Petition drive calls for Discovery Communications to drop Sarah Palin show

A phone company that donates to left-leaning nonprofit groups has launched a petition drive calling for Discovery Communications to cancel a show featuring former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, citing her stances on the environment.

Last month, Palin signed a deal with Discovery’s TLC channel to star in an eight-part series about Alaska that is expected to premiere later this year.

Working Assets, a company that donates to groups such as Greenpeace, Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, published the petition on its CREDO Action website, saying Palin’s upcoming show provides her with “the opportunity to greenwash her environmental record on a mainstream, eco-friendly channel.”
 
The petition states:

The media conglomerate Discovery Communications used to be known for their earth-friendly offerings. But they’ve just paid millions to Sarah Palin to host a “nature” show, despite her decidedly anti-environmental stance: She vocally advocates for habitat-destroying oil drilling, she denies global warming is a human-caused threat, and she spearheaded a brutal wolf-slaughter program as governor of Alaska.

It’s one thing if Fox News gives Sarah Palin a platform. But when Discovery Communications – home to the Discovery Channel, the "Planet Earth" series, the Science Channel, Animal Planet, and TreeHugger.com – gives a show to Sarah Palin, it undercuts everything the Discovery brand has come to represent.

The campaign was inspired in part by a similar effort by a wildlife organization that tangled with Palin over her policies as governor. That organization has launched its own petition drive to get her show dropped. Almost 200,000 people have signed the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund petition, according to its website. Working Assets sent out its petition to members this week and has so far gathered about 20,000 signatures, according to a staffer working on the project.

A spokeswoman for TLC had no comment. In the announcement about the show, which is tentatively titled “Sarah Palin’s Alaska,” the former governor said she looked forward to bringing “the wonder and majesty of Alaska to all Americans.”

-- Matea Gold (Follow me on Twitter.)

Photo: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin appears at the Tea Party Express' "Showdown in Searchlight" rally March 27 in Searchlight, Nev. Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Comments

[erica stephens]

They can not be serious! Can they? I was looking forward to this program,regardless of the host.Is this sexist?,racist?,gender bias? or just political folly?

[JEFF]

I think the previous poster was looking forward because of the host rather than 'in spite of-'. SP is a symptom of the cult of personality that has been explained previously. Many are looking for a reflection of themselves rather than substance or competence in their elected officials. To them, being a dummy and a purely stupid person is an asset, not a liability.

[chelseafran]

erica, stay in school, okay? And perhaps you need to watch a little less TV and hit the books a little more?

[mchammer]

Hey Jeff: I'm not stupid enough to allow a bunch of lefties to trample on our free speech rights. I'm sure if Jesse Jackson did a show on Alaska it would be no problem, but a Conservative??? Stop, stop our ears must be plugged....

[zevgoldman]

It's called censorship,Jeff. I think seeking to squelch dissent is narrow minded of you.
Is that a self-description you offered to the world?

[Detroit]

Give me a break...anti-environment stance? Seriously, to all the Palin bashers, please stop whinning because you're sounding more and more desperate by the day. She's unstoppable, give it up.

I will be watching and so will millions of other Americans.

[jlee]

Well, I was looking forward to the program BECAUSE of sarah palin. I can't wait to see that trainwreck of a show. All the sources i've heard mention it say it's so bad it's good.

[notamorningperson]

Baloney! The agreement done, contract signed ..... all i's dotted and t's crossed. If you don't like her and what she stands for, don't watch it. Simple as that! I love the Discovery Channel. I learn a lot watching the shows .... and ..... I don't care who is presenting it. It could be the devil for all I care. I could learn how hell is all about.

[Bill]

"Many are looking for a reflection of themselves rather than substance or competence in their elected officials. To them, being a dummy and a purely stupid person is an asset, not a liability.

Why?

Have we really lost all respect for people smarter than us? How do we expect to learn anything if we surround ourselves with people only as smart as we are and write everyone smarter off as elite?

[Kat]

"Many people would argue that Palin did great ecological damage to Alaska and would like to do more by drilling all over it. So, getting her to host a show about the natural beauty of Alaska is a bit like getting Jeffrey Dahmer to host a cooking show for the Food Network." ~ Cenk Uygur, Huff. Post, 4-14-10

I completely agree with the above quote. Mrs. Palin is historically a destroyer of Nature: shooting wolves from helicopters, proudly posing with a dead bear, etc. It was absurd for Discovery to hire her in the first place to host a Nature show. What were they thinking?!?!

[Rich]

And I thought only fascist and totalitarian states repressed opposing viewpoints. So much for the free exchange of ideas.

[mlk2]

Doesn't TLC stand for "The Learning Channel?" What?

Don't forget this is the channel that brought us "Jon and Kate Plus 8."

High quality TV at its best Palin will fit right in....and I'll continue to skip right by it on the online guide.

FWIW TLC is currently playing a show called "The 650 Pound Virgin." Is this really "learning?"

[Kyle]

I love how the mere mention of Sarah Palin gets liberals foaming at the mouth uncontrollably. I didn't vote for McCain because I felt she was unqualified. But the best thing about her is that the mere mention of her exposes many liberals for the intolerant hypocrites that they are. If you don't like her, don't watch her. But it cracks me up that people are so threatened by her and so filled with hatred that they will go to any length to prevent others from seeing her. Really cracks me up.

[loteklenny]

Go ahead and air the shows. I choose not to view it thus giving the Discovery Channel my negative vote. All you have to do is not watch and get your friends not to watch.

[rangermann262]

Say what.Let this woman be people.If you progressive liberals don't want to view Sarah Palin's TLC show about Alaska,then don't watch it.But,let me make this clear,YOU DO NOT SPEAK FOR EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN.This nation is not a tolalitarian society.You progressives CAN NOT dictate to the rest of america want they can and can not watch on T.V.This situation about Sarah Palin is nonsense.
Not every american lives on the west coast and has your liberal views.AGAIN,don't watch the Palin show on TLC.Their are millions of other americans that would have no problem with this show about Alaska.I hope this petition fails.It has stink all over it.

[hector]

I don't know what the connection is, but I have noticed that people who post comments in support of Ms. Palin are quite often very poor spellers with apparently no background in English grammar. I'm astonished, sometimes, that they actually expect other readers will be able to translate their garbled efforts at communication.

[JerryinAlaska]

For anyone's information wolves have been hunted from planes for at least fifty years. Wolves really don't have any natural predators and just a few years they can multiply to a number that can destory a population of moose or carbou. Gov. Palin was following the recomendations of the state biologist and fish and game. Our fish and game over-all does and excellent job. All I can say is if you don't live here I don't think you really understand what is going on here. Also I have known of Gov Palin for almost twenty years and she has always been an honest and decient person.

[christinathegreat]

About time. Having Sarah Palin host a Discovery show about nature is similar to having Hannibal Lecter for Surgeon General.

[Sherry]

I guess you Plain believers just did not get it the first time around, The people show Plain they did not want her as VP, " The people did stop her then,, and hope they stop her now, Discovery communications, better hope they can fine enough of your Plain fan`s to keep their show alive,,,,,,,, The fact Plain could not get the people to vote for her for VP, you can bet she cant get them to watch this show,

[Ugo]

Nice, I just signed the petition...Sarah has a right to do what she wants, as does Discovery...and so do the people who pay cable TV packages that include Discovery and are repulsed by this show...its a free country, for everyone!