Another post from Gilmartin:

To All:
As Bush Lightyear sends the National Debt to
Infinity and Beyond while cutting the taxes of
the upper 5 percent, CBS refuses to allow
criticism of that fact during the HOLY Super Bowl
Advertisement extravaganza. Too controversial??
Whats next??

If you want to the the MoveOn advert, paste
the below web address into your browser:

http://www.moveon.org/cbs/ad/

...Danno (but, I'm not bitter)

============================================
>
> Dear MoveOn member,
>
> During this year's Super Bowl, you'll see ads
> sponsored by beer companies, tobacco companies,
> and the Bush White House.(1) 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.(2)
>
> 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,(3)
> 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 our 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.
>
> Of course, this is bigger than just the
> MoveOn.org Voter Fund. People for the Ethical
> Treatment of Animals (PETA) submitted an ad
> that was also rejected.(4) But this isn't even
> a progressive-vs.-conservative issue. The
> airwaves are publicly owned, so we have a
> fundamental right to hear viewpoints from
> across the ideological spectrum. That's why we
> need to let CBS know that this practice of
> arbitrarily turning down ads that may be
> "controversial" -- especially if they're
> controversial simply because they take on the
> President -- just isn't right.
>
> To watch the ad that CBS won't air and sign our
> petition to CBS, go to:
> http://www.moveon.org/cbs/ad/
>
> If you want to skip the ad and just sign the
> petition, go to:
>
http://www.moveon.org/cbs/?id=2280-3121272-KIDRs_Woj_DBowTIzEaxdg
>
> We'll deliver the petition by email directly to
> CBS headquarters.
>
> You also may want to let your local CBS
> affiliate know you're unhappy about this
> decision. We've attached a list of the CBS
> affiliates in your state at the bottom of this
> email. Remember, a polite, friendly call will
> be most effective -- just explain to them why
> you believe CBS' decision hurts our democracy.
>
> CBS will claim that the ad is too controversial
> to air. But the message of the ad is a simple
> statement of fact, supported by the President's
> own figures. Compared with 2002's White House
> ad which claimed that drug users are supporting
> terrorism,(5) it hardly even registers.
>
> CBS will also claim that this decision isn't an
> indication of political bias. But given the
> facts, that's hard to believe. CBS
> overwhelmingly favored Republicans in its
> political giving, and the company spent
> millions courting the White House to stop FCC
> reform.(6) According to a well-respected
> study, CBS News was second only to Fox in
> failing to correct common misconceptions about
> the Iraq war which benefited the Bush
> Administration -- for example, the idea that
> Saddam Hussein was involved with 9/11.(7)
>
> This is not a partisan issue. It's critical
> that our media institutions be fair and open to
> all speakers. CBS is setting a dangerous
> precedent, and unless we speak up, the pattern
> may continue. Please call on CBS to air ads
> which address issues of public importance
> today.
>
> Sincerely,
> --Adam, Carrie, Eli, James, Joan, Laura, Noah,
> Peter, Wes, and Zack
> The MoveOn.org Team
> January 23rd, 2003
>
> P.S. Our friends at Free Press have put
> together a page which explains simply how CBS
> and the FCC rule change are integrally linked.
> Check it out at:
> http://www.mediareform.net/media/
>
> P.P.S Here are the CBS affiliates in your
> state:
>
> WTEV-TV, Jacksonville: (904) 642-3030
> WCTV-TV, Tallahassee: (850) 893-6666
> WGFL-TV, Gainesville: (352) 375-5300
> WKMG-TV, Orlando: (407) 521-1200
> WFOR-TV, Miami: (305) 591-4444
> WPEC-TV, West Palm Beach: (561) 844-1212
> WTSP-TV, Saint Petersburg: (727) 577-1010
> WINK-TV, Fort Myers: (239) 334-1111
>
> Footnotes:
>
> 1. "Who's Buying What At the Super Bowl," Ad
> Age, 1/20/04
> http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=39561
>
> 2. CBS fax to MoveOn.org Voter Fund, 1/14/04
>
> 3. "Democrats Fold on 39% TV Cap Fight",
> Broadcasting and Cable, 1/21/04
>
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA376078?display=Breaking+News
>
> 4. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
> http://www.peta.org/feat/superbowl/
>
> 5. "New Media Campaign Stresses Link between
> Drugs and Terrorism," U.S. Dept. of State
>
http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/02020501.htm
>
> 6. OpenSecrets.org: "CBS Television Network
> Soft Money Donations"
> http://www.moveon.org/r?482
>
> 7. "Misperceptions, the Media and the Iraq
> War," PIPA/Knowledge Networks Poll
>
http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/Iraq/Media_10_02_03_Report.pdf
>
> ________________
>