CBS Threatens to Block MoveOn ad- Take Action!
By Andrew Dobbs
MoveOn.org is probably the best organized, most powerful netroots progressive organization in the country. Recently, as has been widely noted, the group has sponsored a contest called Bush in 30 seconds, where contestants each make a 30 second ad exposing the truth about the Bush Administration. The winner was a slick ad showing kids working in adult jobs- a factory, a chamber maid, etc.- and then asks "Who Do You Think Will Pay Off Bush's Trillion Dollar Deficit?" Pretty good- not too extremist (like the Bush = Hitler ads that drew so much attention), clever, gets your attention and expresses a valid sentiment. MoveOn is now accepting donations to put the ad on during the Super Bowl. Now you'd think that the money of a group trying to promote social justice would be as accepted as a booze company that exploits women, right? Wrong.
A spokesman for CBS said the Viacom-owned network has received the request from MoveOn to run the ad in the Super Bowl, but added that the ad has to go through standards and practices before CBS will say if it can run an advocacy ad during the game. The spokesman said he didn't think it was likely that the spot would pass standards and practices.
This is from Ad Age Magazine. They also go on to list 3 advocacy ads that will run during the game- one from the "truth.com" anti-tobacco group, one from Phillip Morris USA and one from the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Double standard much?
As a result, I am encouraging everyone to contact CBS and tell them you want to see the ad. Their advertising sales department can be emailed here, CBS parent company Viacom's non-management directors can be contacted here and just to be on the safe side, call or mail them:
CBS Television Network
51 W. 52nd St.
New York, NY 10019
Main Number:
212-975-4321
CBS News
555 W. 57th St.
New York, NY 10019
Main Number (National):
212-975-4114
Let's raise a stink!
Posted by Andrew Dobbs at January 14, 2004 06:20 PM
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Andrew D,
Well, factual accuracy might be one of those standards the ad fails to pass. Trillion dollar deficit? Um, not quite. I get their point, but $375B is quite a bit less than $1 Trillion, and none of the current projections have the future deficit getting terribly close to $1T. Next years is forecast to be $500B, not even half way there. Maybe if they had said $Trillion in debt, but I don't think Bush has managed to amass that much (yet).
For the record, I don't like deficit spending either -- I just think high taxes are a worse economic evil than large deficits, but I'd love to cut spending -- but you can hardly complain if CBS refuses to air a factually inaccurate ad.
Sherk
Isn't this the same network that caved in to Reagan-worshiping cultists?
As somebody once said...
"You take away the C.,
and that leaves the B.S."
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BTW, if TV outlets are screening political ads for accuracy, that 2002 GOP ad in the campaign for U.S. senator from Georgia which depicted Sen. Max Cleland as a stooge of Osama, never should have been permitted to air.
