At FCC: UCC v. NBC, CBS
In response to the rejection of a TV ad by Viacom/CBS and GE/NBC, the United Church of Christ (UCC) is going after a local broadcast license of each. Miami O&Os up for license renewals are the targets of petitions to deny on grounds that the nets fail to provide "...suitable access to a full array of social, political, esthetic, moral and other ideas and experiences."
The licenses of CBS's WFOR-TV and NBC's WJVT-TV are the ones in the crosshairs, on grounds that Viacom and GE are not operating them in the public interest.
UCC General Minister/President John H. Thomas said, "The religious, ethical and moral right of members of UCC churches and other citizens to have access to diverse programming has been harmed by the refusal of NBC and CBS to carry [the ad], as well as by their failure to carry programming reflecting the full range of religious expression in the United States on their networks and on their owned-and-operated stations."
Andrew Schwartzman of the Media Access Project also chimed in, saying, "Broadcasters agree to serve the needs of the communities where they are licensed in exchange for receiving free use of publicly owned airwaves. That means everyone, not just people their advertisers care about."
The UCC ad, which showed minorities and seemingly gay individuals being turned away from an unspecified church, was deemed too controversial by the networks (12/2/04 RBR Daily Epaper #234).
At least one TV group owner, Mission Broadcasting, decided to run the ads free of charge. The group operates CBS affiliates in Wilkes Barre PA and Springfield MO; NBC affiliates in Abilene TX and San Angelo TX; ABC affiliates in Joplin MO, Lubbock TX, Utica NY and Rockford IL; UPN affiliates in Wichita Falls TX and Rockford IL; Fox affiliates in Amarillo TX, Wichita Falls TX and Terre Haute IN; and an indy in Amarillo TX.
Mission EVP Dennis Thatcher said, "We're responding to the fact that the networks took what we think is a biased and unfair stance on the UCC commercial. We looked at the commercial and didn't get the same take on it. We don't really see what they [NBC and CBS] see. We see it as a message to all people of faith, that we are all equal in God's eyes. Mission Broadcasting thinks that is an important message, especially around the holidays."
Are you reading this from a forwarded email?
