Pubdate: Sun, 25 Mar 2007
Source: Concord Monitor (NH)
Column: Capital Beat
Copyright: 2007 Monitor Publishing Company
Contact:  http://www.concordmonitor.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/767
Author: Sarah Liebowitz and Eric Moskowitz, Monitor Staff
Cited: WKXL 
http://www.wkxl1450.com/dynamickxl/index.php?option=com_contact&task=view&contact_id=1&Itemid=61
Cited: Marijuana Policy Project http://www.mpp.org
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal)

OFF THE AIR

Supporters of a bill that would allow marijuana use for medical 
purposes had a bad week.

A House committee recommended (12-7) that the full House reject the 
bill. Also, WKXL in Concord refused to run an advertisement designed 
to drum up support for the bill, which the full House will debate 
this week. The advertisement was planned by the Marijuana Policy 
Project, a Washington-based advocacy group.

WKXL's owner, former U.S. senator Gordon Humphrey, said he was 
concerned that the message - that people suffering from painful 
diseases should be able to use marijuana to allay their pain - could 
be misconstrued by young people. "At various times, we have young 
people listening, so that's no lottery ads, no beer ads," said 
Humphrey, who has refused to run advertisements for the state lottery 
and a beer distributor before.

Humphrey, a Republican, said the station is otherwise apolitical. "We 
decline very few ads," he said. "I'm not in the business of saying no 
to the business."

Local supporters of the bill cried foul. "Clearly, Mr. Humphrey is 
using his position as a media gatekeeper to manipulate the will of 
New Hampshire voters," said Stuart Cooper of the New Hampshire 
Marijuana Policy Initiative in a press release. The spot, titled, 
"Trying to Stay Alive Shouldn't be a Crime," is running on Manchester 
and Portsmouth stations, he said. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake