Freethought & Rationalism Archive

RufusAtticus · 06-13-2003, 04:38 PM

~~Note I'm forwarding this from the evolist-ga listserv.~~

Individuals in Maryland, Oklahoma, Texas and elsewhere may have already learned, advocates for intelligent design are pressuring Public Broadcasting Stations, particularly NETA-member stations to televise "Unlocking the Mystery of Life." NETA is a "professional association based in Columbia, SC. It serves public television licensees and educational entities in all 50 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, by providing quality programming, educational resources, professional development, management support, and national representation."

"Unlocking the Mystery of Life" has been described by those familiar with the evolution/creationism issue as a 50-minute ad for intelligent design that anti-evolution activists have managed to get into a PBS distribution system. Stations in Maryland (may also be seen in parts of surrounding states), Michigan, Oklahoma, and Texas have aired this program. It is thought that intelligent design activists have initiated letter-writing and phone call campaigns to pressure other stations into airing the program. Those interested in the creationism/evolution controversy, especially scientists, should take this opportunity to see what the proponents of "intelligent design theory" have to say for themselves. After seeing it, those wishing to comment on the program and/or a station's decision to air the program should contact their station.

"Unlocking the Mystery of Life" is most likely to run on these
stations, which are member stations of NETA, the distributor
http://www.netaonline.org/memberstate.htm

Alabama: Alabama PTV
Alaska: KAKM, KUAC, KYUK
Arizona: KUAT
Arkansas: Arkansas Educational TV Network
California: KOCE, KLCS, KTEH, KVCR
Florida: WBCC, WCEU, WGCU, WUFT, WJCT, WLRN, WSRE, WFSU,
WUSF, WXEL
Georgia: Georgia Public Broadcasting, WPBA
Idaho: Idaho Public Television
Illinois: WSIU
Indiana: WTBU, WYIN
Kansas: Smoky Hills PTV
Kentucky: KET, WKYU
Louisiana: LPB, WLAE
Maryland: MPT
Michigan: WGVU
Mississippi: Mississippi Educational Broadcasting
Missouri: KCPT, KETC, KOZK, KMOS
Montana: Montana PBS
Nebraska: Nebraska Educational TV
Nevada: KLVX
New Hampshire: NHPTV
New Jersey: NJN
New Mexico: KNME, KRWG, KENW
New York: Thirteen/WNET, WLIW, WMHT, WPBS
North Carolina: UNC-TV
North Dakota: Prairie Public Television
Ohio: WOUB, WPTD/Think TV
Oklahoma: KRSC, OETA
Oregon: OPB
Pennsylvania: WLVT, WPSX, WYBE
Rhode Island: Rhode Island PBS
South Carolina: South Carolina ETV
South Dakota: South Dakota PTV
Tennessee: WTCI, WCTE, WETP formerly WSJK, WLJT, WKNO, WNPT
Texas: KERA, KMBH, KNCT, KTXT, KOCV, KLRN, KLRU, KAMU, KEDT, KWBU
Utah: KBYU, KUED
Vermont: Vermont Public Television
Virgin Islands: WTJX
Virginia: WHRO, WVPT, WCVE, Blue Ridge Public Television Washington: KSPS
West Virginia: WV PBS
Wisconsin: Wisconsin ECB
Wyoming: Wyoming Public TV

Dr.GH · 06-13-2003, 04:56 PM

I could not find any indication that California: KOCE is planning to show the DI's trash.

I E-Mailed the station and offered to watch it with them.

Silent Dave · 06-13-2003, 06:52 PM

Science by infomercials. Is that to be the wave of the future? If so, the human race is dead in the water.

Dave

MrDarwin · 06-13-2003, 06:53 PM

It aired on MPT a few nights ago. I intended to watch it, but I apparently don't get the station (although I could have sworn I did).

Albion · 06-14-2003, 12:02 PM

At the time PBS ran its Evolution series, the ID people were asked to contribute to the final episode, along with the YECs, and refused (and then claimed they'd been excluded). It was suspected at the time that they wanted to have their own platform and not be part of a series that wasn't friendly toward their agenda; it looks as though this is it. I wonder what PBS is thinking about, though, if it's presenting this as a scientific rather than religious or political programme and is letting it air with only one side of the story (which is opposed by effectively the entire scientific research community) being presented. They must be so strapped for cash that they don't care about standards any more.

According to the scientist who told me the stuff about the Evolution series (she'd just been to an AGU meeting where both Ken Miller and Robert Pennock were giving talks about the creationist problem in the education system and had talked to at least one of them, possibly both, after their presentations), every episode of the Evolution series in her neck of the woods (Bible belt) had been followed by a one-hour refutation by some creationist or other; she was just about frothing at the mouth when she was telling me about how Duane Gish had mangled astrophysics to show the universe was young (a particularly sore point, because she'd just been asked by her faculty dean to stop mentioning "billions of years old" in introductory astrophysics classes at her college because it was upsetting the students). I wonder if scientists will be invited to spend an hour talking about evolution after the ID programme airs.

Kevin · 06-15-2003, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Albion
At the time PBS ran its Evolution series, the ID people were asked to contribute to the final episode, along with the YECs, and refused (and then claimed they'd been excluded). It was suspected at the time that they wanted to have their own platform and not be part of a series that wasn't friendly toward their agenda; it looks as though this is it. I wonder what PBS is thinking about, though, if it's presenting this as a scientific rather than religious or political programme and is letting it air with only one side of the story (which is opposed by effectively the entire scientific research community) being presented. They must be so strapped for cash that they don't care about standards any more.

According to the scientist who told me the stuff about the Evolution series (she'd just been to an AGU meeting where both Ken Miller and Robert Pennock were giving talks about the creationist problem in the education system and had talked to at least one of them, possibly both, after their presentations), every episode of the Evolution series in her neck of the woods (Bible belt) had been followed by a one-hour refutation by some creationist or other; she was just about frothing at the mouth when she was telling me about how Duane Gish had mangled astrophysics to show the universe was young (a particularly sore point, because she'd just been asked by her faculty dean to stop mentioning "billions of years old" in introductory astrophysics classes at her college because it was upsetting the students). I wonder if scientists will be invited to spend an hour talking about evolution after the ID programme airs.

The italicized bit worried me more than hearing about YECs and IDCs on public television. I was hoping that no matter how bad things got in high school, the autonomy of U.S. universities would keep this self-censorship from leaking into the university classroom. If one can't even teach proper science at the university level where DO these people think the next generation of scientists is going to come from?! :banghead:

S2Focus · 06-15-2003, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kevin

The italicized bit worried me more than hearing about YECs and IDCs on public television. I was hoping that no matter how bad things got in high school, the autonomy of U.S. universities would keep this self-censorship from leaking into the university classroom. If one can't even teach proper science at the university level where DO these people think the next generation of scientists is going to come from?! :banghead:

Actually, it's quite likely that these Taliban-wannabees don't want another generation of scientists.

hezekiah jones · 06-15-2003, 08:46 AM

Originally posted by Albion
At the time PBS ran its Evolution series, the ID people were asked to contribute to the final episode, along with the YECs, and refused (and then claimed they'd been excluded).

This is interesting. Do you have any more information about this?

Albion · 06-15-2003, 10:54 AM

Well, all I know about this is what my friend reported from the education session at the AGU meeting a couple of years ago, when there was a subsession on creationism (I think ID creationism in particular). She went to the talks by Ken Miller and Robert Pennock (I think it was Robert Pennock anyway) and a couple of other people whose names escape me and had informal chats with some of the speakers after the session. She invited Ken Miller to come and give a talk at her university (by which time she'd moved away from the private college where they were getting upset about her teaching an ancient universe in her astrophysics classes to a university in the state system), which apparently was quite successful, even though the local paper somehow managed to forget to publicise the talk and their religion correspondent (they don't have a science correspondent) declined an invitation to attend.

Is it important enough that you want me to contact her and see if she remembers where she heard this stuff about the ID people having declined the invitation to participate in the PBS programme?

hezekiah jones · 06-15-2003, 11:27 AM

Originally posted by Albion
Is it important enough that you want me to contact her and see if she remembers where she heard this stuff about the ID people having declined the invitation to participate in the PBS programme?

No, that's cool, but thanks anyway.

I had just happened to be reading Sarfati's whinefest at AiG about how shabbily Ken Ham had been treated in the final episode. But thanks for the info, I think that's pretty typical of these clowns.

06-13-2003, 04:38 PM	#1
RufusAtticus Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NCSU Posts: 5,853	ID Activists Push PBS Stations to Air Infomercial ~~Note I'm forwarding this from the evolist-ga listserv.~~ Individuals in Maryland, Oklahoma, Texas and elsewhere may have already learned, advocates for intelligent design are pressuring Public Broadcasting Stations, particularly NETA-member stations to televise "Unlocking the Mystery of Life." NETA is a "professional association based in Columbia, SC. It serves public television licensees and educational entities in all 50 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, by providing quality programming, educational resources, professional development, management support, and national representation." "Unlocking the Mystery of Life" has been described by those familiar with the evolution/creationism issue as a 50-minute ad for intelligent design that anti-evolution activists have managed to get into a PBS distribution system. Stations in Maryland (may also be seen in parts of surrounding states), Michigan, Oklahoma, and Texas have aired this program. It is thought that intelligent design activists have initiated letter-writing and phone call campaigns to pressure other stations into airing the program. Those interested in the creationism/evolution controversy, especially scientists, should take this opportunity to see what the proponents of "intelligent design theory" have to say for themselves. After seeing it, those wishing to comment on the program and/or a station's decision to air the program should contact their station. "Unlocking the Mystery of Life" is most likely to run on these stations, which are member stations of NETA, the distributor http://www.netaonline.org/memberstate.htm Alabama: Alabama PTV Alaska: KAKM, KUAC, KYUK Arizona: KUAT Arkansas: Arkansas Educational TV Network California: KOCE, KLCS, KTEH, KVCR Florida: WBCC, WCEU, WGCU, WUFT, WJCT, WLRN, WSRE, WFSU, WUSF, WXEL Georgia: Georgia Public Broadcasting, WPBA Idaho: Idaho Public Television Illinois: WSIU Indiana: WTBU, WYIN Kansas: Smoky Hills PTV Kentucky: KET, WKYU Louisiana: LPB, WLAE Maryland: MPT Michigan: WGVU Mississippi: Mississippi Educational Broadcasting Missouri: KCPT, KETC, KOZK, KMOS Montana: Montana PBS Nebraska: Nebraska Educational TV Nevada: KLVX New Hampshire: NHPTV New Jersey: NJN New Mexico: KNME, KRWG, KENW New York: Thirteen/WNET, WLIW, WMHT, WPBS North Carolina: UNC-TV North Dakota: Prairie Public Television Ohio: WOUB, WPTD/Think TV Oklahoma: KRSC, OETA Oregon: OPB Pennsylvania: WLVT, WPSX, WYBE Rhode Island: Rhode Island PBS South Carolina: South Carolina ETV South Dakota: South Dakota PTV Tennessee: WTCI, WCTE, WETP formerly WSJK, WLJT, WKNO, WNPT Texas: KERA, KMBH, KNCT, KTXT, KOCV, KLRN, KLRU, KAMU, KEDT, KWBU Utah: KBYU, KUED Vermont: Vermont Public Television Virgin Islands: WTJX Virginia: WHRO, WVPT, WCVE, Blue Ridge Public Television Washington: KSPS West Virginia: WV PBS Wisconsin: Wisconsin ECB Wyoming: Wyoming Public TV

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06-13-2003, 04:56 PM	#2
Dr.GH Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Dana Point, Ca, USA Posts: 2,115	I could not find any indication that California: KOCE is planning to show the DI's trash. I E-Mailed the station and offered to watch it with them.

06-13-2003, 06:52 PM	#3
Silent Dave Banned Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Bloomington, MN Posts: 2,209	Science by infomercials. Is that to be the wave of the future? If so, the human race is dead in the water. Dave

06-13-2003, 06:53 PM	#4
MrDarwin Veteran Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 4,140	It aired on MPT a few nights ago. I intended to watch it, but I apparently don't get the station (although I could have sworn I did).

06-14-2003, 12:02 PM	#5
Albion Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: US east coast. And www.theroyalforums.com Posts: 2,829	At the time PBS ran its Evolution series, the ID people were asked to contribute to the final episode, along with the YECs, and refused (and then claimed they'd been excluded). It was suspected at the time that they wanted to have their own platform and not be part of a series that wasn't friendly toward their agenda; it looks as though this is it. I wonder what PBS is thinking about, though, if it's presenting this as a scientific rather than religious or political programme and is letting it air with only one side of the story (which is opposed by effectively the entire scientific research community) being presented. They must be so strapped for cash that they don't care about standards any more. According to the scientist who told me the stuff about the Evolution series (she'd just been to an AGU meeting where both Ken Miller and Robert Pennock were giving talks about the creationist problem in the education system and had talked to at least one of them, possibly both, after their presentations), every episode of the Evolution series in her neck of the woods (Bible belt) had been followed by a one-hour refutation by some creationist or other; she was just about frothing at the mouth when she was telling me about how Duane Gish had mangled astrophysics to show the universe was young (a particularly sore point, because she'd just been asked by her faculty dean to stop mentioning "billions of years old" in introductory astrophysics classes at her college because it was upsetting the students). I wonder if scientists will be invited to spend an hour talking about evolution after the ID programme airs.

06-15-2003, 08:46 AM	#8
hezekiah jones Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: WI Posts: 4,357	Originally posted by Albion At the time PBS ran its Evolution series, the ID people were asked to contribute to the final episode, along with the YECs, and refused (and then claimed they'd been excluded). This is interesting. Do you have any more information about this?

06-15-2003, 10:54 AM	#9
Albion Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: US east coast. And www.theroyalforums.com Posts: 2,829	Well, all I know about this is what my friend reported from the education session at the AGU meeting a couple of years ago, when there was a subsession on creationism (I think ID creationism in particular). She went to the talks by Ken Miller and Robert Pennock (I think it was Robert Pennock anyway) and a couple of other people whose names escape me and had informal chats with some of the speakers after the session. She invited Ken Miller to come and give a talk at her university (by which time she'd moved away from the private college where they were getting upset about her teaching an ancient universe in her astrophysics classes to a university in the state system), which apparently was quite successful, even though the local paper somehow managed to forget to publicise the talk and their religion correspondent (they don't have a science correspondent) declined an invitation to attend. Is it important enough that you want me to contact her and see if she remembers where she heard this stuff about the ID people having declined the invitation to participate in the PBS programme?

06-15-2003, 11:27 AM	#10
hezekiah jones Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: WI Posts: 4,357	Originally posted by Albion Is it important enough that you want me to contact her and see if she remembers where she heard this stuff about the ID people having declined the invitation to participate in the PBS programme? No, that's cool, but thanks anyway. I had just happened to be reading Sarfati's whinefest at AiG about how shabbily Ken Ham had been treated in the final episode. But thanks for the info, I think that's pretty typical of these clowns.

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