Two stations decline to air ads critical of DeLay

[babylonsister]

I think I'm about to do some boycotting of my own!

KRIS-TV: Two stations decline to air ads critical of DeLay


KRIS-TV

http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4350684&nav=Bs...

HOUSTON -- At least two Houston television stations have decided not to air ads targeting embattled U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay.

[PDittie]

1. You can see the ads here:

http://www.pcactionfund.org/accountability/index.htm

The Houston affiliate for ABC got a call from DeLay's lawyers threatening legal action:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/3579191.html

A day before a television ad linking Rep. Tom DeLay to disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff was set to hit the airwaves in the Houston area, lawyers for his campaign told local stations Tuesday that the ad contained falsehoods and hinted that it could lead to court action.

At least one station, KTRK (Channel 13), quickly decided against broadcasting the commercial, which was scheduled to start today .

"The ad is reckless, malicious, and false, casting Mr. DeLay in a false light by accusing him of unsubstantiated criminal conduct," DeLay campaign lawyer Don McGahn wrote Tuesday. " ... We demand that you refuse or otherwise cease airing the advertisement, so as to avoid any liability."

[babylonsister]

2. Thanks, PDittie. I hate to see these stations cave like this,

especially when he's such a persona non grata now. I wish he'd lose his hold on this community!

Soon!

[MelissaB]

4. That first link isn't working for me.

Anybody else?

[PDittie]

5. When I just clicked a moment ago, MelissaB,

it was working (though I initially got a "Firefox cannot open..." message).

http://www.pcactionfund.org/accountability/index.htm

Doesn't look any different from before. Maybe the traffic is heavy.

[sonias]

3. Wow can you believe that some group's money is no good with them

Oh I guess they feel the hammer's long arm is still good to slam on them. Well you know where they stand on corruption. They're pro-corruption.

Sonia

[PDittie]

6. Four TV stations in Houston refuse to air them

The four Houston television stations that sold airtime for a commercial criticizing U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay refused to air it Wednesday after objections from a DeLay lawyer, but the ad was accessible on cable channels and the Internet.

The stations offered little or no rationale for their decisions, nor would they comment on whether the letter from DeLay campaign lawyer Don McGahn influenced them.

* * *

KTRK (Channel 13) decided Tuesday to withhold the ad. KPRC (Channel 2), KHOU (Channel 11) and KRIV (Channel 26), which provide local news programming, decided Wednesday against starting the commercials that day.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/3581596.html

What chickenshit assholes. This is the media we have, people, not the media we wish we had. Fuck 'em. Our only response besides flaming them with phone calls and letters is to STOP WATCHING.

[babylonsister]

7. That's disheartening, and all the more reason for

DeLay to go down soon!
It's so sad to live the steady drip, drip, drip of our freedoms being flushed, and by the likes of this criminal. :(

[PDittie]

8. Truthfully, I think that this this controversy

plays right into the hands of the groups that financed the ad (which did air on CNN Headline News and CNBC), since the spot itself -- and more importantly, DeLay's lawyers' efforts to keep it off the air -- have become the story, and garnered considerably more attention than the commercial could have by itself (airing in Houston).

The impact has been significantly maganified because of this brouhaha. It would have been much better for DeLay to have ignored it entirely. For the attorney's threats, and the media's kowtowing, we can choose to be thankful. It's just more bad publicity for Bugman, and makes the TV decision-makers look like toadies.

[PDittie]

9. Charles Kuffner hit it on the head:

The next best thing to having an advertisement run on TV is having its cancellation by scaredy-cat station managers turn into a news story, especially one that may last multiple days. Heck, if the stations refund your money for not running the ad, you may come out ahead this way.

http://www.offthekuff.com/mt/archives/006670.html

[PDittie]

10. Here's a good one to keep the heat on the local media.

Posted elsewhere, worth repeating:

The station managers threatened by DeLay need to hear from us to build the courage needed to stand up to DeLay and air our fact-based ad. Please, email the TV station managers and tell them not to censor the facts!

http://www.ourfuture.org/No_DeLay_Censorship.cfm

And after you send the e-mail:

Jim Jossolyn, General Manager
KPRC-NBC
[phone]

Peter Diaz, General Manager
KHOU-CBS
[phone]

Henry Florsheim, General Manager
KTRK-ABC
[phone]

D’Artagnan Bebel, General Manager
KRIV-FOX
[phone]

Report your calls on this thread, and also here.