Thread: NBC REJECTS TV AD THANKING TROOPS ...................

NBC rejects TV ad thanking troops, cites controversial Web site

By: JIM KUHNHENN - Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- 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 be 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 group's home page links to another Freedom's Watch Web page that lists nonprofit organizations that are sending care packages to soldiers and that suggests other ways of expressing support.

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 issue 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.

On the Net:

http://www.freedomswatch.org

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/12 ... 2_7_07.txt

Comments On This Story

Note: Comments reflect the views of readers and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff.

Sure wrote on Dec 8, 2007 8:37 AM:
" NBC is one of the worst liberal news stations. They know why they rejected this ad. "

AW4cryinoutloud wrote on Dec 8, 2007 12:18 PM:
" "Too political"? I'm sensing a little hypocrisy from NBC. Whenever any of our so-called News channels have guests they put the guests website on the screen right there under the person. Guess we'll have to start keeping score on whose website may or may not be ignored. NBC doesn't seem to have a problem showing Dems running for the Presidency who are against funding our troops, or a Dem who refuses to honor our National Anthem. Heaven forbid that the press in a democracy just report the news from both sides and let the People make their own decisions. That would be the DEMOCRATIC thing to do. "

John wrote on Dec 8, 2007 3:54 PM:
" Odd that THEIR politics are not too political. It think that this will pull them down completely - they have not been doing well and this should finish them off. How stupid and how un-American! They cannot stand it that our military are doing well and will continue to do even better. Sad that one of the largest networks want USA to lose........ "

Skip wrote on Dec 8, 2007 4:44 PM:
" I went to their webpage, since NCT conveniently provided a link. I immediately spotted the one sentence that explains more of why they are being rejected then this story will let on. Here it is: QUOTE: (under issues: first sentence) , WE BELIEVE THAT A SECURE BORDER IS VITAL TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY AND ECONOMIC SECURITY OF AMERICA. "

Add Your Comments or Letter to the Editor

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/12 ... 2_7_07.txt

I thought I read somewhere where, becasue of angry people writing in, they changed their mind about not useing their ad.

NBC's refusal to run Freedom's Watch's thank you ad comes as no surprise.

During the 12-6-07 broadcast of NBC's Nightly News, Brian Williams reported the president lite the "NATIONAL" tree........ I did not hear the lighting of the national Christmas tree.......am 99% certain I heard him correctly.

In the past have seen coverage of pro illegal immigrant protests but never one anti-illegal protest on NBC.

A network refusing to acknowledge Christmas certainly isn't about to acknowledge Freedom's Watch.

As of 12-6, I no longer watch ANY NBC station.

Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.
Winston Churchill

Originally Posted by agrneydgrl

I thought I read somewhere where, becasue of angry people writing in, they changed their mind about not useing their ad.

You were right agrneydgrl!


NBC alters stance, will air troops ad

Dec 9, 2007

NBC reversed course yesterday and decided to air a conservative activist 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 yesterday 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's head of standards and practices, Alan Wurtzel, notified Freedom's Watch's media consultant yesterday by e-mail, writing: "This will confirm that the Freedom's Watch spot is approved for air."



NBC initially said that airing the spot would violate the network's prohibition of controversial issue ads.

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