Discovery Channel Teaches How to Kill Bats! Call to Action

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Re: Discovery Channel Teaches How to Kill Bats! Call to Action

Postby Andy » May 31, 2010 6:20 pm

The video has been taken off YouTube. The message says "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Discovery Communications."

The process to submit feedback online to the Discovery Channel was quite cumbersome. You had to fill out six or so web pages before being able to enter your message. I am glad it helped!
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Re: Discovery Channel Teaches How to Kill Bats! Call to Action

Postby NZcaver » Jun 1, 2010 2:37 pm

Ernie Coffman wrote:Thanks to all who have taken the time to fill out the comment pages and let's hope that they don't bring this up, again, in another few months. We've got bigger things to be concerned with than having to watch this idiot killing and burning our friendly little creatures. :bat sticker:

Oh, come on. When was the last time a bat acted friendly toward you? :shrug: Valuable to the ecosystem - yes. Friendly - usually not so much.

Removing this clip was undoubtedly the best thing to do. We don't want idiots in the US copycatting what they saw Bear Grylls do on Discovery. For what it's worth, I think Roger's earlier comments hit the nail on the head.

cavedoc wrote:If this guy had actually eaten the things and said something about how they were protected in many jurisdictions and why, then I would have had no problem with the show. But he didn't. Instead he took pleasure in the killing and alluded gleefully to how he had done it before. This is just setting up copycat bat massacres and the DC is lending its credibility to it. They should be called on it.
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Discovery Channel Teaches How to Kill Bats! Call to Action

Postby Ernie Coffman » Jun 1, 2010 3:23 pm

Well, NZ, what can I say, but to :rofl: at your thoughts. I guess it was one of the conventions up in South Dakota when we had bats flying around in the Awards presentation and one landed right close to us. Then another time was when the cave specialist down in the Bay Area of CA was pulling out the little creatures out of her sweater jacket, so...they can be, but...if you don't feel they are, that's your choice. :boxing:
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Re: Discovery Channel Teaches How to Kill Bats! Call to Action

Postby NZcaver » Jun 1, 2010 4:39 pm

Ernie the Bat Whisperer has spoken. :shhh: :tonguecheek:
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Re: Discovery Channel Teaches How to Kill Bats! Call to Action

Postby Andy » Jun 2, 2010 11:14 am

Here is the reply I received today from the Discovery Channel about my feedback to the bat killings ....

Dear Viewer:

Thank you very much for taking the time to write in and express your views
about Man vs. Wild. Your opinions are very important to us and we take the
time to review each one carefully.

As a survival how-to show, Man vs. Wild provides important information that
can be used in life-threatening situations -- if faced with danger,
starvation and dehydration.

Please know that maintaining the integrity of our network is our primary
goal.

We appreciate your feedback, and thank you again.

Sincerely,

Viewer Relations
Discovery Channel
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Re: Discovery Channel Teaches How to Kill Bats! Call to Action

Postby Batgirl » Jun 2, 2010 12:45 pm

I received the same reply
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Re: Discovery Channel Teaches How to Kill Bats! Call to Action

Postby NZcaver » Jun 2, 2010 12:56 pm

As a survival how-to show, Man vs. Wild provides important information that can be used in life-threatening situations marginally entertaining antics, many of which have little practical real-world value in the backcountry -- but can be useful if faced with danger, starvation and dehydration diminishing ratings.
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Re: Discovery Channel Teaches How to Kill Bats! Call to Action

Postby trogman » Jun 2, 2010 2:00 pm

NZcaver wrote:
As a survival how-to show, Man vs. Wild provides important information that can be used in life-threatening situations marginally entertaining antics, many of which have little practical real-world value in the backcountry -- but can be useful if faced with danger, starvation and dehydration diminishing ratings.



:rofl: That's funny! And also very true.

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Re: Discovery Channel Teaches How to Kill Bats! Call to Action

Postby PYoungbaer » Jun 8, 2010 11:48 am

I guess we all got the same form letter. Shows how little they really care about viewer feedback.
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Discovery Channel Teaches How to Kill Bats! Call to Action

Postby Ernie Coffman » Jun 8, 2010 11:58 am

Peter, Kiwi, et al, did you really expect anything more than a normal form letter/email message? I've been holding off since mine was one of those, also, but...I just accepted that fact...for I'm sure that they received a number of messages in response to the first message that we responded to back in May. :rofl: It reminded me of my representatives in Congress and the Senate, as well as my state reps. Nothing diferent! :banana_yay: We need to face facts and go with the flow, I do believe on this issue. We accomplished, for the time being, what we wanted done. To get rid of that ugly :yikes: video that they were showing. We all know that the damage was done, but what more could we expect them to do? :argue: They surely wouldn't have made another video or a message page to counteract our thoughts, for we didn't have the power that some of our NSS members felt we should have shown them. Politics seems to be the name of the game and we did well, IMHO. :clap:
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Re: Discovery Channel Teaches How to Kill Bats! Call to Action

Postby PYoungbaer » Jun 8, 2010 12:39 pm

I hear you, and basically agree. However, there's more going on with Discovery Channel behind the scenes. Many months ago (November), a number of folks in the caving community (photographers, NCKRI, NSS, etc.) were contacted about a DC series on caving. The production company for DC was Pyburn Films. They appeared much more bent on drama than science, and also seemed to know little about the logistics of filming underground. However, the logistics were addressed, but constant ethical conflicts ultimately led to the cavers involved walking away from the project when it was about 75% done. There was a lot of initial discussion about, well if we cavers don't advise and consult, then it will be even worse. But it ultimately proved too much.

Back to Man vs. Wild, I replied to their reply, in far less courteous terms than my initial comment. We'll see where that goes (not holding my breath). Also, I did see a draft letter from the NSS that Gordon Birkhimer ran by me - well-written - and perhaps DC will take a formal snail-mail letter from an organization a little differently than a single viewer's e-mail.
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