WCHS TV in Charleston, West Virginia has lifted its embargo against Independent Congressional candidate and former CBS and NBC newsman Ed Rabel.
On it’s 5:30 news broadcast yesterday afternoon, WCHS mentioned Rabel’s candidacy for the first time.
On the segment, WCHS TV newsman Kennie Bass reported on the campaign ads being run by the candidates in the second Congressional district race — Nick Casey (D), Alex Mooney (R) and Ed Rabel (I).
The Ed Rabel segment focused on a video released by the Rabel campaign last week titled Man in Black.
The video shows Ed Rabel in the West Virginia countryside explaining why he always wears black — to the words of Johnny Cash’s classic song — Man in Black.
Last week, Rabel alleged that his campaign was banned by WCHS TV news director Matt Snyder.
Snyder didn’t like an op-ed article Rabel wrote last year for the Charleston Gazette.
Rabel’s article was titled “Local TV ‘News’ is a Waste of Your Time.”
The station management issued a directive that no story would be aired on the station about Rabel’s independent campaign for Congress.
“Not after what Rabel said in his Charleston Gazette op-ed,” Snyder said.
Last week, national media critics, including Jim Romenesko, picked up the story of the station banning Rabel.
And today, WCHS relented and mentioned Rabel’s campaign for the first time on the air.
“All’s well that ends well,” Rabel said. “There’s no place in America for censorship — whether corporate or government. All candidates on the ballot deserve a fair shake from the media. Our democracy relies on an informed citizenry.”
Rabel, a West Virginia native, was the news director at WCHS during the early 1960s before moving on to an award winning career at CBS News and NBC News.