Direct TV refuses to screen “The Interview”; others decline to comment
Posted by: Timothy Weaver on 12/22/2014 03:45 PM
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Direct TV, one of the biggest satellite TV operators in the U.S, has declined Sony’s offer to screen “The Interview” to its customers.
Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton said the company is now looking to video-on-demand services. However, none have offered to screen it.
Lynton said: “As it stands right now, while there have been a number of suggestions that we go out there and deliver this movie digitally or through VOD, there has not been one major VOD, video on demand, distributor or one major e-commerce site that stepped up and said they are willing to distribute this movie for us.”
Darris Gringeri, a DirecTV spokesman, said: “DirecTV will not be offering the movie.”
Netflix avoided the question.
Apple, Amazon and Comcast did not respond to several requests for comment.
President Obama said: “We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States. Because if somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary that they don’t like, or news reports that they don’t like.”
“Or even worse, imagine if producers and distributors and others start engaging in self-censorship because they don’t want to offend the sensibilities of somebody whose sensibilities probably need to be offended. So that’s not who we are,” he said. “That’s not what America is about.”
Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton said the company is now looking to video-on-demand services. However, none have offered to screen it.
Lynton said: “As it stands right now, while there have been a number of suggestions that we go out there and deliver this movie digitally or through VOD, there has not been one major VOD, video on demand, distributor or one major e-commerce site that stepped up and said they are willing to distribute this movie for us.”
Darris Gringeri, a DirecTV spokesman, said: “DirecTV will not be offering the movie.”
Netflix avoided the question.
Apple, Amazon and Comcast did not respond to several requests for comment.
President Obama said: “We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States. Because if somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary that they don’t like, or news reports that they don’t like.”
“Or even worse, imagine if producers and distributors and others start engaging in self-censorship because they don’t want to offend the sensibilities of somebody whose sensibilities probably need to be offended. So that’s not who we are,” he said. “That’s not what America is about.”
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