CC Outdoor refuses Harry Shearer ad

0

As the presidential election heats up, everyone will be more sensitive to all kinds of political statements. That’s likely the underlying reason Clear Channel declined to run a photo of President Bush with a bone through his nose on 12 electronic billboards in Chicago, according to The Chicago Sun-Times. The image was to promote comedian Harry Shearer’s CD ”Songs From the Bushmen” — a musical satire of the Bush administration, coming out July 7.


People in Shearer’s camp said they were surprised by Clear Channel’s e-mail curtly stating, ”We will not accept the pictorial copy” for the ad.

While a representative from Clear Channel declined to comment directly on the incident, a source at the company told the paper, "While we firmly believe in freedom of speech, we [as a company] cannot be seen as promoting political views of any kind,” and explained the impact of this photo would put Clear Channel in that position. ”No matter what I personally think of President Bush, this pictorial representation went over the line, in our opinion,” added the source.