Controversy: February 2009 Archives
Good grief. What is WRONG with these TV stations. I just got this email from GLAAD and want to share this shameful situation with you:
Los Angeles NBC affiliate KNBC refused to air a paid ad produced by GetToKnowUsFirst.org featuring a gay family and supporting marriage equality during Super Bowl programming. KNBC stated that it had shown the ad to the legal department of the National Football League (NFL), which rejected it for being "advocacy," a category they claim to exclude.
Despite this policy, other advocacy ads aired multiple times throughout the day's NFL-controlled programming. Among the advocacy ads which did air were PSAs for TobaccoFreeCA.org and DontBeAnAsterisk.org, an anti-steroids advocacy campaign.
The rejected thirty-second public service announcement (PSA) features two married African American men raising five children ages 6 to 25.
"We bought ads before, during and after the Super Bowl in ten markets across California," said John Ireland, GetToKnowUsFirst.org's Project Organizer. "We planned this buy weeks in advance and heard late Friday that the NFL rejected our ads because they violate the NFL's 'no advocacy' policy. I was truly stunned while watching the programming, to see that they had selectively blocked our ads, while allowing other advocacy ads to air."
Keith Fisher, CEO of New and Improved Media, the ad agency for GetToKnowUsFirst.org, explained the chain of events. He said, "Late Friday afternoon, KNBC told us they had shown it to the NFL Legal Department and that it was rejected because it was 'advocacy.' Clearly, the other ads they ran meet anyone's definition of advocacy."
GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano had this to say: "We are disappointed that this ad couldn't reach an audience with images of our families during one of the most watched programming events of the year. GLAAD is calling on KNBC to meet with GLAAD and GetToKnowUsFirst.org to discuss why this message would be rejected and to remedy this situation."
KABC-TV previously refused to air the same ad during coverage of the Presidential inauguration, however, the station agreed to begin airing it in primetime after meeting with GetToKnowUsFirst.org and GLAAD.
What do you have to say for yourself KNBC?
About Out
in Hollywood
Greg Hernandez authored Out In Hollywood for the Daily News from June 2006 to February 2009. He can now be found at Greg In Hollywood: www.greginhollywood.com
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