NBC rejects TV ad thanking troops

[cec]

NBC rejects TV ad thanking troops




By Jim Kuhnhenn - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Dec 7, 2007 19:46:37 EST

NBC has rejected a TV ad by Freedom’s Watch, a conservative group that supports administration policy in Iraq, that asks viewers to remember and thank U.S. troops during the holiday season.
NBC said it declined to air the ad because it refers to the group’s Web site, which the network said was too political, not because of the ad’s message.
“Anybody in the world who would look at this ad would come away with nothing other than we should thankful for their service,” Freedom’s Watch president Brad Blakeman said.
The spot was to be part of a seven-figure campaign that includes newspaper ads and television commercials. The ads are to run on CNN and Fox News Channel and are running in various newspapers. The New York Times ran a full-page Freedom’s Watch ad Friday that said “Thank You!” and depicted a soldier reading a letter. The newspaper ad also contained the Web site address.
Alan Wurtzel, NBC’s head of standards and practices, said the network decided not to run the Freedom’s Watch ad because the group insisted that the spot contain the URL address of its Web site.
The Freedom’s Watch Web home page contains links for visitors to demonstrate their support for the troops. It 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,” Wurtzel said. “This particular ad, in and of itself, is fine. It thanks the troops for their action overseas. We asked them to eliminate a URL address where a person is asked to contact elected officials and told not to cut and run on the war on terror.”
NBC rejected a previous Freedom’s Watch ad that addressed funding for the troops.
“It’s a long-term policy, it goes back decades,” Wurtzel said of NBC’s stance of declining controversial advertising.
He suggested that Freedom’s Watch did not alter the ad in order to force NBC to reject it and thus get media attention.
“Candidly, some folks have found that you get more attention when an ad is not accepted,” he said.
Blakeman acknowledged that Freedom’s Watch wants viewers of the ad to visit its Web site and said NBC’s actions amounted to censorship.
Freedom’s Watch has emerged as one of the best-financed independent conservative groups in this election cycle.



NBC rejects TV ad thanking troops - Army News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Army Times



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[Snowden]

I can't imagine a network that would not have put in such an ad for our troops in WWII. What has happened to the morale of this nation? To the patriotism itself? Doesn't it exist any more?

I'd boycott NBC, but we seldom do more than glance at it in passing anyway.

[leobold1]

“We have a policy that prohibits acceptance of advertising that deals with issues of public controversy,”

Guess they won't be running any ads for Presidental, Congressional, State, County, or Local election.

Now THAT'S a public controversarial topic.

[las47032]

Not surprised. The peacock network didin't have a problem airing Darfur YouTube - Voices from Darfur (Save Darfur Ad) YouTube - Amnesty International - Darfur Ad
YouTube - How will history judge us? (Save Darfur Ad) calling for President Bush to stop the genocide, anti war "Because of Iraq" VoteVets.org | Video YouTube - Because of Iraq , and presidential political ads.

Didn't bother NBC when they hired Kieth Olbermann who is the host of "Countdown" and he is constantly bashing the President. And NBC wasn't concerned when VoteVEts.org appeared on Olbermann's show. VoteVets.org | The Voice of America’s 21st Century Patriots

Where was the objection when VoteVets.org appeared on Keith Olberman's show?

NBC has a change of mind and decides to broadcast the commerical.
NBC Decides to Run Conservative-Group Ad


According to RedState NBC and Majority Accountability Project NBC attorney Richard Cotton who denied FreedomsWatch to air the ad, he gave around $45,000 Congressional Democrats. NBC Lawyer who nixed troop ad gives generously to Congressional Democrats | Redstate NBC Lawyer who nixed troop ad gives generously to Congressional Democrats | Keeping the Majority Accountable. Keeping you Informed.

FreedomsWatch letter sent to NBC John Kelly Senior Vice-President of NBC News Network Sales. NBC Refuses to Run Ads Supporting Troops During the Holidays > FreedomsWatch > PressReleases

FreedomsWatch petition to send to NBC. FreedomsWatch > Action Center > Sign a Petition - NBC

FreedomsWatch ad.

Holiday Thank the Troops Ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6S2uEM09Fs
Support the Troops Ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SQztt3ZC6U


FreedomsWatch link to send a holiday card. FreedomsWatch > Action Center > Sign a Petition

[las47032]

NBC must have conveniently forgot they aired MoveOn.org's anti war ad. NBC Double Standard: Today Show Aired Antiwar Ad by MoveOn.org | NewsBusters.org

[leobold1]

<sarcasm on>But if you air an ANTI-war ad, you're a hero. The military gets too much good press anyway.<sarcasm off>

[scotto]

NBC now says it will air the ad….



NBC decides to run conservative-group ad

By JIM KUHNHENN / Associated Press Writer Published: December 8th, 2007 03:47 PM

WASHINGTON -- 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.

NBC initially said that airing the spot would violate the network's prohibition on controversial issue ads. Wurtzel, in an interview Friday with The Associated Press, said NBC found nothing wrong with the ad's content, but rather objected to the link to FreedomsWatch > Home, viewing the Web site as too political.

"I think they had an agenda," Blakeman said. "They didn't like our Web site and didn't like what we stood for."

The group's home page is critical of liberals and has a link to a page urging lawmakers not to "cut and run" from the war in Iraq. The home page also links to another Freedom's Watch page dedicated to ways to assist the troops and provides links to organizations that send care packages to soldiers.

News of NBC's initial rejection caused an angry reaction on the Internet. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, appearing on the Fox News Channel on Friday, called for a boycott of NBC.

Freedom's Watch, a group backed by wealthy Republican fundraisers, has emerged as one of the best-financed conservative groups. It seeks to be a vocal advocate of President Bush's current policy in Iraq.