CBS REJECTS ANTI-BUSH SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL

Ad Age ^ | January 15, 2004 | Ira Teinowitz

[Prodigal Son]

WASHINGTON (AdAge.com) -- Viacom's CBS today rejected a request from liberal group MoveOn to air a 30-second anti-President Bush ad during the Super Bowl, saying the spot violated the network's policy against running issue advocacy advertising.

Network policy A CBS spokesman said the decision against broadcasting the spot had nothing to do with either the Super Bowl or the ad's specific issue but was because the network has had a long-term policy not to air issue ads anywhere on the network.

A MoveOn spokesperson said the group hopes to appeal the decision within CBS.

Produced as a personal project by Charlie Fisher, creative director of the Copenhagen, Denmark, office of Publicis Groupe ad agency Leo Burnett, the spot is critical of the Bush administration's fiscal policies.

Anti-Bush contest MoveOn is airing a 60-second version the commercial, which was selected through a contest calling for anti-Bush ads, in advance of President Bush's State of the Union address Jan. 20. The group has purchased $300,000 worth of air time on Time Warner's CNN that starts Jan. 17 and runs through Jan. 21.

[mewzilla]

Preaching to the choir and paying for the honor.

Well, being wasteful with other people's money is their stock in trade.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Moveon. org needs to move on.

Well said! ;-)

[Beck_isright]

Someone is actually sober at CBS?

[rintense]

I can just hear Barbra Streisand now:

This is censorship! This is proof that the Bush Adminstration has a tight grip on media outlets to control what the public sees.

Spelling left a bit off to accurately reflect a true BS rant.

[onyx]

Unfortunately, MTV is here to stay. Personally, I pee or go to the kitchen during the commercials and at half time, so all the advertisers money is wasted on me.

[JohnBDay]

Good, political ads, whether from the right or left, are inappropriate on a day like the Super Bowl. It's a day when people should put aside their ideology and just watch the great American game.

[Viking2002]

Bull squeeze. They're afraid that one or more incensed Americans will watch it and pull down a transmission tower with their pickup truck. Not that I'd do anything like that with my Ford F-150 XLT. >;-)

[mewzilla]

Well, I'm so disgusted with CBS, I'm just going to pass (pardon the pun :)

[hattend]

Man, how much cash did Soros give to MoveOn? Isn't a SB minute like a couple of million dollars?

[Lancey Howard]

I wish CBS would accept the ad. I want the scumbags at Move On to waste as much money as possible.

[onyx]

If I don't like one of the teams I'll pass also. :)

[Callahan]

Half the friggin' people in MoveOn aren't even American. Let them run the commercial in Denmark.

[mewzilla]

$2.3 mil for a 30 second spot I think.

[JohnBDay]

That halftime show isn't all bad. Kid Rock, one of the preformers, has done a lot for the USO.

[ServesURight]

Hey sink, going to the game? You live around Houston, right?

[Glenn]

Isn't a SB minute like a couple of million dollars?

It takes more than a couple million for 30 seconds. I say, let them spend it. As fast as they can. They'll be broke by April.

[#3Fan]

The group has purchased $300,000 worth of air time on Time Warner's CNN that starts Jan. 17 and runs through Jan. 21.

Ha! Preaching to the choir. $300,000 down the RAThole.

[FreeTheHostages]

I kind of wish CBS would capitulate and run the ad. It would have no effect except to make millions of people hate the left even more than they already do, and cause moveon.org to be out a couple million bucks.

I kinda agree. At least, it will stir up the conservative base more than the liberal base. Plus, I dunno, wouldn't you think more than 50% of football fans are Republicans? Hmmm. We're talking football here, not sushi. I dunno.

[Alas Babylon!]

The groupGeorge Soros has purchased $300,000 worth of air time on Time Warner's CNN that starts Jan. 17 and runs through Jan. 21.

Edited and fixed!