March 25, 2004
WFLA TV censors Sierra Club ad
One Rethuglican strategy this year appears to be to pressure TV stations to censor the truth. See, W is raising a record $200 million or so from his fat cat donors to spend on his campaign. Kerry will have a fraction of that, but the new campaign finance laws say that independent organizations can buy their own ads and spread their own messages.
During the Super Bowl, MoveOn.org was censored by CBS when it tried to buy some air time. Other incidents have cropped up around the country. Now, Tampa based WFLA TV, owned by Media General, who also owns the Tribune, has bowed to Rethuglican pressure and has dropped an ad that accurately describes W’s environmental policies.
W’s policies are indefensible, so his people have decided that the only way to respond to criticism is to silence the critics before too many people notice the truth that they are spreading.
Coronet Industries has asked local television stations to stop airing an environmental group's advertisement attacking President Bush, saying it isn't accurate and doesn't have the legal protections of a political ad.Tuesday, one of the four local television stations broadcasting the ad - WFLA, Channel 8 - announced it would comply.``WFLA-TV is concerned about the accuracy of the current ad from the Sierra Club; due to that fact we are pulling the ad in question,'' said a statement by Joe Pomilla, sales director for the station.
WFLA-TV and The Tampa Tribune are owned by the same company and their news staffs work together to cover stories, including looking into health concerns among residents near the Coronet plant.
One other station, WTVT, Channel 13, is seeking information from the Sierra Club about the accuracy of the ad, station manager Bob Linger said.
Executives at two other local stations could not be reached late Wednesday.
Spokesmen for the Sierra Club and Coronet said they hadn't heard of plans by any other stations to pull the ad.
Mother Jones has some great background on 527s (the collective name for these political advocacy groups) and possible changes in the way they will be allowed to raise and spend money. Right now, there is absolutely nothing illegal about the commercials they are airing, and it is likely that the FCC will allow their activities to continue through the election.
Since the Democrats have a decided advantage in the 527 race, Republicans are manufacturing controversy in an attempt to silence the 527s well before the FCC has a chance to rule.
Call WFLA TV and ask them to stop censoring legal 527 ads: (813) 221-5788
Posted by Norwood at March 25, 2004 06:38 AM