TELEVISION - March 20, 1993

Deception Alleged: Asserting that, “If NBC can be called to account for its phony truck-crash story, then CBS likewise deserves criticism for an irresponsible presentation,” the Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion has charged that CBS acted irresponsibly in airing the documentary “The Incredible Discovery of Noah’s Ark.” Paul Kurtz, a professor who represents the committee of scientists, historians and Bible scholars, said last month’s program was a propaganda vehicle for creationists opposed to the theory of evolution. CBS said it had no comment. The documentary alleged that archeologists have conclusive proof that Noah’s Ark sits on top of Mt. Ararat in Turkey, proving claims in the Bible that a great flood around 2450 B.C. covered the Earth and killed all life except for the people and animals in the ark.