(Fwd) CBS Censors Winning Ad

[A. Joseph Ross]

I've got this message from MoveOn.  I thought people here would be interested in it.

Joe

------- Forwarded message follows -------

ear MoveOn member,

During this year's Super Bowl, you'll see ads sponsored by beer companies,
tobacco companies, and the Bush White House.(1)  But you won't see the
winning ad in MoveOn.org Voter Fund's Bush in 30 Seconds ad contest.  CBS
refuses to air it.(2)

Meanwhile, the White House and Congressional Republicans are on the verge
of signing into law a deal which Senator John McCain (R-AZ) says is
custom-tailored for CBS and Fox,(3) allowing the two networks to grow much
bigger.  CBS lobbied hard for this rule change; MoveOn.org members across
the country lobbied against it; and now our ad has been rejected while the
White House ad will be played.  It looks an awful lot like CBS is playing
politics with the right to free speech.

Of course, this is bigger than just the MoveOn.org Voter Fund.  People for
the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) submitted an ad that was also
rejected.(4)  But this isn't even a progressive-vs.-conservative issue. 
The airwaves are publicly owned, so we have a fundamental right to hear
viewpoints from across the ideological spectrum.  That's why we need to
let CBS know that this practice of arbitrarily turning down ads that may
be "controversial" -- especially if they're controversial simply because
they take on the President -- just isn't right.

To watch the ad that CBS won't air and sign our petition to CBS, go to:
http://www.moveon.org/cbs/ad/

If you want to skip the ad and just sign the petition, go to:
http://www.moveon.org/cbs/?id=2280-3442865-Ixc6HHdOnY9Uw35ZM871nw

We'll deliver the petition by email directly to CBS headquarters.

You also may want to let your local CBS affiliate know you're unhappy
about this decision.  We've attached a list of the CBS affiliates in your
state at the bottom of this email.  Remember, a polite, friendly call will
be most effective -- just explain to them why you believe CBS' decision
hurts our democracy.

CBS will claim that the ad is too controversial to air.  But the message
of the ad is a simple statement of fact, supported by the President's own
figures.  Compared with 2002's White House ad which claimed that drug
users are supporting terrorism,(5) it hardly even registers.

CBS will also claim that this decision isn't an indication of political
bias.  But given the facts, that's hard to believe.  CBS overwhelmingly
favored Republicans in its political giving, and the company spent
millions courting the White House to stop FCC reform.(6)  According to a
well-respected study, CBS News was second only to Fox in failing to
correct common misconceptions about the Iraq war which benefited the Bush
Administration -- for example, the idea that Saddam Hussein was involved
with 9/11.(7)

This is not a partisan issue.  It's critical that our media institutions
be fair and open to all speakers.  CBS is setting a dangerous precedent,
and unless we speak up, the pattern may continue.  Please call on CBS to
air ads which address issues of public importance today.

Sincerely,
--Adam, Carrie, Eli, James, Joan, Laura, Noah, Peter, Wes, and Zack
  The MoveOn.org Team
  January 23rd, 2003

P.S. Our friends at Free Press have put together a page which explains
simply how CBS and the FCC rule change are integrally linked.  Check it
out at: http://www.mediareform.net/media/

P.P.S Here are the CBS affiliates in your state:

WBZ-TV, Boston: (617) 787-7000

Footnotes:

1. "Who's Buying What At the Super Bowl," Ad Age, 1/20/04
http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=39561

2. CBS fax to MoveOn.org Voter Fund, 1/14/04

3. "Democrats Fold on 39% TV Cap Fight", Broadcasting and Cable, 1/21/04
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA376078?display=Breaking+News

4. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
http://www.peta.org/feat/superbowl/

5. "New Media Campaign Stresses Link between Drugs and Terrorism," U.S.
Dept. of State http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/02020501.htm

6. OpenSecrets.org: "CBS Television Network Soft Money Donations"
http://www.moveon.org/r?482

7. "Misperceptions, the Media and the Iraq War," PIPA/Knowledge Networks
Poll http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/Iraq/Media_10_02_03_Report.pdf

________________


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A. Joseph Ross, J.D.                           617.367.0468
 15 Court Square, Suite 210                 lawyer@attorneyross.com
Boston, MA 02108-2503           	         http://www.attorneyross.com