TV Station Nixes Dem Political Ad

FoxNews ^ | 07/23/03 | Staff Writer and Associated Press

[bedolido]

WASHINGTON — A Wisconsin television station has declined to air a political ad that accuses President Bush of misleading the country about Iraq's weapons program, drawing the ire of the Democratic Party chief.

The ads show Bush, in his State of the Union (search) address, making the now-disavowed statement about Saddam Hussein seeking uranium from Africa for a nuclear weapons program. The Democratic National Committee (search) paid about $20,000 to air the ads on stations in Madison, Wis., a strongly liberal college town.

[Mr. K]

dems are not used to this- they were allowed to do this with impunity before...

only republicans were stopped

[HenryLeeII]

"You would think a man in his [Terry McAullife] position would know the difference between a local affiliate and a national news network," she said.

No, I think McAullife is lucky that he can breathe and blink...

[x1stcav]

We need to contact this station and congratulate them on their principled stand.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe responded with an attack on the decision to not run the ad: "Apparently Fox has changed its slogan from 'We report, you decide' to 'we let Bush decide what we air.'"

Only in the demented mind of a Democrat is a paid polical ad defined as reporting.

Who does he think he's fooling? Just the fact he is talking about a FOX ad means he is already missing his target audience.

[ChadGore]

Wooohooo ! Power to the people! They can't buy lies!

[Libertina]

Hope others follow. Not only does the left lie, but they now say "WE LIE, so what! Now put it on the air! Unbelievable...

[x1stcav]

I just sent off an email to the station. I'm not certain that any major media outlet has ever refused a demonrat ad.

[rwfromkansas]

""You would think a man in his position would know the difference between a local affiliate and a national news network," she said."

What a woman! That was a nice shot Irena!

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Hey McAuliffe - this is a local FOX station. "We Report, You Decide" is the slogan of the FOX News Network. They are not affiliated.

Idiot!

[mrtysmm]

I heard that yesterday too from Brit on Fox News. Doesn't that idiot McAuliff check his facts before he puts his words in print? No wonder the Dem/libs are in such disarray!

[The Brush]

FACTS? FACTS? We don't have to give you no STINKING FACTS we are the DNC!

[thoughtomator]

I just sent them a glowing congratulations letter =)

[thoughtomator]

FYI their email is comments@fox47.com.

This is a LANDMARK moment for the media industry!

[KellyAdmirer]

Leaving off a part of the President's sentence is intentionally misleading and untruthful. Any station in the US using public airwaves that airs that sort of thing should have its license put into question.

[CheezyD]

A THANK YOU!!! email has been sent.

[Yo-Yo]

...making the now-disavowed statement about Saddam Hussein seeking uranium from Africa for a nuclear weapons program.

Wasn't that Tony Blair up on Capitol Hill last week saying that the British Government stood behind that report?

[kevao]

How come we never made a similar ad with Clinton, you know:

"I did [omitted] have sex with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky."

[Theo]

... letter sent.

[jagrmeister]

My take on this: TV stations have a responsibility to their viewers to ensure that the advertisements they broadcast are not designed to mislead (false advertising). To do otherwise would be to sever the trust between the station and its viewers. To this end, a station must have standards and the DNC ad, designed to mislead and containing multiple lies, did not measure up. The DNC is always free to re-release an ad which is not designed to mislead and it may have better success in getting it broadcasted. But it is up to the DNC to raise their standards, not to compel tv affiliates to lower theirs.

[L.N. Smithee]

Fox spokeswoman Irena Steffen in New York said the decision was not made at the national level. "You would think a man in his position would know the difference between a local affiliate and a national news network," she said.

McAuliffe knows. People who are NOT "in his position" don't necessarily know the difference. Those people will be fooled by McAuliffe's portrayal of this as Fox News Channel bias.

[Osage Orange]

If truth in advertising laws were applied to political advertisment....there wouldn't be any.

Ummmmmmm....maybe there's something to that..!! :)

Fwiw---

[Bonaparte]

"Leaving off a part of the President's sentence is intentionally misleading and untruthful."

It also infringes on Maureen Dowd's copyrighted trademark.

[supercat]

I remember when WMSN became Madison's fifth television station (and the first that wasn't a multiple of 3 but not 6--the first four were 3, 15, 21, and 27, but WMSN was 47--a pretty big crank from everyone else on the rotary tuner). Back then I think they were struggling for advertisers because they would sometimes run the same ad for "Circus Fun" cereal twice in a row. Actually, WMSN's entry into the market was probably pretty well-timed, since Fox came into being very shortly afterward.

BTW, can any Wisconsin FReepers tell me what Mad City's current TV lineup is? Are all of the first five still in the roles I rememember (CBS-3 NBC-15 PBS-21 ABC-27 Ind/Fox-47)?

[rintense]

Send an email to the station to thank them for having some ethics- and practicing them.

[CyberAnt]

I think the FCC rules still allow stations to refuse to air ANY ad .. period! The dems don't get that rule either. I liked the reply McAwful got though, "you'd think a man in his position would know the difference between local and network ..." - that was great! And .. she's right! Good grief, even I know that.

But .. x42's minions are not hired because they have good charater and credentials to do a job - x42's minions get hired to be x42's lackeys. If they are willing to take his orders - he puts them in good positions. Even though they don't have any talent to do the job assigned.

Geeeee .. who does that remind you of - Hmmm? I believe that's what Saddam used to do ..??