Judie Brown: "Clearly HBO is concerned about losing Catholic subscribers."
WASHINGTON, D.C. (18 April 2008) – Following American Life League's call for HBO to fire Bill Maher, the controversial host of Talking Points announced that he will issue an apology tonight. Maher is under fire for slandering Pope Benedict XVI and the entire Catholic Church.
"American Life League spent the past few days coordinating a unified effort to have Bill Maher fired," said Judie Brown, president of American Life League. "We formed a coalition of 12 Catholic organizations, created a petition website and coordinated our efforts with Catholic media and Catholic blogs calling on HBO subscribers to cancel their subscriptions until Maher is fired."
American Life League's website, www.FireBillMaher.com, contains the offending video clip of Maher's more-than-three-minute rant, calling Pope Benedict XVI a "Nazi" and "the leader of a pedophile cult." A petition to have Maher fired, a call for HBO subscribers to cancel their subscriptions until Maher is fired and a summary of Maher's history of anti-Catholic hate-speech is also available on the website.
"Clearly HBO is concerned about losing Catholic subscribers," said Brown. "We anticipate the apology Maher said he will make tomorrow, and unless it is of an appropriate tone, we will intensify our push."
American Life League was co-founded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to death. For more information or press inquiries, please contact Michael Hichborn at 540.659.7900.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
- American Life League: Fire Bill Maher petition website (17 April 2008)
- American Life League: Fire Bill Maher! (17 April 2008)
- CNS News: 'Nazi' Pope Runs 'Child-Abusing Cult,' Says HBO's Maher (15 April 2008)
- News Busters: Bill Maher: Pope ‘Used to be a Nazi’; Compares Church to Cult, Bear Stearns (14 April 2008)
- Denver Post: Don Imus Fired by CBS (12 April 2007)
- Washington Post: 'Seinfeld' Comic Richards Apologizes for Racial Rant (21 November 2006)
