Pubdate: Sun,  1 Feb 2004
Source: Beacon Journal, The (OH)
Copyright: 2004 The Beacon Journal Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/6
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/campaign.htm (ONDCP Media Campaign)

TOO ROUGH FOR FOOTBALL

Criticize The White House During Super Bowl? Not On CBS

In its attempt to avoid controversy, CBS is reaping the whirlwind it
created over what kind of advertising is proper for today's Super Bowl.

While the public airwaves -- selling for a cool $4 million a minute --
apparently are safe for suggestive beer commercials, erectile
dysfunction drug ads and spots denouncing illegal drug and tobacco
use, CBS wants to protect its viewers from political speech.

That's the network's rationale for refusing two ads it deems too
controversial for the Super Bowl's projected 130 million viewers. The
ads include a 30-second ad by the liberal online group MoveOn.org
denouncing the whopping budget deficits accumulated during the Bush
administration and a spot by People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals that equates eating meat with impotence. Both groups have
raised the money to buy the air time, but CBS, owned by Viacom, has
refused to run the ads on the grounds they are too divisive.

Apparently, ads aired during previous Super Bowls by the White House
Office of National Drug Policy that equate drug use with support of
terrorism are acceptable. Another such ad is on today's schedule.
Interestingly, recent studies show those ads have been ineffective at
stemming illegal drug use among young people.

It's worth wondering whether, in this contentious presidential
election year, the ads CBS is concerned about would have generated
nearly as much heat as its decision not to air them.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin