Russell Postell, General Manager of KXTV-10, Responds

Here is Mr. Postell's reply to my E-Mail message:

The movie is a docu-drama based on findings from the 9/11 commission and is not meant to lay blame, but rather to outline events leading up to the tragedy.

Individuals at News10 from both sides of the political fence have watched the movie and did not feel that it was accusatory nor did they feel that it was defamatory to one particular political party. If indeed this ABC drama contains scenes that are simply not true, or gross distortions of actual events, it will be widely reported. Critics can then specifically point out which events were wrongly portrayed in the ABC docu-drama. We may all end up learning more about the actual events that lead up to September 11th.

Since the movie has not aired, opinions at this point are entirely based on premature assumptions. Below is ABC's statement concerning the film:

Statement from an ABC Spokesperson:

The Path to 9/11 is a dramatization, not a documentary, drawn from a variety of sources, including the 9/11 commission report, other published materials and from personal interviews. The events that lead to 9/11 originally sparked great debate, so it's not surprising that a movie surrounding those events has revived the debate. The attacks were a pivotal moment in our history that should never be forgotten and it's fitting that the discussion continues.

The following disclaimer will air throughout the movie:

"The following movie is a dramatization that is drawn from a variety of sources including the 9/11 Commission Report and other published materials, and from personal interviews. The movie is not a documentary. For dramatic and narrative purposes, the movie contains fictionalized scenes, composite and representative characters and dialogue, as well as time compression."

Please be assured that we are logging all viewer comments and they will be shared with ABC.

If you wish to send your comments to ABC, you can do so through the following outlets

*E-mail: go to ABC.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Contact ABC"
*Phone: 818-460-7477

Russell Postell
President & General Manager
News10 Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto

Here is my reply:

Mr. Postell:

Based on previews, critics are already pointing out which scenes are wrongly portrayed. There is no point in learning history by learning falsehoods first, thus feeding the flames of superstition.

Knowingly broadcasting false and defamatory information leads to a great debate all right, namely, which tree limb ABC/Disney (and KXTV) executives look best swinging from. I, for one, will not watch this travesty of recent history. I have more self-respect than that.

Monday morning, provided the show is not cancelled, I will gladly support efforts to boycott advertisers on KXTV and strip KXTV of its broadcast license.

Marc Valdez