WHNT Blackout Update

By Scott Horton

I have now gotten considerably more detail on the political campaign donations of the investors behind Oak Hill Capital Partners, the investor group that acquired WHNT from the New York Times Company in 2006. The key figure in the Oak Hill group is Robert M. Bass. His campaign donation profile shows that he has supported both Democrats and Republicans, but that his donations to Democrats far exceed those to Republicans. The complete five-year search can be examined here. Note specifically that he has never supported George W. Bush–either in his races for governor of Texas or president. Sid, Edward and Lee Bass, who have been heavy Bush supporters, do not appear to have any interest in Oak Hill Capital Partners. Consequently, the supposition that the blackout at WHNT was politically driven censorship on the part of the ultimate owners has no merit. The station continues to insist that the problems were purely technical.

MSNBC Looks at Judge Fuller and the Siegelman Case

Tonight MSNBC’s Live with Dan Abrams will feature an interview with Siegelman attorney Vince Kilborn and former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods. They will discuss the prosecution and sentencing of Governor Siegelman, with a particular focus on the role played by Judge Mark Fuller, the former Alabama G.O.P. Executive Committee member who tried the case. Catch the segment tonight at 9 o’clock Eastern, 8 Central or 6 Pacific time.