Censorship in the US

Fri Jan 23 04:11:17 CET 2004

Unbelievably CBS - that will air Bush campaign ad during the Super 
Bowl - refused to air paid for Move-On's ad "Bush in 30 Seconds" - 
violating the rights to equal access to free speech guaranteed by the 
Bill of Rights attached to the US Constitution. In my opinion CBS 
should be boycotted by not watching the Super Bowl.
ivo

------- Forwarded message follows -------
Dear 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=2278-1441404-KjMoR20cUkl.bQ1svSwzDg

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 22nd, 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:

WCBS-TV, New York: (212) 975-4321
WRGB-TV, Niskayuna: (518) 346-6666
WTVH-TV, Syracuse: (315) 425-5555
WWNY-TV, Watertown: (315) 788-3800
WBNG-TV, Johnson City: (607) 729-8812
WIVB-TV, Buffalo: (716) 874-4410
WROC-TV, Rochester: (585) 288-8400

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+New
s

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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