I am a member of MoveOn. Because of this, I get emailed about upcoming events or bills I can petition for or against. I am concerned over the last email I received from them. It is about CBS rejecting to show MoveOn’s winning Bush in 30 Seconds ad. Now, a network has the right to say what they will air and what they will not air. But in light of facts that 1) MoveOn members most recently have been lobbying against a bill that would allow CBS and FOX to grow bigger; and 2) CBS is playing a Bush for re-election ad, it appears that CBS is playing politics with the right to free speech.
Let me include some important paragraphs from the e-mail:
[T]his is bigger than just the MoveOn.org Voter Fund. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) submitted an ad that was also rejected. 1 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, click here.)
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, 2 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. 3 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 9/11.4
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 23rd, 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/
Footnotes:
1. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
2. "New Media Campaign Stresses Link between Drugs and Terrorism," U.S. Dept. of State
3. "CBS Television Network Soft Money Donations," Opensecrets.org
4. "Misperceptions, the Media and the Iraq War," PIPA/Knowledge Networks Poll
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