Posted on 06/05/2009 3:17:27 AM PDT by Man50D
WND's national billboard campaign that asks one simple question: "Where's the birth certificate?" is "misleading, offensive, or otherwise incompatible with individual community standards," according to the lead trade association representing the outdoor advertising industry.
As WND reported, CBS Outdoor, a division of CBS Corp. that sells more outdoor advertising than any other billboard company in North America, refuses to accept purchases of space on any of its 550,000 displays nationwide.
CBS Outdoor is a member of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, or OAAA.
In reference to calls to CBS Outdoor, OAAA spokesman Jeff Kalinowski directed WND to the following online statement titled, "OAAA Response to Obama Birth Certificate Billboards":
The outdoor advertising industry has a longstanding and routine practice of determining what copy it will accept or reject. An outdoor advertising company has the right to reject any copy for any reason. For example, the OAAA Code of Principles clearly states companies have the right to reject content they deem misleading, offensive, or otherwise incompatible with individual community standards.
In the situation of the Obama birth certificate billboards, there is no First Amendment question. The First Amendment applies to governmental restrictions on speech, not on the decisions of outdoor advertising companies.
We strongly stand behind the right of our companies to reject this or any other copy.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
Too bad CBS didn’t exercise the same “discretion” to nix Dan Rather’s phony National Guard letters.
They are right about that. In such a case, one needs to get permits and put up one's own privately owned billboards.
BUT, if all, or nearly all, of the billboards in a given area are owned by the same company (and they are rejecting "copy" for political reasons), and the local government will not issue permits for new billboards (as is the case in MANY areas), then I would think one MIGHT be able to make a case for de-facto government censorship. An anti-trust/monopoly suit might be able to be worked up as well.
One should consult one's attorney. I am NOT one, and I DON'T play one on TV. ;^)
Isn’t CBS owned by GE? The CEO of GE is Jeff Immelt, a huge Obama/global warming booster who has been using his media holding to push the AGW agenda.
“The First Amendment applies to governmental restrictions on speech, not on the decisions of outdoor advertising companies.”
That is correct. In fact, I am happy to hear it said like that. Too often you hear libs complaining that their free speech rights are being violated by private companies that merely have rules about the activities, dress and behavior that are permitted or forbidden on their property or in their workplace.
That said, I think it odd that they find “Where’s the birth certificate?” so controversial.
Fine! Have it say "Where is President 0bama's birth certificate?"
I'd say that's pretty clear and to the point right? :)
Shucks, I’ll build one on my property for the BC fight. Don’t have a lot of traffic out here, in the sticks, though.
Some adv company will take the business...
GE owns NBC. Not that there's much of a difference.
If not misleading, I’d say the copy misses the point.
Instead of “Where’s the birth certificate?” (we know the answer, in a vault in Hawaii), it should read “Show us the birth certificate!”.
More forceful and attention-grabbing to boot!
This is an organiztion that unfortunately has a history of incestous relationships with the Democrats, including the Clinton adminstration.
It's quite obvious they have a lot invested in the messiah and his desires for a new world order.
Our nation is in an absolute constitutional crises because of this situation and they know it full well but are obviously to wrapped in their love affair with the messiah and the Democrats to see beyond this love affair and recognize the seriousness of this crises.
I've been boycotting CBS and all their products for the last several years ever since their smear campaign against conservatives following the awful events of April 19th, 1995 in Oklahoma City. These clowns and goonies have not changed their ways since then and I seriously doubt they will.
OBAMA, SHOW US THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE!!!!!!!
Regards......
How about this:
(1) What hospital was Obama born in?
(2) What doctor signed Obama’s birth certificate?
(3) What public documents have this information?
GE owns NBC, most of MSNBC, and half of MSNBC.com.
.
We’re now under communism.
The MSM is state owned as well as the billboard co and everything else just about.
.
Time for some billboard hacking.
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