Move On Already

2 February 2004


CBS Turns Down Anti-Bush, Anti-Meat Ads for Super Bowl

CBS gets to air the Super Bowl this year, and it is commanding ad rates that are plain ridiculous -- $2.3 million a pop. However, there are two entities that can't buy any air time no matter how much money they wave at the network: Moveon.Org and PETA. The decision to refuse these ads during Super Bowl XXXVIII is poor politics, but it could also be bad business.

Some 27 congressmen have complained that this decision is an affront to free-speech. Viacom-owned CBS claims it has a policy against "advocacy advertising." CBS News Executive Vice President Martin D. Franks defended the decision in a statement saying that on "matters of the public debate where there are discernible sides, we don't want those who have deep pockets to have an undue influence on the debate." The word "undue" undoes the argument as it is a matter of subjective consideration.

Controversy, of course, is bad for business, or so the current generation has been taught. Some might be offended by the PETA ad as two scantily clad women try to arouse a pizza delivery man who is eating meat, and fail. The screen then reads, "Meat can cause impotence." They might boycott. Or, might not the cattlemen's advocacy groups, chicken ranchers, and pork farmers of the US buy a counter-ad -- "meat is sexy?" The PETA would counter-counter advertise. This sort of logic kept the arms race going throughout the Cold War.

Moveon.Org's ad is an even easier slamdunk for business. It attacks a president up for re-election who is sitting on $100 million or so in campaign funds. The Bush campaign's ability to spend might run afoul of the "deep pockets" and "undue influence" clause, but surely political advertising during an election year is legitimate?

And since CBS affiliates are entitled to run these ads without the network getting into the act, it isn't like they won't be seen. Viacom needs to acquire some guts and get into the controversial ad business -- its shareholders deserve it. After all, does Georgia Pacific avoid selling newsprint to papers that might print controversial editorials? Anything would be better than more Bud Bowl commercials.

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