PBS station bans I.D. documentary

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (BP)—"Unlocking the Mystery of Life," a science documentary about intelligent design, has been banned by a local PBS station in Albuquerque, N.M., according to the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture.

New Mexico scientist Phil Robinson worked with KNME staff to arrange the airing of the documentary and then found by accident that the show had been pulled and newspaper advertising halted just four days before it was to air, according to a Jan. 4 news release.

"It is simply astounding that a public television station would engage in this sort of politically correct censorship," said Rob Crowther, director of communications for the Center for Science and Culture. "Public television usually prides itself in exploring new ideas, not suppressing them. Doesn't anyone at KNME believe in free speech?"

The documentary has aired in major markets across the United States, including PBS stations in California, Florida and New York, the Discovery Institute said.

Unlocking the Mystery of Life is a 58-minute program exploring what DNA reveals about the origin of life, and it considers how some scientists are skeptical about naturalistic explanations for the origin of genetic information. State of the art computer animation and other visuals enhance the documentary, which also includes interviews with key intelligent design scientists such as William Dembski of Baylor University, who was tapped last September to begin leading Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's new Center for Science and Theology in June.