This is kinda crazy.
[An investigative report published by Common Dreams News Center reveals
that the US government's new Arabic language satellite TV news channel
for Iraq is being produced at the studios of Grace Digital Media, which,
by all appearances, is associated with a messianic Christian religious
broadcaster called Grace News Network. (To supplement the article, I
have included corporate identity information from the web pages of both
Grace Digital Media and Grace Network News, which are indeed located in
the same building.) The connection underscores the increasingly
troubling influence of Christian Zionists in the Bush administration. Of
course, a full-time U.S. government-run television station in Iraq is
problematic under any circumstances. While the religious-fundamentalist
ties may remain shadowy, Kenneth Tomlinson, the head of the Broadcasting
Board of Governors (BBG), the US government agency in charge of the
channel, is quite open about his goal. "Al-Jazeera should not go
unanswered in the Middle East," he said to the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, according to a short article published last week at
Europemedia.net (also included here). Quips the writer of the article,
"Having bombed the offices of Al-Jazeera in both Afghanistan and Iraq -
as well as those of rival Abu Dhabi television - and still the network
doesn't learn its lesson, the US seems now to be attempting a more
softly, softly approach to counteracting the broadcast of objective news
in the Middle East." –H. Siegel (guest editor)]
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0429-10.htm
Grace News
By Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman
The U.S. government this week launched its Arabic language satellite TV
news station for Muslim Iraq.
It is being produced in a studio – Grace Digital Media – controlled by
fundamentalist Christians who are rabidly pro-Israel.
That's Grace as in "by the Grace of God."
Grace Digital Media is controlled by a fundamentalist Christian
millionaire, Cheryl Reagan, who last year wrested control of Federal
News Service, a transcription news service, from its former owner,
Cortes Randell.
Randell says he met Reagan at a prayer meeting, brought her in as an
investor in Federal News Service, and then she forced him out of his
own company.
Grace Digital Media and Federal News Service are housed in a downtown
Washington, D.C. office building, along with Grace News Network.
When you call the number for Grace News Network, you get a person
answering "Grace Digital Media/Federal News Service."
According to its web site, Grace News Network is "dedicated to
transmitting the evidence of God's presence in the world today."
"Grace News Network will be reporting the current secular news, along
with aggressive proclamations that will 'change the news' to reflect the
Kingdom of God and its purposes," GNN proclaims.
The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the U.S. government agency
producing the television news broadcasts for Iraq, likes to say it is the
BBC of the USA.
BBG runs Radio Free Europe, Voice of America, and Radio Sawa – Arabic
language radio for the Middle East.
"Our mission is clear," BBG's Joan Mower told us. "To broadcast accurate
and objective news about the United States and the world. We don't do
propaganda, leafleting – we are like the BBC in that respect."
Well, then why hook up with Grace?
BBG's Joan Mower said that Grace Digital Media is a mainstream production
house used by all kinds of mainstream news organizations.
"Grace will have nothing to do with the editorial side of the news
broadcast," she said. "They are renting us equipment, space, studio. The
Grace personnel we use include technicians, production people but no
editorial people."
But Mower said she couldn't get us a copy of the contract between BBG and
Grace Digital media. Nor could she say how Grace Digital was chosen as
the production studio.
Grace News Network proclaims that it will be a "unique tool in the Lord's
ministry plan for the world."
"Grace News Network provides networking links and portals to various
ministries and news services that will be of benefit to every Christian
believer and seeker of truth," according to the company's mission
statement.
The CEO of Grace News Network is Thorne Auchter.
The same Thorne Auchter who began the dismantling of the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) under Presidents Reagan and
George Bush I.
Auchter did not return our calls seeking comment for this story.
While it's unclear whether Grace News Network actually produces any news,
it has produced a documentary movie titled "Israel: Divine Destiny" which
it showed at the National Press Club in September 2002.
The film is about "Israel's destiny and the United States' role in that
destiny," according to Grace News Network.
Grace News said that it could not make a copy of the film available to us
at this time, since it is now undergoing post-production editing. Nor
could it provide a transcript.
The mainstream media has documented strong and growing ties between
right-wing Republican Christian fundamentalists and right-wing Sharonist
Israeli expansionists.
This alliance is personified in Ralph Reed's Stand Up for Israel, a group
formed to "mobilize Christians and other people of faith to support the
State of Israel."
President Bush has very strong ties to fundamentalist Christians, most
notably Franklin Graham, the son of Rev. Billy Graham.
Last week, Franklin Graham delivered a Good Friday message at the
Pentagon, despite an uproar over his previous slander of Islam as "a very
evil and wicked religion."
Don Wagner, a professor of religion and director of the Center for Middle
Eastern Studies at North Park University, an evangelical Christian
college in Chicago, has written extensively about what he calls Christian
Zionism, whose leaders he identifies as, among others, Ralph Reed, Jerry
Falwell, Pat Robertson, Gary Bauer, and Franklin Graham.
"Christian Zionists have historically pointed to Genesis 12:3 - I will
bless those who bless you. And the one who curses you, I will curse,"
Dr. Wagner said. "They have interpreted this to mean that individuals
and nations who support the state of Israel will be blessed by God.
It has come to mean political, economic, and moral support, often
uncritically rendered to the state of Israel."
Grace News Network seems to fit the mold.
Joan Mower says that BBG is currently producing and transmitting six
hours of news into Iraq including a dubbed version of the daily evening
news from ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and PBS, plus three hours of original news
programming from BBG.
BBG says it sees no problem in having Grace produce the evening news
broadcast for Iraq.
Given the brewing anti-American revolt through all sectors of Iraqi
society, maybe it should reconsider.
We called Grace Digital Media to speak with Cheryl Reagan.
Her secretary told us that she has been away in extended vacation for
more than a month – in Israel.
When will she back? we asked.
No one knows, the secretary said.
Russell Mokhiber is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based Corporate Crime
Reporter. Robert Weissman is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based
Multinational Monitor, http://www.multinationalmonitor.org. They are
co-authors of Corporate Predators: The Hunt for MegaProfits and the
Attack on Democracy (Monroe, Maine: Common Courage Press;
http://www.corporatepredators.org).
(E) Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman
Grace News Network
Grace News Network, headquartered in Washington D.C. a few blocks from
the White House, is dedicated to transmitting the evidence of God's
presence in the world today. Through its expanding relationship with many
organizations around the world, GNN gathers reports of signs, wonders and
miracles and makes that information available to the world at large.
Grace News Network: Our Purpose
The purpose of Grace News Network is to proclaim the Good News about what
God is doing today across the globe in signs and wonders and in addition,
proclaiming the Rhema (prophetic) Word of the Lord. Grace News will be
reporting the current secular news, along with aggressive proclamations
that will "change the news" to reflect the Kingdom of God and His
purposes. GNN will also train and equip the Saints with the necessary
tools to sharpen their individual anointing and gifting.
Grace News Network will be a unique tool in the Lord's ministry plan for
the world. Grace News Network provides networking links and portals to
various ministries and news services that will be of benefit to every
Christian believer and seeker of truth. Our international community of
reporters, missionaries, pastors and leaders work together, encouraging
and assisting believers and seekers worldwide. Our service to the world
community takes many forms, including an international prayer network,
book publishing, musical recordings, seminars, teaching materials in
print and audio form and Internet news and views.
Please check our web site in the near future as we build it with a firm
foundation.
Grace News Network 1919 M Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20036 Ph:
202.419.6045 Fax: 202.419.6046 E-Mail Us!
http://www.gracenewsnetwork.com/
About Grace Digital Media
At GRACE Digital Media ("Grace DM"), we have one focus - to transform
your content into manageable, deliverable and more profitable assets,
enabling you to reach all of your audiences, effectively and reliably.
We truly are a "one stop shop" with state of the art technology and a
team of professionals with extensive experience in the industry.
Our single-source solutions enable our clients to produce, edit and
deliver their content via satellite, fiber optics, web streaming or
simply to tape or CD Rom. Saving time otherwise spent in having to manage
multiple vendors and juggling multiple format requirements. We have the
talent and technology to do whatever you need to do. Grace Digital
Media's experience in news production, entertainment, and sports is the
foundation of our business.
GRACE Digital Media Production Services 1919 M Street NW | Washington,
D.C. 20036 | 202.775.0894
Amazing Grace: U.S. Arabic-language TV
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Type: discussion