NBC Refuses Ads For Dixie Chicks Movie

The Drudge Report ^ | oct. 26,2006 | Drudge

[blogblogginaway]

**Exclusive**

In an Ironic Twist of Events, NBC and The CW Television Network Refuse to Air Ads for Documentary Focusing on Freedom of Speech

NBC Claims that the Network “Cannot Accept These Spots as They are Disparaging to President Bush”

The CW Television Network that the Network Does “Not have Appropriate Programming in which to Schedule this Spot”

NBC and The CW Television Network have taken a stand against the Dixie’s Chicks new documentary “Shut Up & Sing” a behind-the-scenes look at the incredible political and media fallout that occurred in 2003 after the Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines said that she was "ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." “Shut Up & Sing” opens in theaters in NY and Los Angeles on Friday and in theaters nationwide on November 10th.

NBC responded to a clearance report submitted by the Weinstein Company’s media agency saying that the network “cannot accept these spots as they are disparaging to President Bush.”

The CW Television Network responded that it does “not have appropriate programming in which to schedule this spot.”

Famed litigator David Boies stated, “It is disappointing and troubling that NBC and The CW would refuse to accept an otherwise appropriate ad merely because it is critical of President Bush."

Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company stated, “It’s a sad commentary about the level of fear in our society that a movie about a group of courageous entertainers who were blacklisted for exercising their right of free speech is now itself being blacklisted by corporate America. The idea that anyone should be penalized for criticizing the president is sad and profoundly un-American.”

The Weinstein Company is exploring taking legal action.

The rejected commercials for “Shut Up & Post” can be viewed at http://www.shutupandpost.com

Developing...

[GeorgiaDawg32]

Rove has obviously threatened NBC with his NBC Media Death Watch Add-on to his weather/gas prices/diebold machine..

[Mo1]

NBC Claims that the Network “Cannot Accept These Spots as They are Disparaging to President Bush”

Since when did NBC come to the defense of President Bush??

I smell BS

[ErnBatavia]

Yes - there's something definitely missing in this setup.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

LOL! true. Rove is everywhere keeping the DUmmies pulling their hair out.

[w1andsodidwe]

Looks like Lodi's Umer Hyatt.

[rawcatslyentist]

>"The paying public simply refused to buy the crap they peddle out of disgust for what they had said."

I'm waiting for the backlash against the NFL. Cmon, the Ancient Bones at the last stupid bowl, Mean Day/U3 at the New Orleans Superdome debut, with drug use commentary by Spike Lee?

Looks like the media dumped the chixlets for more profitable viewership, aka the NFL.

Whats next? George Michaels waving the flag with Barney Frank at Daytona?

[tanknetter]

This must be a joke.

It's actually a pretty smart and savvy move on NBC's part. The country is two weeks out from a crucial election that they (TPTB at NBC and other LSM outlets) want Republicans to lose.

They also know that a renewed perception that they're unfairly attacking (or assisting the Vichy Chicks) the President could generate lots of sympathy and end up motivating the GOP base to turnout. And since the key House and Senate elections are going to be largely about base turnout, they DON'T want to do that.

So they don't run the ads. Hence reduced risk of pissing off the GOP base enough to motivate them to turn out just to spite the LSM and Vichy Chicks ...

[DenoMac]

Freep the chicks blog at

http://www.shutupandpost.com

[Jorge]

What a grotesque, hideous piece of artwork.

[billhilly]

David Gregory, AKA Howdy Doody, is playing trix on the chix.

[KylaStarr]

Get outta town!!

This is simply amazing to me.

[Jorge]

..never thought of that.

You could be right.

[popdonnelly]

Keith Olbermann is deeply saddened. His whole schtick is being demeaning towards Bush.

[kcvl]

Harvey Weinstein and Senator Hillary Clinton

Miramax Film founders Harvey and Bob Weinstein, bought Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," after Walt Disney Co. refused to let Miramax release it.

Joining Moore as chief promoter of the film is Harvey Weinstein, a top Democratic donor widely seen as the foremost strategist in Hollywood's annual campaigns — for Academy Awards. Over the last decade, Weinstein and Miramax have transformed the Oscar balloting into a bare-knuckle brawl resembling a political campaign, with costly ads and accusations of negative attacks dominating the race.

Moore's agent, Ari Emanuel (whose brother, an Illinois congressman, is another former Clinton White House operative), charged in that story that Disney was concerned that releasing the movie would imperil tax breaks for the company's ventures in Florida, where Bush's brother is governor. Disney denied it, and said it had informed Miramax a year ago that it would be barred from releasing the film because of its partisan nature.

[Jorge]

...Howdy Doody, is playing trix on the chix.

That explains it....

[Free ThinkerNY]

[RJL]

NBC Claims that the Network “Cannot Accept These Spots as They are Disparaging to President Bush”

I can only believe this means that NBC is instead going to run the ads for free as a MSM "Public Service Announcement".

[advance_copy]

Here's a link to the movie's trailer. It mentions FreeRepublic (with considerable idiotic liberal sneering).

[tgslTakoma]

Oh. My. Gosh!

NBC and CW Television Network heard what FR did to the Dixie Chicks, and now they are afraid to even air ads for their movie?!

Who knew we were so powerful?

[Tall_Texan]

I honestly don't have a problem with this being aired...once the election is over. Showing them now seems politically suspicious (intentionally so, and it is just so typical of liberals to cry "politics" when somebody prevents them from speaking yet in the same breath claim innocently that their whole issue is about "freedom of speech", not politics).

So, Shut Up And Wait. Come November 8th, you can spew your bilge on any network you please. Otherwise, you are simply one more loophole in the whole McCain-Feingold canard and you should have no more right to speak just before an election than a myriad of other interest groups with a political point of view.