NBC reverses course, offers conservatives access to airwaves

December 9, 2007

For quite a while, it seemed as if the only political ads that were rejected by television networks came from the left. Last week, for example, Fox News rejected an ad from the Center for Constitutional Rights about the administration’s torture because, as Bill O’Reilly insisted, the ad was “anti-American.” Last year, NBC refused to run an ad from MoveOn.org about alleged Republican corruption. Around the same time, all of the major TV networks rejected an ad by the United Church of Christ that told viewers, “No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you’re welcome here.”

The trend has been discouraging. In November 2005, Fox News wouldn’t run anti-Alito ads. Not long beforehand, MoveOn.org raised enough money to buy an ad during the Super Bowl, but CBS rejected it, noting its “long-term policy not to air issue ads anywhere on the network.” Just a few weeks prior, CBS and NBC refused advertising from the UCC because the church’s open, tolerant message of inclusion was labeled “too controversial.”

With this background in mind, it came as a bit of a surprise last week when NBC rejected a political ad from Freedom’s Watch, a right-wing group created to support the White House’s policy agenda.

NBC has rejected a TV ad by the White House front group Freedom’s Watch “because it refers to the group’s Web site, which the network said was too political.” The ad thanks soldiers for their service but also contains a “welcoming message” that states: “For too long, conservatives have lacked a permanent political presence to do battle with the radical special interests groups and their left-wing allies in government.” “We have a policy that prohibits acceptance of advertising that deals with issues of public controversy,” said Alan Wurtzel of NBC.

As much as I’m opposed to Freedom’s Watch, this wasn’t exactly welcome news. I don’t want the left and right blocked from the public’s airwaves, I’d prefer the networks allow both sides to advertise and reach the public.

That said, I was at least mildly encouraged that NBC was being even-handed — the network rebuffed MoveOn.org, a message of tolerance from the United Church of Christ, and the loyal Bushies at Freedom’s Watch.

Or so I thought.

It didn’t take long for NBC to reverse course and offer the right the access it had denied the left.

NBC reversed course Saturday and decided to air a conservative group’s television ad thanking U.S. troops.

The ad, by the group Freedom’s Watch, asks viewers to remember the troops during the holiday season. NBC had refused to air the ad because it guides viewers to the Freedom’s Watch Web site, which NBC said was too political.

But in a statement issued Saturday evening, NBC said:

“We have reviewed and changed our ad standards guidelines and made the decision that our policy will apply to content only and not to a referenced Web site. Based on these amended standards the Freedom’s Watch ad will begin to run as early as Sunday.”

NBC’ head of standards and practices, Alan Wurtzel, notified Freedom’s Watch’s media consultant Saturday by e-mail, writing: “This will confirm that the Freedom’s Watch spot is approved for air.”

Freedom’s Watch President Bradley A. Blakeman welcomed the decision. “We’re actually very happy that NBC has agreed to change its position because it will only help the troops be properly thanked,” he said.

So much for even-handedness.

So only the right has true freedom of speech. Without access to the MSM, the left and even the center is gagged.
Thus the growing reliance on blogs.

  • not a big deal…. now the ‘left-leaning ads’ need to do the same thing: don’t air the ‘controversial’ issues, but list the web address where to find the information.
    Preferably NOT moveon.org, because that site is too controversial, regardless. It should be easy to come up with a ‘bumbersticker – easy to spell’ web name to visit.

  • “now the ‘left-leaning ads’ need to do the same thing: don’t air the ‘controversial’ issues, but list the web address where to find the information.”

    Exactly. But, some ‘left of the lefties’ might find thanking the troops during the holidays a “controversial issue” — it touches the issues of both war and religion.

  • Moveon.org deserves more air time, not less. Ditto for any individual, group, or association that directly and confrontationally challenges any aspect of reichwing propaganda and the bobbleheads and turds that promulgate it. You’ll remember that at no time during the faux outrage over Moveon’s challenge to Petraeus’ half-truths given to the Congress was any wingnut able to disprove the substance of Moveon’s assertions made in their ad. The wingnuts think that they will wail and clutch their hankies and knash their teeth and then the truth of Moveon’s challenge will simply disappear. Well, that’s not how truth operates. But that is how fascist wingnut propagandists expect to buffalo the country into ignoring the substance of any challenge to their lies and propaganda. As someone has already said, the truth is incontrovertible. Ignorance may deride it and malice may attack it but in the end, there it is. An entire army of halfasses such as Bill O’Douchebag won’t and can’t change that reality.

  • The Declaration of Independence refers to the “Inalienable Rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” It also, as I seem to recall, mentions something about “everybody being created equal.”

    The Constitution, through its First Amendment, guarantees “Freedom of Speech, Expression, and Religion.”

    The United States Flag is symbolic of these issues.

    There’s this quote in the Bible that says “That which you do to the least of these my brethren, so you do to me.” If I’m not mistaken, that quote is from some carpenter-type fellow who hails from the city of Nazareth.

    So—am I the only one not surprised that NBC hates the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the United States Flag, the Bible, and Jesus?

  • I don’t think most lefties would object to thanking the troops for their service in a TV ad while putting up a website link that points out all the ways the Bush administration has screwed them over in the last 7 years.

  • Much as I loathe FW, I think this is good. I see it as a golden opportunity for the left. I just floated this idea that the leftwing orgs should immediately put together their own thank the troops ads and buy time on NBC.

    The FW ad isn’t that good. The left could put together much better ads and how could NBC refuse them now that they changed their policy? For instance, can’t you just envision a spot with a bunch of women in pink tshirts, just saying thank you? Wounded vets doing the same? Families of deployed soldiers holding photos of their loved ones?

    Maybe it’s just me, but I see a lot of potential here to make a meaningful impact on the narrative, including busting the myth that the left doesn’t really support the troops.

  • Technically, and without prejudice, the First Amendment to the US Constitution guarantees a total of 5 rights: Conscience, Speech, an uncompromised Press, Assembly, and my right to petition the Government for redress as a result of bad Legislation.

    To all of you who insist the Constitution is based on your Christian Bible, point out to me the passages in the text that directly reference these aforementioned Rights and while you’re at it, demonstrate conclusively that your church and your religion contain all the princles inherent in a modern democracy.

  • Eight posts, and I’m not seeing any one that insists that the Constitution is based on anyone’s Bible. Care to elaborate, Timpie?

  • re Libbys’s suggestion: You don’t have to limit it to Christmas/troops. MLK day could be a bonanza for civil rights groups, Labor day for pro-union groups, Memorial and Vet’s Day for anti-war groups, Arbor Day for environmentalists, Valentine’s Day for gay rights, and so on and so forth…

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  • Of course, how much would anyone like to bet that WHEN a leftie group does the same thing, NBC will “conveniently” reverse course again, saying, conveniently, well, we made a mistake with Freedom’s Watch (nice Orwellian name, that).

    And “Freedom’s Watch” is just a sockpuppet for the White House. NBC well knows that.

    So is there impropriety or merely the APPEARANCE of impropriety, spin to the contrary?

    Doesn’t GE — the largest defense contractor in the world — have some pending appropriations and contract business with the White House and the Pentagon?

    Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Electric

    Past controversies

    GE has faced criminal action regarding its defense related operations. GE was convicted in 1990 of defrauding the U.S. Department of Defense, and again in 1992 on charges of corrupt practices in the sale of jet engines to Israel.

    And,

    GE’s divisions include GE Commercial Finance, GE Industrial, GE Infrastructure (including GE-Aviation and Smiths Aerospace), GE Consumer Finance, GE Healthcare, and NBC Universal, an entertainment company.

    Through these businesses, GE participates in a wide variety of markets including the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity (eg. Nuclear, gas and solar), lighting, industrial automation, medical imaging equipment, motors, railway locomotives, aircraft jet engines, aviation services and materials such as plastics, silicones and abrasives. It was co-founder and is 80% owner (with Vivendi) of NBC Universal, the National Broadcasting Company. Through GE Commercial Finance, GE Consumer Finance, GE Equipment Services, and GE Insurance it offers a range of financial services as well. It has a presence in over 100 countries.

    Since over half of GE’s revenue is derived from financial services, it is arguably a financial company with a manufacturing arm …

  • So who is Freedom’s Watch that NBC(GE) would reverse itself? According to SourceWatch:

    Freedom’s Watch registered September 17, 2007, with the Secretary of the U.S. Senate as a non-profit lobbying organization. Lobbyists listed for Freedom’s Watch are Bradley A. Blakeman (identified as having served within the past two years as “Deputy Assistant to the President, Presidential Appointee to the US Holocaust Museum”); Michael Leavitt (identifed as having served within the past two years as “Staff Asst & Regional Rep, [NC State] Senator [John] Snow”); and Matt David (identified as having served within the past two years as “Director of Rapid Response; White House Special Asst. to Director of Policy, Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance”).

    Freedom’s Watch has been described by critics as a front group for White House policy and a “neo-conservative ‘slush fund’ supporting the views of Vice President Dick Cheney”, “came out of” a December 2006 “event” at the American Enterprise Institute when retired Gen. Jack Keane and AEI scholar Frederick W. Kagan “talk[ed] about the need for a troop increase in Iraq, “a plan adopted by” President George W. Bush in January 2007.

    and this bit of fun:

    Freedom’s Watch “denies coordinating its activities with the White House”, Don Van Natta Jr. wrote September 30, 2007, in the New York Times, although “many donors and organizers, including Ari Fleischer, the former White House press secretary, are well-connected” to the Bush administration.

    And the capper:

    Freedom’s Watch is not the first propaganda group created by the Bush administration, as we are reminded of the White House Iraq Group formed in 2003 by White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card to sell the war in Iraq. WHIG also included Matalin and Scooter Libby….”But, as Eli Pariser, the executive director of MoveOn.org Political Action, argues that Freedom’s Watch may have money, but it doesn’t have a base of support. … ‘The main difference is that MoveOn is a group of 3.3 million,’ he said. ‘Freedom’s Watch is a few mega millionaires.'”

    Are we really sure there’s any “principle” at work here? Or is this just another abuse of the public airwaves?

    Remember when MoveOn had to pay the excess to the New York Times, but the Giuliani campaign only paid the “sweetheart” price? No principles there.

    I’ll believe “equity” when I see it. Right now, I only see a bunch of kreepy zillionaires foisting their propaganda via another bunch of kreepy zillionaires, and pretending it’s about “principles” and an astroturf front group with an Orwellian name.

    To sell the War at Christmas.

    Deck the halls.

  • “…because it will only help the troops be properly thanked,” he said.”

    And of course get the ones responsible for putting them in harm’s way properly thanked as well.” Freedom’s crotch would also like to properly thank the troops for all the things it has planned for them in the future also. After all, they helped them all become so wealthy by profiteering off the military. It’s such a “small sacrifice” by the troops for all the benefits they’ve manged to gain from their effort.

  • Why the hell does the Bible and Jesus always get mentioned when they don;t have a damn thing to do with the constitution. Bible quoters just don’t read enough books and attribute more meaning to inapplicable phrases due only to the source they are coming from. It’s like a Muslim always saying well according to the Koran…I mean Geez…give it up already. Quit trying always to get Jesus’ autograph.

    I’m with you Libby Spencer and I believe that is what Moveon will do.

  • how could NBC refuse them now that they changed their policy?

    They can and they will — without batting an eyelash or acknowledging in any way that they are being inconsistent. Expecting “fairness” from GE’s whores is like expecting honesty from Tony Soprano.

    And there’s not a goddamn thing anyone can do about. Freedom of the press is for those who own the presses — AND the networks, AND the politiicans AND the courts and just about everything else in this country.

  • I’m VERY perplexed how NBC shies away from controversial liberal political advertising but still keeps Keith Olbermann. Mind you half a loaf is great compared with some other networks. It’s just a bit weird.

  • Its not that hard to understand at all NBC and MSNBC reporting does whatever it thinks will get it better ratings. For a while they tried to copy FNC, then they thought they could do better bashing the war. Its whatever they think the public wants to hear.

  • They have to be even-handed? Says who?

    It’s their station. They can decide for themselves what to air, and on what grounds.

    Don’t like it? Start your own station.

  • You know how American can show its undying gratitude to soldiers? By not allowing our government to murder them by sending them into an unnecessary war. The way I say thank you to our soldiers is to stand up and say there is no reason for you to die for me. By recognizing when the media is lying to me and telling me they’re “protecting” my freedom from the country’s favorite buzzword: terrorism. Let’s face it, America, the only thing they’re over there protecting is one of the world’s last stashes of oil and George Bush’s pride.

    So to the soldiers, I say: Thank you for laying your life on the line in Iraq, but it is an unnecessary sacrifice at this point. Please come home safe and sound to your families as soon as possible.

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