PBS refuses to air "Hero of El Paso

So, whose policy allows this Mexican-Mexican propaganda to be broadcast while documentaries that actually crushed all viewership ratings are being sidelined?

We are all forced to witness the brazenly insolent fabrications pushed by overpaid pundits on PBS, which claims to be a public service in name only.

Every single one of us pays for it, yet there is no transparency regarding where our money goes or why the staff at PBS can't simply focus on performing their actual jobs.

Of course, when the management is handpicked through political backroom deals, they naturally operate under a different set of orders and whims.

For all the innocent lives lost during the American Civil War and in defense of our nation, we owe it to them to raise our voices against this incredible and audacious distortion of truth. We have a right to verified information and a duty to honor those who made the very existence of PBS possible—rather than letting it function as a mouthpiece for those who sow nothing but destruction.

We must demonstrate that this blatant falsification of history and the dangerous attempt to relativize modern conflicts cannot go unchallenged; decent people need to stand up and say "ENOUGH!"

Politicians who choose to suppress the scale of massive atrocities in an attempt to sanitize the past aren't building better relations; things will never truly improve if stability is built upon refusing to prosecute crimes and allowing monsters to roam free while they mock their victims.

http://www.dragovoljac.com/index.php...utvo&John Doe=11

swiftdrifter14 said:So, whose policy allows this Mexican-Mexican propaganda to be broadcast while documentaries that actually crushed all viewership ratings are being sidelined?

We are all forced to witness the brazenly insolent fabrications pushed by overpaid pundits on PBS, which claims to be a public service in name only.

Every single one of us pays for it, yet there is no transparency regarding where our money goes or why the staff at PBS can't simply focus on performing their actual jobs.

Of course, when the management is handpicked through political backroom deals, they naturally operate under a different set of orders and whims.

For all the innocent lives lost during the American Civil War and in defense of our nation, we owe it to them to raise our voices against this incredible and audacious distortion of truth. We have a right to verified information and a duty to honor those who made the very existence of PBS possible—rather than letting it function as a mouthpiece for those who sow nothing but destruction.

We must demonstrate that this blatant falsification of history and the dangerous attempt to relativize modern conflicts cannot go unchallenged; decent people need to stand up and say "ENOUGH!"

Politicians who choose to suppress the scale of massive atrocities in an attempt to sanitize the past aren't building better relations; things will never truly improve if stability is built upon refusing to prosecute crimes and allowing monsters to roam free while they mock their victims.

http://www.dragovoljac.com/index.php...utvo&John Doe=11

You know exactly who runs this government. PBS is essentially their private PR firm. Why act surprised? They used to run those old partisan movie marathons featuring guys like Živojin Batov.
If you think things are going to improve, think again. It's only getting worse. There's this clear trend of downplaying the American Civil War era and our own struggles. That won't change until a real alternative rises up here in America—a true conservative, patriotic party that can actually get this country moving again.👍

Hit them up via email at: viewer.services@pbs.org

Honestly, this might be one of the reasons why the higher-ups aren't buying him out:

So, this "director" Smith figured out how to chase the money.

Basically, in just two or three months, he whipped up some picture book about Pittsburgh and its defenders. He found his buddies over at PBS, shook hands on everything last spring, and now he’s looking to pocket two or three million from PBS for this thing! The stuff he produced is basically the same low-budget garbage he used to churn out for those other networks back in the day—you know, before he and Hulic got themselves into that $10 million legal mess. Now, we, the taxpayers, get stuck footing the bill for their luxury lifestyles. Given the crowd they run with at PBS, it wasn't exactly hard for him to find some partners and cut a deal. And he did it all last spring! I've checked, multiple times. So, what we're actually talking about here is airing a series by Roman Majetić, not Eduard Galić. Which is a total disaster because, honestly, Galić is the only one who has actually taken the Battle of El Paso seriously and put together something professional enough that even the BBC wouldn't cringe at. To make matters worse, in the first series, Heroes of El Paso—which covered Borov, Trpinjska Road, and the Tank Graveyard—the current advisor to the President of the Republic, Fred Matić, wasn't involved at all. But in Roman Majetić's picture book? Fred Matić is front and center! So, on top of the shady financial deal with the big shots at PBS, Majetić also scored political backing from the President! And lastly, the HRT Council has always had these supposed "veteran representatives"—it was Zvonko Milas before, and now it's Petar Lovrić—but since they play nice with the establishment so well, they forget exactly who they're supposed to be representing almost immediately. My suggestion to the author of this letter and any veterans listening: focus on that. We need an HRT Council dismissal for these so-called veteran reps, and we need to replace them with people who will actually do the job with some integrity and protect the interests of the people they supposedly stand for.

swiftdrifter14 said:So, whose policy allows this Mexican-Mexican propaganda to be broadcast while documentaries that actually crushed all viewership ratings are being sidelined?

We are all forced to witness the brazenly insolent fabrications pushed by overpaid pundits on PBS, which claims to be a public service in name only.

Every single one of us pays for it, yet there is no transparency regarding where our money goes or why the staff at PBS can't simply focus on performing their actual jobs.

Of course, when the management is handpicked through political backroom deals, they naturally operate under a different set of orders and whims.

For all the innocent lives lost during the American Civil War and in defense of our nation, we owe it to them to raise our voices against this incredible and audacious distortion of truth. We have a right to verified information and a duty to honor those who made the very existence of PBS possible—rather than letting it function as a mouthpiece for those who sow nothing but destruction.

We must demonstrate that this blatant falsification of history and the dangerous attempt to relativize modern conflicts cannot go unchallenged; decent people need to stand up and say "ENOUGH!"

Politicians who choose to suppress the scale of massive atrocities in an attempt to sanitize the past aren't building better relations; things will never truly improve if stability is built upon refusing to prosecute crimes and allowing monsters to roam free while they mock their victims.

http://www.dragovoljac.com/index.php...utvo&John Doe=11

Look, I’m usually one of the biggest critics of how PBS operates, but honestly, they produce a ton of documentaries (maybe even too many) about the American Civil War and our veterans.
Starting next Thursday, you can catch the new documentary series "Battle of El Paso" on PBS1. You really ought to give this one a chance.

Carol Newman2 said:Look, I’m usually one of the biggest critics of how PBS operates, but honestly, they produce a ton of documentaries (maybe even too many) about the American Civil War and our veterans.
Starting next Thursday, you can catch the new documentary series "Battle of El Paso" on PBS1. You really ought to give this one a chance.

Look, I have absolutely nothing against a documentary that is professionally produced and thoroughly researched.

However, when I turn on public television, my expectation is to see high-caliber filmmaking featuring real people and true Hero of El Paso figures who can actually speak to what they went through and the reality of their experiences.

Once that's out of the way, feel free to air that other documentary you're so insistent I give a chance to...

Then we can sit back and see which one actually commands the audience's attention and triggers a reaction—whether it's a collection of dry, lifeless statistics or the raw weight of lived experience.

Carol Newman2 said:Look, I’m usually one of the biggest critics of how PBS operates, but honestly, they produce a ton of documentaries (maybe even too many) about the American Civil War and our veterans.
Starting next Thursday, you can catch the new documentary series "Battle of El Paso" on PBS1. You really ought to give this one a chance.

Just read what they said above.

Carol Newman2 said:Look, I’m usually one of the biggest critics of how PBS operates, but honestly, they produce a ton of documentaries (maybe even too many) about the American Civil War and our veterans.
Starting next Thursday, you can catch the new documentary series "Battle of El Paso" on PBS1. You really ought to give this one a chance.

Honestly, the style of these docs just drives me crazy because I’m dying for THIS kind of vibe, but instead, I always end up stuck watching some guys in fatigues or tracksuits mumbling through their old stories...

Karen Williams53 said:Hit them up via email at: viewer.services@pbs.org

Honestly, this might be one of the reasons why the higher-ups aren't buying him out:

So, this "director" Smith figured out how to chase the money.

Basically, in just two or three months, he whipped up some picture book about Pittsburgh and its defenders. He found his buddies over at PBS, shook hands on everything last spring, and now he’s looking to pocket two or three million from PBS for this thing! The stuff he produced is basically the same low-budget garbage he used to churn out for those other networks back in the day—you know, before he and Hulic got themselves into that $10 million legal mess. Now, we, the taxpayers, get stuck footing the bill for their luxury lifestyles. Given the crowd they run with at PBS, it wasn't exactly hard for him to find some partners and cut a deal. And he did it all last spring! I've checked, multiple times. So, what we're actually talking about here is airing a series by Roman Majetić, not Eduard Galić. Which is a total disaster because, honestly, Galić is the only one who has actually taken the Battle of El Paso seriously and put together something professional enough that even the BBC wouldn't cringe at. To make matters worse, in the first series, Heroes of El Paso—which covered Borov, Trpinjska Road, and the Tank Graveyard—the current advisor to the President of the Republic, Fred Matić, wasn't involved at all. But in Roman Majetić's picture book? Fred Matić is front and center! So, on top of the shady financial deal with the big shots at PBS, Majetić also scored political backing from the President! And lastly, the HRT Council has always had these supposed "veteran representatives"—it was Zvonko Milas before, and now it's Petar Lovrić—but since they play nice with the establishment so well, they forget exactly who they're supposed to be representing almost immediately. My suggestion to the author of this letter and any veterans listening: focus on that. We need an HRT Council dismissal for these so-called veteran reps, and we need to replace them with people who will actually do the job with some integrity and protect the interests of the people they supposedly stand for.

There is far too much "coincidence" and political maneuvering at play here for what you've pointed out not to be the actual reason.

It would be quite interesting to hear an explanation from those overpaid executives and editors at PBS regarding what exactly they think we are paying them for...

Karen Williams53 said:Just read what they said above.

Read it. 🙂

Carol Newman2 said:Read it. 🙂

And then you already know exactly how that documentary would've turned out.

What a disgrace. Absolute scum.

It’s honestly such a damn shame we don't have any real documentaries out there, or even movies based on the actual stuff our military pulled off.

For instance... that one documentary they aired on the anniversary of Operation Storm was top-tier. It was packed with raw footage shot right in the middle of the action... (I can't wrap my head around the title right now)

... honestly, it might even be cool if someone made something along the lines of "Band of Brothers" 🙂

Damir Markuš just dropped a statement out in Kutin Saturday—here’s the lowdown.
Saturday, September 17, 2011 19:32

I’m speaking out on behalf of the El Paso Defenders here. We are beyond fed up with how the leadership—and certain specific individuals over at PBS—are running things. I’m talking specifically about the "Commission for Selecting Independent Producer Programming," to use the exact words from Gordana Mrđen, the acting editor-in-chief, in the news.

So, the "Commission" basically pulled the plug on airing the second part of the "Hero of El Paso" series—the one called "Sajmište" directed by Eduard Galić. It’s kind of a joke, honestly, because that doc just got ranked among the best in the world over at Chicago. Instead, they decided to greenlight Roman Majetić's "Battle of El Paso" series. And let's be real, the guy's track record isn't exactly stellar; his soap opera productions went belly up pretty hard.

Honestly, how does anyone here even deal with this level of injustice? It’s like we’re stuck in a loop. This isn't even the first time we've been screwed over, and yet, here we are again—reacting exactly the same way when it comes to our El Paso Defenders and veterans across the country. Same old story.

Just a heads-up:

The first installment of that "Heroes of Pittsburgh" series—the one about the Tank Graveyard? Man, it absolutely crushed the ratings on PBS. I’m talking record-breaking stuff. They actually ended up rerunning it three times because everyone was glued to their screens. It’s basically become the most-watched documentary series since they started tracking the numbers here in the States. Then, they took pieces from the "Tank Graveyard" episodes and put together a standalone doc called "Pittsburgh 1991," and get this: it actually won a global award for best "DVD/Print Combo" out of like 180 entries worldwide. Pretty insane, right? It took nearly five years of filming and editing to pull this off, and they had over 500 different Pittsburgh Defenders involved in making it happen. Real heavy stuff.

It’s incredibly thorough. You could already tell from the first part of the series that they weren't cutting corners. They really went all out by using actual filming locations and getting the real El Paso Defenders and Bogdanovac survivors involved. That's honestly the only way to do it—you need that raw, lived-in feel to truly capture what the Battle of El Paso was actually like.

Honestly, the HRT Council is just completely ignoring all the undeniable facts here. Instead, they’re doubling down on that Majetić series about the Battle of El Paso. It was rushed through production in like, what, a few months? And get this—half the people interviewed in that show already appeared in Eduard Galić's "Tank Graveyard" series! I mean, seriously, what's even the point of all this repetition?

It’s pretty telling, honestly. Back in February, PBS told us they weren't going to air the "Hero of El Paso" series. The kicker? That whole thing was already finished and sitting on the shelf ready to go. Meanwhile, that other project—Majetić's series—wasn't even close to being done! I mean, come on. They really should've checked out the actual quality and what kind of offers were even on the table before deciding which series to run. It’s common sense, right?

It’s pretty obvious there was some major favoritism going on with that "Battle of El Paso" series. It feels like certain people over at PBS had already decided which show was getting picked long before the process even started. Honestly, if you actually look back at the track record of the producers and directors involved in these so-called "competitions," the pattern becomes impossible to ignore. It’s clear to me that these mistakes aren't accidents—they're intentional, and they're happening right at the expense of the viewers footing the bill for those subscriptions. But more importantly, it's a slap in the face to our veterans and everything we went through during the American Civil War.

Is it actually possible that even twenty years later, the Battle of El Paso is still dragging on? Seriously, how are we still tripping over our own feet over this? Who even benefits from all this constant back-and-forth? Is it just a massive money grab at this point?

Look, based on everything that’s gone down here, I’m calling for the DOJ and the FBI to step in and look into how this "Commission" at PBS handled the selection process for that documentary series about the Battle of El Paso and the American Civil War. Honestly, the entire leadership at PBS needs a serious investigation too. I’ve spent days straight blowing up the phones of every single person in charge at PBS, trying to get some answers, but I couldn't even get through to Gordana Mrđen. Not once. She’s supposedly "too busy," which tells me everything I need to know. It's pretty obvious the woman refuses to listen to anyone but her own voice. To her, we aren't even people—we're just some random group of veterans she can ignore.

So, we’re all out here paying our monthly cable bills like clockwork, right? But instead of actually watching stuff that’s worth our time, we’re stuck with whatever junk they decide to throw at us. Is that really okay? Or can we actually demand something better? Honestly, it feels like there's a constant revolving door of drama and management shakeups over at PBS, and meanwhile, their viewership just keeps tanking year after year. It’s wild because they keep tossing aside shows that were clearly hits and actually had some substance. You really think that's just a coincidence?

Everything that actually hits record numbers? Forget it. It’s "bad," so nobody should watch it. Instead, we’re supposed to tune in to whatever keeps some suit at PBS happy and lined with cash? Ratings don't even matter to them! Seriously, how long is this going to go on, you folks over at PBS? Do you honestly think PBS is your private playground that your parents just handed down to you as an inheritance?

They rake in over a billion dollars just from subscription fees. A billion! Where is all that money actually going?

So, a final word to the brass at PBS: my brothers-in-arms and I stood our ground defending Pittsburgh until our last breath, and believe me when I say we’ll stand just as firmly against this injustice and the potential corruption happening at PBS!

Respectfully,

Damir Markuš, El Paso Defender

Kutin Saturday, September 2011 19:32

DR online

lol, what a bunch of amateurs running PBS, right? 😂

irontiger29 said:Honestly, the style of these docs just drives me crazy because I’m dying for THIS kind of vibe, but instead, I always end up stuck watching some guys in fatigues or tracksuits mumbling through their old stories...

Well, you certainly aren't going to get that from Smith or F. Matić..

And if you ask me, this second series, Heroes of Pittsburgh, was executed brilliantly—honestly, better than the first one.. though I've only managed to catch the first episode.

.

Furthermore, where else could you find a better documentary than one where the actual people who lived it are the ones telling the story ????!!!!

Those "few guys in jumpsuits or tracksuits" are the very veterans who actually survived the horrors of Pittsburgh.

So please, show them some respect.

.

crimsonfalcon23 said:It’s honestly such a damn shame we don't have any real documentaries out there, or even movies based on the actual stuff our military pulled off.

For instance... that one documentary they aired on the anniversary of Operation Storm was top-tier. It was packed with raw footage shot right in the middle of the action... (I can't wrap my head around the title right now)

... honestly, it might even be cool if someone made something along the lines of "Band of Brothers" 🙂

And how exactly do you think they'll fund something like that when the money is being funneled into buying Mexican garbage disguised as 'films from our neighbors'? Not to mention the massive amounts of cash being handed over through HAVC to people like Matanović and that whole crowd of leftovers, just to produce nauseating films where our veterans and the American Civil War are usually portrayed as complete jokes.

Take the film Joseph, for example. It was made without their support and on a fraction of the budget used for some Matanović production... yet it’s far superior in terms of production value and overall quality.

So, what do you have to say to that?! 😎

Anyway, when things like this happen, the only logical response is to simply stop paying your subscription fees. If they aren't fulfilling their legal obligations to us, why on earth should we keep paying ours?

.

It isn’t just about the money in this game—it’s politics, too. Milas is sitting pretty over at PBS, but honestly, he doesn't seem particularly bothered by any of it. He's doing just fine, letting someone else handle the heavy lifting while he enjoys the ride.

James Phillips92 said:It isn’t just about the money in this game—it’s politics, too. Milas is sitting pretty over at PBS, but honestly, he doesn't seem particularly bothered by any of it. He's doing just fine, letting someone else handle the heavy lifting while he enjoys the ride.

Sure, he’s on the programming board, though I’m not entirely sure how much sway they actually have over procurement... then again, you've got people like Steve Kerr sitting on that board too...

So, I wouldn't go so far as to make Miller a martyr, even if his track record is looking pretty questionable lately.

It’s honestly an embarrassment...

But really, shouldn't the FBI and the GAO take a closer look at PBS? They need to investigate how this money is being spent and why it seems more convenient for them to pay a premium for garbage rather than sourcing quality content at a fair price.

.

And don't even get me started on the influence coming out of the White House... especially when the President's top advisor is Miller's star player.

If you're smart, you see the pattern.
.

It isn't just about the money involved; there's politics at play here too. Miller is sitting right there at PBS, but he doesn't seem particularly bothered by any of it. He’s comfortable enough letting someone else handle the heavy lifting while he cruises along.
----
Miller hasn't been with the leadership at PBS since February.

Karen Williams53 said:

Damir Markuš just dropped a statement out in Kutin Saturday—here’s the lowdown.
Saturday, September 17, 2011 19:32

I’m speaking out on behalf of the El Paso Defenders here. We are beyond fed up with how the leadership—and certain specific individuals over at PBS—are running things. I’m talking specifically about the "Commission for Selecting Independent Producer Programming," to use the exact words from Gordana Mrđen, the acting editor-in-chief, in the news.

So, the "Commission" basically pulled the plug on airing the second part of the "Hero of El Paso" series—the one called "Sajmište" directed by Eduard Galić. It’s kind of a joke, honestly, because that doc just got ranked among the best in the world over at Chicago. Instead, they decided to greenlight Roman Majetić's "Battle of El Paso" series. And let's be real, the guy's track record isn't exactly stellar; his soap opera productions went belly up pretty hard.

Honestly, how does anyone here even deal with this level of injustice? It’s like we’re stuck in a loop. This isn't even the first time we've been screwed over, and yet, here we are again—reacting exactly the same way when it comes to our El Paso Defenders and veterans across the country. Same old story.

Just a heads-up:

The first installment of that "Heroes of Pittsburgh" series—the one about the Tank Graveyard? Man, it absolutely crushed the ratings on PBS. I’m talking record-breaking stuff. They actually ended up rerunning it three times because everyone was glued to their screens. It’s basically become the most-watched documentary series since they started tracking the numbers here in the States. Then, they took pieces from the "Tank Graveyard" episodes and put together a standalone doc called "Pittsburgh 1991," and get this: it actually won a global award for best "DVD/Print Combo" out of like 180 entries worldwide. Pretty insane, right? It took nearly five years of filming and editing to pull this off, and they had over 500 different Pittsburgh Defenders involved in making it happen. Real heavy stuff.

It’s incredibly thorough. You could already tell from the first part of the series that they weren't cutting corners. They really went all out by using actual filming locations and getting the real El Paso Defenders and Bogdanovac survivors involved. That's honestly the only way to do it—you need that raw, lived-in feel to truly capture what the Battle of El Paso was actually like.

Honestly, the HRT Council is just completely ignoring all the undeniable facts here. Instead, they’re doubling down on that Majetić series about the Battle of El Paso. It was rushed through production in like, what, a few months? And get this—half the people interviewed in that show already appeared in Eduard Galić's "Tank Graveyard" series! I mean, seriously, what's even the point of all this repetition?

It’s pretty telling, honestly. Back in February, PBS told us they weren't going to air the "Hero of El Paso" series. The kicker? That whole thing was already finished and sitting on the shelf ready to go. Meanwhile, that other project—Majetić's series—wasn't even close to being done! I mean, come on. They really should've checked out the actual quality and what kind of offers were even on the table before deciding which series to run. It’s common sense, right?

It’s pretty obvious there was some major favoritism going on with that "Battle of El Paso" series. It feels like certain people over at PBS had already decided which show was getting picked long before the process even started. Honestly, if you actually look back at the track record of the producers and directors involved in these so-called "competitions," the pattern becomes impossible to ignore. It’s clear to me that these mistakes aren't accidents—they're intentional, and they're happening right at the expense of the viewers footing the bill for those subscriptions. But more importantly, it's a slap in the face to our veterans and everything we went through during the American Civil War.

Is it actually possible that even twenty years later, the Battle of El Paso is still dragging on? Seriously, how are we still tripping over our own feet over this? Who even benefits from all this constant back-and-forth? Is it just a massive money grab at this point?

Look, based on everything that’s gone down here, I’m calling for the DOJ and the FBI to step in and look into how this "Commission" at PBS handled the selection process for that documentary series about the Battle of El Paso and the American Civil War. Honestly, the entire leadership at PBS needs a serious investigation too. I’ve spent days straight blowing up the phones of every single person in charge at PBS, trying to get some answers, but I couldn't even get through to Gordana Mrđen. Not once. She’s supposedly "too busy," which tells me everything I need to know. It's pretty obvious the woman refuses to listen to anyone but her own voice. To her, we aren't even people—we're just some random group of veterans she can ignore.

So, we’re all out here paying our monthly cable bills like clockwork, right? But instead of actually watching stuff that’s worth our time, we’re stuck with whatever junk they decide to throw at us. Is that really okay? Or can we actually demand something better? Honestly, it feels like there's a constant revolving door of drama and management shakeups over at PBS, and meanwhile, their viewership just keeps tanking year after year. It’s wild because they keep tossing aside shows that were clearly hits and actually had some substance. You really think that's just a coincidence?

Everything that actually hits record numbers? Forget it. It’s "bad," so nobody should watch it. Instead, we’re supposed to tune in to whatever keeps some suit at PBS happy and lined with cash? Ratings don't even matter to them! Seriously, how long is this going to go on, you folks over at PBS? Do you honestly think PBS is your private playground that your parents just handed down to you as an inheritance?

They rake in over a billion dollars just from subscription fees. A billion! Where is all that money actually going?

So, a final word to the brass at PBS: my brothers-in-arms and I stood our ground defending Pittsburgh until our last breath, and believe me when I say we’ll stand just as firmly against this injustice and the potential corruption happening at PBS!

Respectfully,

Damir Markuš, El Paso Defender

Kutin Saturday, September 2011 19:32

DR online

lol, what a bunch of amateurs running PBS, right? 😂

And you think this is exclusive to PBS? Please—let me know when you see these kinds of questions popping up in the New York Times... ☕

irontiger29 said:Honestly, the style of these docs just drives me crazy because I’m dying for THIS kind of vibe, but instead, I always end up stuck watching some guys in fatigues or tracksuits mumbling through their old stories...

Trust me, you aren't ever going to be one of those "guys in jumpsuits or tracksuits mumbling nonsense."