Sinclair CEO: Every Word On A Network Is Scripted By Somebody

David Smith, the chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group, says the media is getting his company all wrong.

His remark, in a lengthy email exchange with The New York Times, came in response to renewed scrutiny of Sinclair after a video spread rapidly showing anchors at dozens of its stations across the country reciting the same speech about media bias.

Smith defended the anchors’ segments, known as “must-runs,” and likened them to the late-night shows that networks air on their local affiliates.

David Smith

“Not that you would print it, but do you understand that every local TV station is required to ‘must run’ from its network their content, and they don’t own me,” he wrote on Tuesday. “That would be all their news programming and other shows such as late-night talk, which is just late-night political so-called comedy.”

In the Sinclair-mandated segments, the anchors warned that some media outlets published fake stories. They also said they were “concerned about the troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country.”

“Our commitment to factual reporting is the foundation of our credibility,” the anchors added. “Now more than ever."

Asked about the widespread criticism prompted by the Deadspin compilation, Smith expressed disbelief.

“You cant be serious!” he wrote. “Do you understand that as a practical matter every word that comes out of the mouths of network news people is scripted and approved by someone?”

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