Bush in 30 seconds
Moveon.org is a political group started during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal by Wes Boyd and Joan Blades. I’ve found their interest and their approach appealing.
Moveon.org sponsored a political advertising contest called Bush in 30 seconds that received some really well-done entries. One entry in particular, “In My Country” sent a chill down my spine. The winning entry, “Childs Pay” was selected to be aired during the Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, CBS has refused to air MoveOn’s ad during the SuperBowl.
According to MoveOn:
During this year’s Super Bowl, you’ll see ads sponsored by beer companies, tobacco companies, and the Bush White House. 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.
And, from What’s In Rebecca’s Pocket:
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, 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 the MoveOn.org 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.
Sure enough, from his Statement Of Senator John Mccain On The FY ‘04 Omnibus:
I would like to turn to Section 629 of the Commerce, Justice, State Division of the omnibus. This provision would undo the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) June 2 decision to incrementally raise the national television broadcast station ownership cap from 35% to 45%. Instead, the provision would set the ownership cap at 39%. [...]
Substantively, this provision is objectionable because, while purporting to address public concerns about excessive media consolidation, it really addresses only the concerns of special interests. It is no coincidence that 39 percent is the exact ownership percentage of Viacom’s CBS network and one percentage point higher than the reach of the Fox network. As I have stated before, I am not certain about where the exact line should be drawn, and whether a 45% cap is correct. It is clear, however, that the choice of 39% has nothing to do with analytical data, and everything to do with not unduly upsetting the status quo.
MoveOn.org is asking people watching the Superbowl to switch from CBS to CNN between 8:10pm and 8:35pm EST to protest and watch the ad as CNN plays it. If you agree, sign up at https://www.moveonvoterfund.org/boycott/ and let MoveOn.org know you care.
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