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April 11, 2003

Mr. Mel Karmazin, President and COO
Mr. Sumner Redstone, Chairman and CEO
Viacom
1515 Broadway
New York NY 10036

Dear Messrs. Karmazin and Redstone:

I write today to express my concern about the plans of CBS Television to produce a reality program called The Real Beverly Hillbillies. This plan - to take a poor rural family, place them in a Hollywood mansion and ridicule them on national television - is repugnant to me and to the union members I represent. The United Mine Workers of America is made up of one hundred thousand active and retired coal miners. They have worked very hard and endured personal risk to make their contribution to the American economy and supply this great country with much of its energy needs. I guarantee you our membership will be offended and repulsed when they see that CBS's sole purpose is to make fun, degrade and humiliate the rural way of life.

Mocking any group of our citizens at this time is completely uncalled for. I grew up in West Virginia and know the challenges facing many rural families, and I also know what sacrifices they are called on to make for the nation. This should not be laugh track material. I served our country in Vietnam and our union is well represented by those who now and have served in the military. My fellow West Virginian, Jessica Lynch, like so many other brave men and women risking their lives in Iraq comes from a small rural community. These soldiers deserve better than this.

I am strongly considering having UMWA representatives attend the next Viacom annual meeting to register our concern and protest this program. This is bad business.

Sincerely,

Cecil E. Roberts
International President

cc: Mr. Leslie Moonves, President - CBS Television