BS: Tell CBS What You Think

Subject: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: LadyJean
Date: 17 Jan 04 - 12:21 AM

Apparently CBS refused to air Michael Moore's anti Bush ad during the superbowl. This follows their decision not to show the Reagan mini series, and firing the producer who made some comments about Hitler and the Patriot Act.
It would be nice if people would to go to feedback at cbs.com, and find a tactful way of calling them cowardly weasels.

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: Amos
Date: 17 Jan 04 - 12:38 AM

I have posted the substance of your message on the CBS.com feedback line, Jean.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: mack/misophist
Date: 17 Jan 04 - 10:09 AM

Although I agree entirely with LadyJean, their 'official' reason for turning down the spot has some merit. ie. That they only take ads for 'products for sale' in that spot. Can any one say if this is true? If not....

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: Peg
Date: 17 Jan 04 - 11:02 AM

Their refusing to air the Reagan mini-series, after initially comitting to do so, was the worst sort of right wing pandering. I cannot believe the Michael Moore incident is unrelated.

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Jan 04 - 06:39 PM

Does anybody here think CBS cares what any of us think? They are part of the same politico/media complex which makes it impossible for an independent or third pary candidate to get any attention.

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: MarkS
Date: 18 Jan 04 - 09:50 AM

Sorry about the above post - I reset my cookie so I hope this comes through in reality!

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: kendall
Date: 18 Jan 04 - 12:41 PM

Does anyone else get Mother Jones news?

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: kendall
Date: 18 Jan 04 - 12:44 PM

Or, the Hightower Lowdown?

Did you see on CNBC that that high official at Faux news donated $3500.00 to Bush's campaign? Balanced, sure, between right and far right.

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: Benjamin
Date: 18 Jan 04 - 03:20 PM

What I think of CBS - I think that the David Letterman Show is great! I just wish I had the time to watch it. Also, I'd like more coverage of the Tour de France.

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: Peg
Date: 18 Jan 04 - 06:01 PM

ya know between this and the recently-reported Christianity-or-Die antics of the National Park Service, I think we are doomed.

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: pdq
Date: 18 Jan 04 - 08:03 PM

Damn straight, you guys. I'm still piss'd that CBS cancelled the Smothers Brothers Show, and that was in 1969!

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: kendall
Date: 19 Jan 04 - 07:59 AM

Gutless bastards

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 19 Jan 04 - 10:19 AM

As much as I detest Ronald Reagan, I can't blame CBS for not airing that piece of crap series. It is one thing to tell the truth, another to outright lie. Those producers did more harm to themselves by embellishing the truth. Reagan was a nasty man and that could have been portrayed honestly.

As for the Super Bowl, they are only interested in making money and keeping it non-confrontational.   Let me ask you this... how many of you are going to boycott watching the game because of this? If you are a football fan, I am betting that this slight of Michael Moore won't mean a thing to you. It will be interesting to see where your real priorities are.   I am not a fan of the sport and I have no plans on watching the game anyway.

Kendall, I did not see the CNBC report. Would that donation have come from Roger Ailes by chance? I am still shocked that he is running networks.

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: kendall
Date: 19 Jan 04 - 01:02 PM

dont remember the name

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: Benjamin
Date: 19 Jan 04 - 02:42 PM

Ron, I could not of put it better (although I really didn't try). Personally, I'd like to see the networks do away with ALL political adds, for or against anyone. I know my view isn't popular, but I know I'm not the only one who believes it.

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: Don Firth
Date: 19 Jan 04 - 05:02 PM

To give credit where due, 60 Minutes runs a fair amount of stuff that falls into the catagory of "stories that certain people would rather you not know about."

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: Greg F.
Date: 19 Jan 04 - 06:55 PM

Well, I dunno, Ron-

CBS didn't seem to have any qualms about running that piece of crap Jessica Lynch neo-con infomercial shortly after they tanked the Reagan piece. Guess the outright lies in that one were more to their taste.

Best, Greg

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 19 Jan 04 - 07:22 PM

You have a point there Greg.   I did not watch, or attempt to watch the Jessica Lynch movie so I can't really comment on it. The Reagan movie was impossible to watch, no matter what your political views.

If we want to bring up history, CBS was also the network that gave Edward R. Murrow his voice. During the 60's, they were the network that began showing footage from Vietnam.   Yes, they were inconsistent and self-censored people like the Smother's Brothers. Those were different times.

I have no love for CBS. Speaking personally, I worked for them back in the early 80's when they launched the original CBS Cable. They were really pushing the envelope back then and gave the fledging cable operation a lot of room to experiment. Unfortunately after 14 months they realized they weren't making money and pulled the plug. They were very cold about it.

That said, I do think that in the case of the Michael Moore spot, they are being consistent. It would be very easy to sell a few campaign spots to Bush & all the others running for office. IF they are being consistent, then I can see them telling Moore no.

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Jan 04 - 07:27 PM

Well, gol danged! Here we go again, dangit! Hey, it's the friggin Super Bowl, ain't it? It's the one time of the year when boys can jus' be boys, drink lots o' beer, eat a bunch of gas producing foods that the doctors say 'ill kill ya and yell at a TV! Did I mention scratch an' spit? Well, if you ain't gotta a can then jus' spit it out the danged winder 'er door. Hey, it's the friggin' Super Bowl. Is nuthin sacred anymore? Hunh? Answer me that one. Hey, I still remmeber when Broadway Joe tolt the world that his New York Jet's were gonna beat Johnny U's Baltimore Colts and he did it! Now, if we'd had some commie, sissy havin' some commercial saying that they thought it was bad that poor women was dieing 'cause havin' to get abortions in the back of gas stations do you think we'd remember that the Jet won? Heck, no, we wouldn't!!!.... All we'd remember is some commie washrag bleedin' heard liberal ruinin' a perfectly good day. Hey, it's the friggin' Super Bowl, ain't it. A national day of drinking, eatin' junk food, fartin', spitin', scratchin', arguin' and yellin' at the TV. Right, men?!?!?!?.........

But now if Michael Moore would like to air a commercial in the middle of Bush's State of the Union address tomorrow night, hey, fine wid me. How 'bout you Wes GinnY Slide Rule?

JH%6Y%#^UK4%R55&%E9HGVJ
Okay with the WGSR, too....

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: Nerd
Date: 20 Jan 04 - 01:44 PM

Are you sure it was a michael moore spot? Move On was going to air the winner of its Bush in 30 Seconds contest on the Super Bowl, and also got turned down. I hadn't heard anything about Michael Moore making an ad, though.

I'm not sure I understand what kind of policy it is that says "we will only run ads for a product for sale in this time slot." Why would that be the policy? Why does CBS care if it's a consumer ad or some other kind? Anyone have any idea?

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: Wesley S
Date: 20 Jan 04 - 01:51 PM

Why not offer copies of the video for sale ? Show the whole video and then sell it. That's your product.

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 20 Jan 04 - 01:57 PM

Yes Nerd, as we have stated above, they are keeping it non-confrontational and they are not airing any polticial spots.

They also have to be careful about equal time considerations.

All networks can pick and choose what they decide to air. The airwaves may be public, but the license the invididual stations own give them the right to make the decision. To take it to the extreme, a license challenge could be made, but you would need a HUGE number of supporters.

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 20 Jan 04 - 02:10 PM

P.S. - I think you are right NERD, it wasn't Michael Moore but rather MoveOn.org. PETA also had an ad rejected. CBS has said that they choose not to let deep pockets have a debate during the Super Bowl. They felt that they cover the issues in their news programming.

Having worked at a network I can tell you that as greedy as they may seem, they do have practices and standards. We may not agree with them, but this isn't an arbitrary decision by them.

I do wonder what would have happened if another network was airing the Super Bowl.

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: Nerd
Date: 20 Jan 04 - 02:33 PM

Thanks, Ron. I wasn't really criticising the policy as such, just didn't understand it.

Wesley S. Good idea, but they'd probably still turn it down given Ron's points above.

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 20 Jan 04 - 02:50 PM

There is one way to "sort of" sidestep the issue.   CBS affiliates have local avails. I think last year MoveOn bought time on the DC affiliate to air a spot. Affiliates, provided they are not owned and operated by CBS, have the ability to pick and choose local spots. Of course this would only be aired in that particular market, not a national spot.

And yes, they would probably turn down the spot even if they were selling a videotape.   You probably won't see a condom commercial or an ad for an X-rated video either.

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: LadyJean
Date: 21 Jan 04 - 12:34 AM

Every night I see an ad for Bacardi and Cola, which I drank, when I was in college, so I know the unpleasant side effects. If they can push that on television, they can push anti Bush.

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 21 Jan 04 - 09:58 AM

LadyJean, they can push whatever they want. They chose not to air pro or anti Bush ads during the SuperBowl. They have the right to pick and choose who they will accept busienss from and which spots that air. That doesn't mean the spot will never air on the network.

Subject: RE: BS: Tell CBS What You Think
From:
Date: 21 Jan 04 - 05:04 PM

I'm pretty sure that adds for liquer have been banned from television for awhile now. Wouldn't that include Bacardi?