Posted on 10/17/2004 3:44:47 PM PDT by Merry
Maine advertisers pull ad over station’s airing of Kerry film
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Several businesses have pulled advertising from WGME-TV in response to the station’s plan to televise a critical documentary about John Kerry’s anti-Vietnam War activities.
The Lee Auto Malls, and the law offices of Joe Bornstein withdrew their advertising indefinitely, according to the Portland Press Herald.
Hannaford supermarkets also decided to withdraw advertising, but it reversed its position on Friday.
"We recognize that WGME has been placed in an untenable position," spokeswoman Caren Epstein said in a statement. "It was never our intention to politicize this issue even more by our action."
Alan Cartwright, WGME’s general manager, did not return a message left at his office on Friday.
Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., based outside Baltimore, has asked its 62 television stations to pre-empt regular programming to run the documentary.
"I’m torn. I think the press should be able to print and air what they want, but doing this just before an election, without advertising and without a rebuttal, is not fair," said Adam Lee, president of Lee Auto Malls.
Bornstein, who has offices in Portland and Bangor, said that having his ads on WGME during this controversy made him "uncomfortable."
"This is really an issue of fairness in broadcasting and Maine has been dragged into it," said Bornstein.
The film chronicles Kerry’s 1971 testimony before Congress and links him to activist and actress Jane Fonda. It includes interviews with Vietnam prisoners of war and their wives who claim Kerry’s testimony demeaned them and led their captors to hold them longer.
Epstein said she did not know how much Hannaford spends on advertising with WGME. Lee said he did a "fair amount" of advertising with the station.
WGME — Channel 13 — plans to air "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal" on Oct. 23. Mark Hyman, Sinclair’s vice president of corporate communications, did not return phone calls to the paper Thursday.
Democratic members of Congress and Democratic Party officials protested after Sinclair announced this week its plans to air the documentary. The Federal Communications Commission said it won’t intervene to prevent the film from airing.
In Maine, angry viewers flooded WGME with calls and e-mails in protest of the film’s airing.
It's "Maine" not "Main" advertisers
it will be aired .... they have no choice now ....... there is not up side to their threat if they pull it ..... the dnc and kerry can not offer an up side to it.... so it is just punitive and that would make an owner very angry..... so sinclare will broadcast it..... and they wont take on Kerry .....
the owner from sinclare is ex navy.....
These advertisers will come back. They don't have a lot of choice. It is up to the station to cinch their belt for the short term.
lack of advertising is only gonna hurt themeselves
I had an email from Hannaford saying they had reversed their decision and were not pulling any advertising from WGME!!!
Hi, Merry:
Sinclair will run 'Stolen Honor' no matter what. And absorb whatever loss is incurred by the DimBulbs. Push comes to shove. Hell! I'll make a donation if need be.
The FEC won't rule on this before it's aired. And the FCC cannot do anything. Period.
Just shows how tolerant the MoonBats are of the First Amendement.
Jack.
Amazing, they didn't even get a single supportive call.
Bornstien and Chip Lee are noted Dem leftists.
Amazing, they didn't even get a single supportive call.
They got my call, so did Hannafords. I used to buy Caravans from Lee's.
I don't think Sinclair is all too worried about lost ad revenues. So many businesses that advertise with them are probably run by real business people who know what the Kerry plan means for them.
Contact these "advertizers, and tell them that their partzan politics will cost them your business.
I mean JEEEEEZz the left side of the spectrum have a free reign to plaster Fat Boy's F 9/11 all over the airwaves but some how it is eeeeeevil to put anything critical of the left on the airwaves to balance out the arena of ideas.
Go figure...... G*d help us all if the left is in charge after 11-02-04.
Are these the yokels who keep advertising on TV looking for folks whose wages have been garnished by the IRS? In my mind, I visualize money with parsley all around it. Do you think they mean garnisheed wages?
Nothing like truth, to spoil a Demrat's day.
There will be nowhere to run. . .or hide. . .
If they did and it were my station, I'd tell them to advertise somewhere else.
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