The network of Keith Olbermann, Chris Mathews and Rosie O'Donnell has finally found something really objectionable--a salute to U.S. troops.
WASHINGTON (AP) - NBC has rejected a TV ad by Freedom's Watch, a conservative group that supports administration policy in Iraq, that asks viewers to remember and thank U.S. troops during the holiday season.
NBC said it declined to air the ad because it refers to the group's Web site, which the network said was too political, not because of the ad's message.
"Anybody in the world who would look at this ad would come away with nothing other than we should be thankful for their service," Freedom's Watch president Brad Blakeman said.
The spot was to be part of a seven-figure campaign that includes newspaper ads and television commercials. The ads are to run on CNN and Fox News Channel and are running in various newspapers. The New York Times ran a full-page Freedom's Watch ad Friday that said "Thank You!" and depicted a soldier reading a letter. The newspaper ad also contained the Web site address.
Alan Wurtzel, NBC's head of standards and practices, said the network decided not to run the Freedom's Watch ad because the group insisted that the spot contain the URL address of its Web site.
The group's home page links to another Freedom's Watch Web page that lists nonprofit organizations that are sending care packages to soldiers and that suggests other ways of expressing support.
It also contains a welcoming message that states: "For too long, conservatives have lacked a permanent political presence to do battle with the radical special interests groups and their left-wing allies in government."
"We have a policy that prohibits acceptance of advertising that deals with issues of public controversy," Wurtzel said. "This particular ad, in and of itself, is fine. It thanks the troops for their action overseas. We asked them to eliminate a URL address where a person is asked to contact elected officials and told not to cut and run on the war on terror."
NBC rejected a previous Freedom's Watch ad that addressed funding for the troops.
"It's a long-term policy, it goes back decades," Wurtzel said of NBC's stance of declining controversial issue advertising.
He suggested that Freedom's Watch did not alter the ad in order to force NBC to reject it and thus get media attention.
--Source: AP - NBC Rejects "Salute to the Troops" Ad from Conservative Group
NBC can dance and spin all they like: people will watch the video, read the story and come to their own conclusions on this.
And they will most likely decide that they won't end their apathy concerning either NBC or MSNBC's network televised offerings.
Maybe when NBC viewership sinks below that of the Fatty Foods Network or Breathing for Credit Channel, someone will have the sense to let a businessman run the network.
Instead of the rabidly Left ideologues in charge now.
by Mondoreb
[graphic, notes: RidesAPaleHorse]
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.
