"Citizen Koch" Fights to Tell Its Story - Censored From US TV by the Koch Bros.

[Peter Lemkin]

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"Citizen Koch" Fights to Tell Its Story

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Tia by Citizen Kochwebsite

My guest today is independent filmmaker, producerand director, Tia Lessin. Welcome back to OpEdNews, Tia.
JB: Two and a half years ago, we spoke about Trouble the Water, which youmade with Carl Deal. It was nominated for an Academy Awardand won the 2008 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for bestdocumentary. That film was about Hurricane Katrina. What are youworking on now?
TL: We finished a documentary called "Citizen Koch."The film unravels the state-by-state campaign by wealthyextremists, led by billionaire industrialists Charles and DavidKoch, to reshape Democracy. Set against the aftermath of theSupreme Court's Citizens United ruling, which unleashed unlimitedcampaign spending and helped fuel the rise of the Tea Party, threeWisconsin public employees' staunch Republican loyalty ischallenged after their newly-elected Republican governor stripstheir union rights, while granting tax breaks to largecorporations.

Koch Bros. political fundraising retreat,Palm Springs, 1/2011 by Elsewhere Films

JB: The Koch Brothers flew under the radar for anawfully long time but they're getting more and more unwelcome andunflattering attention of late. Your film is particularly timelybecause of the recent government shutdown and the revelations aboutthe Koch brothers' support and involvement in it. [For goodexamples, see Robert Parry, The Koch Brothers' "Samson Option' | Consortiumnews ,October 8, 2013 or New York Times: A Federal Budget Crisis Months in the Planning October 5, 2013.] Speaking of timing, the fate of yourdocumentary was affected by another documentary which dealt withthe Koch Brothers. Can you tell us what happened, Tia?
TL: "Citizen Koch" was greenlit by public televisionlast year and premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival.But then, because of billionaire David Koch's donations to PBS andhis position on the board of one powerful PBS affiliate--WNET inNew York--the film was censored. The public agency that funds andcurates independent documentaries -- ITVS -- withdrew its financialsupport and its broadcast partnership for "Citizen Koch" to avoidoffending WNET and its benefactor David Koch.
Not only did the film lose $150,000 in funding, butmillions of viewers lost their chance to see "Citizen Koch" onpublic television. All because of David Koch's money. It's the verything the film is about -- how the money of the wealthiest drownsout the voices of the rest of us.

JB: Koch money essentially shut you out and shutyou up. But you didn't give up, despite this rather large set-back.What did you and your partner, Carl Deal, do about it?
TL: We spoke with investigative journalist Jane Mayerabout losing our public television commission for "Citizen Koch."We went on record because we want things to change, and we want ourrevered public institutions to operate free from this type ofpressure. We also wanted to know the whole story. After conductingher own investigation, she wrote a piece for The New Yorkermagazine: A Word From OurSponsor. The story exposes how the integrity of publicbroadcasting has been compromised because of David Koch's role astrustee of and donor to WNET and WGBH, and elevated thisconversation about private influence over a revered publicinstitution to a national stage.
We also joined a coalition of groups that organizedprotests, a petition drive, media coverage around Charles and DavidKoch's contemplated purchase of the Tribune Co.'s chain ofnewspapers using our experience with public television'sself-censorship as a cautionary tale -- and we can claim victoryfor helping to draw unwanted attention to the Koch's interest inthe company. The Kochs ultimately walked away from the sale.
In early August, we completed a successful crowd-funding campaign that raised more than double itsoriginal goal, and surpassed the $150,000 in funding that ITVSrescinded from "Citizen Koch" with an average pledge of $50. Ourexperience with crowd funding "Citizen Koch" shows that thousandsof small donors, in concert, can counter the big money deployed bybillionaires like the Kochs that effectively suppressed this filmfrom the public airwaves.
We are currently working with a coalition of groupson a campaign to get David Koch off the board of Boston's PBSaffiliate, WGBH, to ensure that what happened at WNET doesn'thappen at WGBH. Among other shows, WGBH produces the leadingscience program, NOVA, and the Kochs -- who deny thewell-established science around man made climate change -- are alsomajor supporters of that show.

Wisconsin for Sale by Citizen Kochwebsite

JB: Rather than slinking away to lick your wounds,you joined with others to work against the huge influence of Kochmegabucks. Good for you; look how much you've collectivelyaccomplished! So, what do you do with the film now that it's in thecan? After the PBS debacle, I'm assuming that's not anoption. The public is clearly interested but how do you get thefilm Out There?
TL: I love what one woman wrote to us to explain whyshe supported our film "I learned the reason for supporting thisproject when I was six years old, from someone who said it muchbetter than I ever could: "Sometimes when the fight begins, I thinkI'll let the dragons win. But then again, perhaps I won't. Becausethey're dragons. And I don't. A.A. Milne.'"
In mid August, members of Working Families, UnitedNew York and Moveon.org delivered a petition signed by more than350,000 supporters to WNET, public television's flagship station,urging a national PBS broadcast for "Citizen Koch." WorkingFamilies, Moveon.org, Credo Action and Demand Progress mounted thepetition drives. But we have yet to hear from PBS in response.
We aren't going to let the dragons win. Early nextyear, audiences will be able to watch the film and we arefinalizing release plans as I type...

Tia andCarl Deal by courtesy of Jeff Vespa, Wireimage

JB: Please keep us in the loop. In the meantime,anything you'd like to tell our readers before we wrap thisup?

TL: We want to encourage folks to sign up on the websitefor updates on the release of "Citizen Koch": If you want toorganize a public or private screening of "Citizen Koch" pleasesign up here.
If you still want to make a donation to make surethat "Citizen Koch" gets out far and wide, please click here (it's tax-deductible).We are so very grateful to all of you who are have joined us onthis journey to complete "Citizen Koch" and release it into theworld!
JB: I'm looking forward to seeing "CitizenKoch" for myself. Thanks for talking with me, Tia. Soglad that you and Carl didn't give up!

WI Gov Walker talking with Deal on campaigntrail, 6/2012 by Citizen Koch website

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my previous interview with Tia and Carl Deal aboutTrouble the Water :
Katrina through the Lens of Filmmakers Tia Lessin and CarlDeal, February 19, 2011

Literally seconds after Tia and I closed ourinterview, I read the following article: Koch Pipeline Spills 400 Barrels Of Crude Oil In Texas , "Thecrude oil spill is the latest in a string of pipeline incidentsthat have occurred in multiple U.S. states."
Citizen Koch website