WIS: The Power of 'Local'
The Paid Newsletter, with a Full Segment Available for Everyone!
Hello everyone! Welcome to this edition of Written In Stone [WIS] - the newsletter normally written entirely for paid Members. However, last week the response was generally positive to making the opening segment available to everyone, so we are doing it again… and - just like last week - the entire segment will be available, no pay-wall mid-article.
It always annoys me when that happens.
Sent and posted every week, WIS is a free-flow of candid thoughts and raw ideas, with very little filter, and it has become my primary Substack publication. So…
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And now, the latest Written In Stone…
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Prime Cut: The Power of ‘Local’
The fallout from the suspension of "The Jimmy Kimmel Show!” and by association the host which gave it its name, has been nothing short of extraordinary. One side is crying out 'censorship' and demanding he be reinstated, while the other side is savoring his downfall.
I have been pretty clear about what camp into which I fall.
It would be a lot easier to debate this if those who are on 'free speech' side (this time; after all, these are the same people who actively labored to deplatform and unemploy many of us during Trump 45, and J6, and COVID... etc.), but so many of them have been deeply indoctrinated into the Globalist narratives, it is very difficult to break through the programming.
Besides, I am going a different direction with this one.
No matter what you have heard from the various 'influencers' on all sides, this is what actually transpired: After Kimmel's lies about how members of MAGA were essentially the ones to blame for the assassination of Charlie Kirk (a statement well-known to be completely false before he ever uttered it), the 28 ABC-affiliate stations owned by the media conglomerate Nexstar Media Group [NMG] finally got fed up.
They demanded Nexstar pull the show from circulation, and the company actually listened to its affiliates and let ABC know. Sinclair Broadcast Group [SBG] soon followed with its 38 affiliates, and ABC had a decision to make: Keep Kimmel happy (who has been hemorrhaging money), or placate the affiliates which are the network's lifeblood.
That… was an easy call to make. And much of the manufactured outrage is being generated because of this very point. Oh, there are certainly those who genuinely believe the false-propaganda that this is all about ‘free speech,’ but for those in positions of power and influence?
A much darker energy is driving the narrative.
Remember, my friends, filter everything through the Agenda. We know they are attempting to corral us ‘commoners’ into their rigidly controlled, 15 minute cities, while also taking steps grand-to-minute to deny people the option of living rural, natural, and independent. We have explored multiple examples of this occurring, right here on these pages, and unfortunately this is no different.
Indeed, from their perspective the local affiliates stepping up and choosing to put their communities first is not just a another (faux) ‘threat to our democracy’… but a dangerous act of rebellion. After all, they want (need!) to control the pipelines of information - along with every narrative which gets spun - and if those affiliates are acceding to the wishes of their local 'commoners’, and putting the people they serve first?
A dangerous precedent, indeed, at least from their view, because it threatens their illusion of ‘control.’ This is a win, folks, for all of us who wish to live more ‘local.’
And no, I am not blind to obvious red-flags. Both NMG and SBG are massive and corporate conglomerates which have purchased stations from local owners, thus it could have gone a different direction. I have discussed this when it comes to local radio stations, and how the transnational orgs have nearly destroyed the locally-based formats.
It is a little different with television, however, in that the affiliates still maintain a degree of control. They can actually choose to run different programing during a specific timeslot, and if enough of them join together in protest? Ad-dollars dry up, and the NYC-based networks are forced to address their concerns.
Another red-flag is NMG’s upcoming merger with Tegna Inc, as the merger will (if approved) provide NMG coverage across 80% of the country. As the FCC has to approve the merger, it gives the appearance of a pay-for-play move on the part of NMG; this perception has been exacerbated by confrontational remarks about Kimmel and ABC, made by the current FCC head.
Oh, and speaking of…
Do I also think the Trump Administration should have kept their damned mouths shut and let this play out organically? Absolutely, and some of their recent actions (including Attorney General Bondi claiming that vaguely-defined ‘hate speech’ would be targeted) have me gravely concerned.
And I will be tracking them.
Still, I am convinced these factors played very little role in the Kimmel case, if at all. Affiliates stepped up, demanded that the network address a man who has not only been insulting their local audiences for years, but has also been costing them money for decades, and the network finally listened and said, “Okay, guys - we’ll give you this one.”
At least for now, anyhow.
So yes, gracious readers, when it comes to putting local concerns first I definitely drop this one in the ‘W’ column. The power of our voices can make a difference, when we raise them together and keep the focus local…
Thank you for reading this free segment of Written In Stone; I hope you enjoyed it.
Disclaimer: ‘The Stone Age’ is an opinion and entertainment website. The information or other content provided on “The Stone Age,” or in any linked materials, is provided for informational or entertainment purposes only. It is not intended - nor should it be construed as - medical, financial, nutritional, or legal advice. It is not a substitute for professional advice or direction in any of these, or in any other, field.
Note: Unless otherwise credited, all images were generated by Stone Bryson, via NightCafe Studio, Grok 3 [X], or Substack’s AI Image Tool, with digital alterations when desired or needed. Any memes created by the author will have a “The Stone Age” watermark attached; all other memes were snatched from various Internet sources.
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