of one of his spewings that the stations previously listed are required to air without commentary or opposition. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/5 "2018-03-05T19:31:44Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > No, this is someone different. [Here is a sample](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXKoBzFMAp0) of one of his spewings that the stations previously listed are required to air without commentary or opposition. Dude has a whopping 98 subscribers on Youtube. I could probably beat that in a couple of weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/6 "2018-03-05T19:50:01Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Dude has a whopping 98 subscribers on Youtube. I could probably beat that in a couple of weeks. You can’t beat guaranteed access to over 190 different television stations several times a week. The problem is that, even if you could convince a station that they should give the public a chance to air an opposing viewpoint, you would on average reach only 1/190 of the audience Boris’ message reached. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/7 "2018-03-05T19:52:18Z")
Why can’t there be a white knight like George Soros come in and buy up these stations and deny this pinhead the opportunity to push propaganda? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/8 "2018-03-05T19:55:13Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Why can’t there be a white knight like George Soros come in and buy up these stations and deny this pinhead the opportunity to push propaganda? You can’t buy what isn’t for sale. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/9 "2018-03-05T21:00:15Z")
I have read articles and talked about these Sinclair bozos (and their affiliated Circa website) here, but I haven’t yet had the displeasure to stumble upon any of their TV channels. But the channel I did stumble upon the other day on DirecTV was the [OAN (One America News Network) channel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_America_News_Network), and from just a brief viewing, I find it difficult to believe that the Sinclair bozos can hold a candle to those OAN clowns. It’s right next to the NewsMax channel… :smack: P.S. [Here’s WaPo’s take.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/an-inside-look-at-one-america-news-the-insurgent-tv-network-taking-pro-trump-to-new-heights/2017/07/05/7475f0a4-4fa2-11e7-91eb-9611861a988f_story.html) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/10 "2018-03-08T19:01:39Z")
[Two [URL=“http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/03/local-news-anchors-now-have-to-read-pro-trump-propaganda.html”]more](https://www.abc15.com/news/national/sinclairs-new-media-bashing-promos-rankle-local-anchors) recent articles about how Sinclair holds its stations hostage, telling them what to say(do NOT deviate from the script), when to say it(they must be aired during news time, not commercial time, cutting the time to deliver local news drastically), and how to dress while saying it. They are even told that if the public responds to the local newsies as to what is happening, the Sinclair Group will answer on their behalf. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/11 "2018-03-08T20:56:53Z")
I see that Sinclair doesn’t seem to own any stations in the San Francisco or Los Angeles markets. Good thing for them. I can’t imagine the reaction if a local TV station here broadcast a piece of Trump propaganda, but it wouldn’t be good. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/12 "2018-03-08T21:24:21Z")
They have the ABC affiliate here in progressive Seattle. Mostly we just feel sorry for the people who work there, assuming that almost all of them would rather not do the Sinclair must-airs. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2018, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/13 "2018-03-09T12:23:58Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You can’t buy what isn’t for sale. For the right price, everything is for sale. Sinclair may love its soapbox, but they might love money even more. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2018, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/14 "2018-03-09T13:12:02Z")
[Media Matters’ take on Boris](https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2018/03/05/there-no-audience-boris-epshteyns-pro-trump-propaganda-so-sinclair-forces-it-people/219554). Best quote award actually goes to one of the comments under the article: > [@SickandTired](#): > > There’s something about mandatory corporate propaganda where a guy named Boris informs the viewer that Trump has no Russian connections of any kind. > > Like a camo MAGA hat, it really symbolizes the era. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2018, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/15 "2018-03-09T17:42:02Z")
> [@Saltire](#): > > They have the ABC affiliate here in progressive Seattle. Mostly we just feel sorry for the people who work there, assuming that almost all of them would rather not do the Sinclair must-airs. I don’t know if the can still get away with it but at least for a time, the Seattle station was running the corporate office propaganda at 4AM… ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2018, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/16 "2018-03-12T10:02:30Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > For the right price, everything is for sale. Sinclair may love its soapbox, but they might love money even more. Normally, yes, but this is what the guy who runs Sinclair wants to spend his money _on_. This isn’t a business move - he is evangelizing to the masses. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/17 "2018-04-03T04:16:50Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > I don’t know if the can still get away with it but at least for a time, the Seattle station was running the corporate office propaganda at 4AM… (Bumping a linked thread) I’ve heard that a lot of stations are doing this on purpose. It has to air sometime; why not at a time when very few people are watching? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/18 "2018-04-03T06:38:02Z")
Deadspin is my new favorite website. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/19 "2018-04-03T11:26:15Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > (Bumping a linked thread) I’ve heard that a lot of stations are doing this on purpose. It has to air sometime; why not at a time when very few people are watching? That _used_ to be the case-now they are being told when to air the segments. BTW, complaining to the local stations and/or their newsreader personally will do no good because they have been ordered to forward all such correspondence to The Sinclair Group so that an official response can be given. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042/20 "2018-04-03T11:40:53Z")
Yeah, that’s not ominous at all. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sinclair-broadcast-group-and-boris/810042.md?page=2)