NBC Makes 'Atomic Train' A Little Less Nuclear (articles)

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

In the end,,, will this really change any of the movie's hype, and 
public perception? I seriously doubt it!

Wednesday May 12 8:22 PM ET 

NBC Makes 'Atomic Train' A Little Less Nuclear

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - An NBC miniseries about a runaway 
freight train with an A-bomb on board has been given a disclaimer 
and made less nuclear, even though its title remains ''Atomic 
Train,'' the network said Wednesday.  

The fictitious doomsday train in the two-part ``sweeps'' drama, 
airing May 16-17, is still headed for Denver carrying a Russian-
made nuclear bomb. But its accompanying cargo of nuclear waste 
has been changed to ``hazardous material.''  

The revision was made in the name of accuracy, though the story 
is pure fantasy, said NBC spokeswoman Rebecca Marks.

``Concern arose regarding the terminology because we 
inaccurately reflected how nuclear material is transported,'' Marks 
said. Special casks used to ship real-life nuclear waste are not 
shown in the film, she explained.  

References to the train's cargo have been altered by ''re-looping'' 
dialogue in the film, which stars Rob Lowe.

NBC also has added a disclaimer to the miniseries emphasizing its 
fictional nature and has rolled back a ``What If?'' promotional 
campaign for the special so as not to alarm viewers.  

The disclaimer says: ``The events portrayed in this miniseries ... 
are not based on fact, and we do not suggest or imply in any
way that these events could actually occur.''

News of the last-minute changes surfaced after NBC's Denver 
affiliate, KUSA, announced it would not to air the miniseries out
of sensitivity for a community still shaken by the April 20 shooting 
rampage in Littleton, Colo.

``We have viewed the entire program and weighed it against the 
mood of the community,'' said Roger Ogden, president and
general manager of the station. ``We have judged that it is not 
compatible with the current situation in our city.''

Ogden said he found the last hour of the program to be ''very 
violent'' and reminiscent of the Littleton shooting. ''It's guys in long, 
black trench coats and families getting killed ... people are getting 
shot all the way through the last hour.''  

In place of ``Atomic Train,'' KUSA will instead air the Hallmark 
made-for-TV movie ``Decoration Day,'' starring James Garner, 
Sunday, and two hours of special Denver Broncos programming 
Monday night, he said.  

NBC brass also had contemplated changing the Denver setting for 
the movie following the Columbine High School massacre in 
Littleton but decided it would be impractical, spokeswoman Marks 
said, adding that the program could not be reedited to take out all 
the references.  

The move to change the fictional waste cargo from ''nuclear'' to 
``hazardous'' and to run the disclaimer followed a meeting last 
week by network executives who saw the program for the first time. 
The decision was strictly internal, Marks said, and had nothing to 
do with outside pressure.  

``We're trying to be a responsible broadcaster,'' she said, 
dismissing reports that the changes were made at the behest of 
nuclear safety groups or others.  

As originally produced, the miniseries is built on the premise of a 
runaway freight train headed for Denver with a cargo of nuclear 
waste and a single Russian-made nuclear device smuggled on 
board.  

The revisions to ``Atomic Train'' come as networks have scrambled 
in recent weeks to second-guess their programming decisions 
amid mounting criticism of the media for portrayal of violence.  

CBS yanked an episode of ``Promised Land'' because that show, 
which is set in Denver, dealt with a school shooting. And the WB 
network pulled an episode of ``Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' in which 
the title character stumbles on a mass-murder plot hatched by 
fellow students.  

-----------

Wednesday May 12, 4:40 pm Eastern Time

Company Press Release

ATOMIC TRAIN Heightens Concern Over Federal
Nuclear Waste Legislation

CARSON CITY, Nev.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 12, 1999--ATOMIC 
TRAIN, a fictional TV thriller about a runaway train carrying toxic 
waste and a nuclear weapon headed for disposal, will not stretch 
the imagination of Nevadans as far as it might other viewers 
throughout the country.  

Since 1987 Nevada has been threatened with becoming the 
nation's sole site for disposal of high-level nuclear waste from
commercial nuclear power reactors and nuclear weapons 
production. 

``The NBC movie, airing as a two-part mini-series on Sunday and 
Monday nights, May 16 and 17, points out the possibility of severe 
accidents during the transportation of toxic and nuclear waste and 
other nuclear materials,'' said Cheryl Lau, president of Citizens 
Against Nuclear Waste in Nevada. Bills pending in Congress would 
send thousands of shipments of high-level nuclear waste to Nevada 
beginning in less than four years.  

The shipments originating in 35 states with nuclear reactors and 
government weapons facilities would travel on highways and rails 
through 43 states on their way to Nevada, coming within one half 
mile of over 50 million Americans and passing through more than 
100 cities with populations greater than 100,000. The intent of the 
bills, II.R.45 and S.608, is to begin storing the nuclear waste in 
Nevada as soon as possible, in advance of a federal decision about 
the safety of underground burial at Yucca Mountain, 100 miles 
northwest of Las Vegas.  

Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn has written to Energy Secretary Bill 
Richardson seeking to have the Yucca Mountain site disqualified 
because it does not meet Energy Department siting criteria. 
President Clinton has said he will veto the current bills, if passed, 
because transport and storage of the waste in Nevada should not 
begin until it is determined whether Yucca Mountain is a safe 
disposal site.  

``State leaders and nearly all Nevadans have long opposed this 
very dangerous waste being forced into our state. With passage of 
these bills, the people of 42 other states will be forced, for 30 
years, to accept the risk of high-level nuclear waste being 
transported through their communities. All Americans should be 
outraged by this unnecessary and dangerous prospect and should 
contact their Senators and Representatives in Washington,'' said 
Lau. For more information on the bills and the  
risks of nuclear waste transport call 1-800-393-9951. 

------------------------
Sandy Perle
E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net
Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/1205

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