History Channel is proven wrong

The History Channel apologized Friday for presenting a program last November that suggested former President Lyndon B. Johnson was involved in a conspiracy to assassinate his predecessor, John F. Kennedy.

The public declaration was made after three prominent historians, invited by the cable outlet to review the program in the wake of protests from Johnson friends and relatives, reported back that the theory that the then-vice president was involved in Kennedy’s fatal 1963 shooting “is entirely unfounded and does not hold up to scrutiny.”

“The History Channel accepts the criticisms of these historians,” the network said in a statement. “After reflecting on the historians’ comments and conducting its own internal review, the History Channel recognizes that ‘The Guilty Men’ failed to offer viewers context and perspective, and fell short of the high standards that the network sets for itself. The History Channel apologizes to its viewers and to Mrs. [Lady Bird] Johnson and her family for airing the show.”

The findings of the historians, including their criticism of the History Channel for showing it, will be broadcast in a one-hour program at 8 p.m. Wednesday, “The Guilty Men: An Historical Review.” The network said it will no longer air the original program and won’t release it on video.

Lee Margulies