CBS, Bush and Freedom of Press in USA

Syth

[url=http:\\www.moveon.org]MoveOn.org[/url] raised enough money to get the winner of their [url=http:\\www.bushin30seconds.org]Bush in 30 seconds[/url] contest. The ad was strongly critical of Bush. CBS refused to show it, although they broadcast an ad from the white house. So much for freedom of prerss.

sovtek

Yes I saw the head of CBS defend the airing of a white house sponsored message about marijuana. He said that "there is no controversy about drug abuse". Of course this ignores the debate on the "war on drugs" as it is very controversial the world over, not to mention in the States.
Last year another white house anti drug message was aired during the super bowl basically saying that drug use supports terrorism.
Nevermind that Viacom/CBS owes Micheal Powell a bit fat favor for deregulating the FCC rules on corporate market share of media outlets.

BattleBoar

Apparently, CBS has a long-standing policy not to air any political ads during the superbowl. As someone who supports a free market economy, I disagree with that. I believe if you can pay for the ad and it falls within FCC guidelines, it should be aired. That said, CBS has a right to air or not air any ad I suppose, but I still would have liked to see it during the Superbowl (which incidentally was the most watched ever they say, so it would have had quite an impact).

Klaus

CBS played an avert by Pepsi and Apple during the Superbowl demonstrating the evils of copyright infringement. They refused to use actors on the slot, instead forced children that the RIAA had prosecuted to be shamed on national tv. Now that's what I call advocacy. There's something on The Register about it.

BattleBoar

Are you intimating that the pepsi/riaa ad was political? It perhaps had political elements, but certainly wasn't a political ad. In fact, I think the ad actually did a good job of illustrating the ridiculousness of the RIAA's BS campaign against music d/ling, but maybe I'm just biased against the RIAA so I took it that way. Anyway I'm sure that the kids weren't forced to do the ad.

ixoy

Well if we're b1tching about CBS, let's not them off the hook for passing on the Reagans - a critically acclaimed mini-series that happend not to pass Republican fave, Ronald Reagan, in the oh-so-perfect light that the party want him in. So it gets shoved to a sibling outlet instead and into obscurity.

BattleBoar

I'm not going to pile on CBS. They have a right to approve or reject what they put on their station, whether it be programming or advertisement. And, right now they are the most watched network in the US, so they are definitely doing something right.

I just would have liked to see the ad during the superbowl, but I won't fault CBS for not showing it.

bonkey

Originally posted by BattleBoar
Anyway I'm sure that the kids weren't forced to do the ad.

No, they weren't forced. I believe they were simply offered to have all charges against them dropped if they co-operated.

I could, of course, be wrong on that - I can't even remember where I read it.

jc

projectmayhem

meh

this is not the first time discrepencies like this have been exposed...

dahamsta

Originally posted by bonkey
No, they weren't forced. I believe they were simply offered to have all charges against them dropped if they co-operated.

These were civil cases brought by the RIAA. As far as I'm aware the kids in the ad had already settled, so they were probably paid handsomely to make the ads.

adam

bonkey

Fair enuffski....

like I said....screwed if I can remember where I read/heard my version.....so I wouldn't be surprised at all if it was fiction.

jc

Victor

Originally posted by BattleBoar
Apparently, CBS has a long-standing policy not to air any political ads during the superbowl.

Of course in Ireland we ban all political and religious TV and newspaper advertising.