THE ‘AMERIKA’ CONTROVERSY: LET AMERICA DECIDE

Seldom have Americans been lectured so much about a TV production they haven’t seen.

The result may be that viewers are already bored with the controversial “Amerika,” even though the 14 1/2-hour ABC miniseries is not scheduled to premiere until Feb. 15. That is their right.

They also have the right to see “Amerika” and decide for themselves whether it’s fascinating or dull, honest or shifty, or if the oft-made charge is true:

That its depiction of a 1997 America ruled by the Kremlin through its puppet United Nations troops is an arch-conservative polemic on widening the gap between the United States and the Soviet Union and also heating up the nuclear arms race.

Maybe “Amerika” is all of that, some of that or none of that. And just maybe Americans should find out for themselves.

“Amerika” has been heavily criticized by the U.N. and a host of special-interest groups of various sizes and charters. All have demanded script changes. Some, like the leftist Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) and Committee for National Security, want ABC to provide air time to discuss “Amerika.” A few have called for boycotting “Amerika” sponsors.

It’s against this background that the Chrysler Corp. this week announced that it was yanking its $5-million worth of advertising from “Amerika.” Chrysler’s defection reportedly leaves General Foods as the largest single sponsor of “Amerika.”

ABC has vowed not to drop “Amerika.”

How could it? It has too much money (a reported $35 million), time, promotion and prestige wrapped up in this miniseries projected as the heart of its February ratings sweeps programming. A hit “Amerika” would lift ABC’s sagging fortunes.

And if ABC did drop “Amerika,” the result would be catastrophic for TV, signaling pressure groups of all political and philosophical shades that ABC can be had.

Many of the network’s critics believe that “Amerika” proves ABC already has been had--by conservatives. And ABC and “Amerika” writer/director/producer Donald Wrye have undercut their own credibility by not being forthright and by making conflicting statements about the production.

Meanwhile, ABC is now accusing unnamed “certain organizations” of trying to hound “Amerika” off the air.

The line between censorship of programs and advocating change is so thin that it’s sometimes barely visible.

“The censorship issue is clearly lurking,” said Jonathan Halperin, program director for the Committee for National Security, reacting Thursday to the Chrysler decision. “But we didn’t get into this to get the show off the air,” said Halperin from Washington.

The fight against “Amerika” has been led by New York-based FAIR, whose executive director, Jeff Cohen, said Thursday that he also was a bit edgy about the Chrysler withdrawal.

“We’re real concerned about any sponsor pullout because of what it portends for the future of controversial programming on networks,” he said from New York. FAIR wants ABC to air some “Viewpoint” programs to hash over the issues raised by “Amerika.”

“For every word that we’ve uttered about ‘Amerika,’ “Cohen said, “we’ve pointed out that we don’t support prior-restraint boycotts or anything like that.”

Chrysler maintains that its decision to split from “Amerika” was linked only to the program’s downbeat theme and not growing controversy over its alleged politics and depiction of a Kremlin-controlled U.N.

Skeptics, start your snickers.

TV networks are in the business of airing only programs that appeal to sponsors, who thus have always had a direct or indirect say in TV content. Moreover, there are ongoing sponsor defections that are never publicized because they don’t involve controversial programs.

The “Amerika” sponsor episode, though, recalls the 1977 controversy over “Jesus of Nazareth” on NBC, when General Motors withdrew its support of that brilliant production following loud protests by fundamentalist religious groups that had not even seen the program.

Procter & Gamble then purchased the GM spots at bargain rates, which turned out to be a bonanza buy when “Jesus of Nazareth” became an enormous hit.

At least many “Amerika” critics have seen up to four hours of the miniseries--which is all ABC has made available--and read a version of the script.

And now the rest of America deserves a crack at the miniseries, for better or worse.