CBS Refuses to Pull Ad by Anti-Gay Group

Contributed by Lyndon Evans:

On January 16 this writer was one of the first in the media to voice opposition to CBS Television’s decision to sell ad time during this year’s Super Bowl  to the anti-gay hate group Focus On The Family.

Yesterday CBS stood behind it’s decision to sell ad time and that it will not drop Focus On The Family as a Super Bowl advertiser. In an article at Broadcasting and Cable (B&C) reporter John Eggerton wrote in part, The network said it does not reject advocacy ads out of hand, and added that it would consider “responsibly produced ads from all groups” for the “few” remaining spots in the broadcast.

“We have for some time moderated our approach to advocacy submissions after it became apparent that our stance did not reflect public sentiment or industry norms on the issue,” CBS said in an e-mailed statement Tuesday. “In fact, most media outlets have accepted advocacy ads for some time. At CBS, our standards and practices process continues to adhere to a process that ensures all ads — on all sides of an issue — are appropriate for air.

“We will continue to consider responsibly produced ads from all groups for the few remaining spots in Super Bowl XLIV,” the network said.

A CBS spokesperson had told B&C Claire Atkinson last week that the network had vetted the spot’s script and did not expect to have any trouble with the video.

“It is not inflammatory or divisive,” a CBS exec told Atkinson last week.

The ad in question may not be inflammatory or divisive but Focus On The Family certainly is.

The following is an open letter directed to Les Moonves, President and CEO of the CBS Corporation.

Dear Mr. Moonves,

As a former and once proud employee of CBS Broadcasting I find your decision as head of CBS Broadcasting to allow Focus On The Family to buy ad time during this year’s Super Bowl broadcast, putting corporate profit above the fight against discrimination and to allow a group such as Focus On The Family to dictate what should be the moral conscience and decency for Americans, to be unconscionable.

When I was the commercial continuity manager at the CBS Radio Group in Hartford, CT and managed barter ads for program distributors such as Westwood One, I was not allowed to schedule certain radio spots.

I was not allowed to schedule ads from XM Satellite Radio as it was deemed a competitor. I was not allowed to schedule ads for Trojan prophylactics as the ad subject matter was deemed inappropriate for our four stations in the radio group.

And there were times I was not allowed to schedule ads from Radio Shack because the ad co-oped with XM Satellite Radio.

Part of my job was to bring to the attention of the Director of Operations and the General Manager of the Radio Group ads which may have “underlying political messages”, inappropriate content matter for the radio stations and ads which may be of a competitive nature to the radio broadcast industry (with the exception of TV or Cable Networks).

Should I be remiss in my duties and neglect to become “suspicious” of ad content, as I did once with Radio Shack co-oping with XM, my ass was handed to me on a platter, to put it in blunt terms.

So while the content of the upcoming ad from Focus On The Family may not be “inflammatory or decisive”, the same can not be said about the organization behind the ad.

Not only is your descision to accept advertising dollars from Focus On The Family an affront to LGBTs, women and those who believe in reproductive choice, it is a major disappointment I am sure for a great many loyal employees of the CBS Corporation and it’s divisions, this a Corporation which in its employee policy does not tolerate intolerance among the CBS Corporation and its various division’s employees.

Were I still working at CBS I would not write this communication to you for fear of losing my job.

Now that I no longer have to worry about that scenario, I can write this to be a voice for the thousands of fellow CBS employees I left behind and who may be afraid to express the like-minded view of this communication.

I use to say CBS was like a second family to me.

Today and until such time as you make the decision not to air the Focus On The Family ad, I am ashamed to have been part of the CBS  family.

Sincerely,

Lyndon Evans