The
original story....
For
immediate release Nov. 30, 2004
CBS, NBC refuse to air church's television
advertisement
United Church of Christ ad highlighting Jesus'
extravagant welcome
called 'too controversial'
CLEVELAND -- The CBS and NBC television networks are refusing to run a
30-second television ad from the United Church of Christ because its
all-inclusive welcome has been deemed "too controversial."
The ad, part of the denomination's new, broad identity campaign set to
begin airing nationwide on Dec. 1, states that -- like Jesus -- the
United
Church of Christ (UCC) seeks to welcome all people, regardless of
ability,
age, race, economic circumstance or sexual orientation.
According to a written explanation from CBS, the United Church of
Christ is
being denied network access because its ad implies acceptance of gay
and
lesbian couples -- among other minority constituencies -- and is,
therefore, too "controversial."
"Because this commercial touches on the exclusion of gay
couples and other
minority groups by other individuals and organizations," reads an
explanation from CBS, "and the fact the Executive Branch has
recently
proposed a Constitutional Amendment to define marriage as a union
between a
man and a woman, this spot is unacceptable for broadcast on the [CBS
and
UPN] networks."
Similarly, a rejection by NBC declared the spot "too
controversial."
"It's ironic that after a political season awash in
commercials based on
fear and deception by both parties seen on all the major networks, an
ad
with a message of welcome and inclusion would be deemed too
controversial,"
says the Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC's general minister and
president.
"What's going on here?"
Negotiations between network officials and the church's
representatives
broke down today (Nov. 30), the day before the ad campaign begins
airing
nationwide on a combination of broadcast and cable networks. The ad
has
been accepted and will air on a number of networks, including ABC
Family,
AMC, BET, Discovery, Fox, Hallmark, History, Nick@Nite, TBS, TNT,
Travel
and TV Land, among others.
The debut 30-second commercial features two muscle-bound
"bouncers"
standing guard outside a symbolic, picturesque church and selecting
which
persons are permitted to attend Sunday services. Written text
interrupts
the scene, announcing, "Jesus didn't turn people away. Neither do
we." A
narrator then proclaims the United Church of Christ's commitment to
Jesus'
extravagant welcome: "No matter who you are, or where you are on
life's
journey, you are welcome here." (The ad can be viewed online at
www.stillspeaking.com.)
In focus groups and test market research conducted before the
campaign's
national rollout, the UCC found that many people throughout the
country
feel alienated by churches. The television ad is geared toward those
persons who, for whatever reason, have not felt welcomed or
comfortable in
a church.
"We find it disturbing that the networks in question seem to have
no
problem exploiting gay persons through mindless comedies or
titillating
dramas, but when it comes to a church's loving welcome of committed
gay
couples, that's where they draw the line," says the Rev. Robert
Chase,
director of the UCC's communication ministry.
CBS and NBC's refusal to air the ad "recalls
the censorship of the 1950s
and 1960s, when television station WLBT in Jackson, Miss., refused to
show
people of color on TV," says Ron Buford, coordinator for
the United Church
of Christ identity campaign. Buford, of African-American heritage,
says,
"In the 1960s, the issue was the mixing of the races. Today, the
issue
appears to be sexual orientation. In both cases, it's about
exclusion."
In 1959, the Rev. Everett C. Parker organized United Church of Christ
members to monitor the racist practices of WLBT. Like many southern
television stations at the time, WLBT had imposed a news blackout on
the
growing civil rights movement, pulling the plug on then-attorney
Thurgood
Marshall. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. implored the UCC to get
involved
in the media civil rights issues. Parker, founding director of the
Office
of Communication of the United Church of Christ, organized churches
and won
in federal court a ruling that the airwaves are public, not private
property. That decision ultimately led to an increase in the number of
persons of color in television studios and newsrooms. The suit clearly
established that television and radio stations, as keepers of the
public
airwaves, must broadcast in the public interest.
"The consolidation of TV network ownership into the hands
of a few
executives today puts freedom of speech and freedom of religious
expression
in jeopardy," says former FCC Commissioner
Gloria Tristani, currently
managing director of the UCC's Office of Communication. "By
refusing to air
the United Church of Christ's paid commercial, CBS and NBC are
stifling
religious expression. They are denying the communities they serve a
suitable access to differing ideas and expressions."
Adds Andrew Schwartzman, president and CEO of the
not-for-profit Media
Access Project in Washington, D.C., "This is an abuse of the
broadcasters'
duty to inform their viewers on issues of importance to the community.
After all, these stations don't mind carrying shocking,
attention-getting
programming, because they do that every night."
The United Church of Christ's national offices -- located in Cleveland
--
speak to, but not for, its nearly 6,000 congregations and 1.3 million
members. In the spirit of the denomination's rich tradition, UCC
congregations remain autonomous, but also strongly in covenant with
each
other and with the denomination's regional and national bodies.
# # #
The follow-up
story . . .
For
immediate release Dec. 2, 2004
Only recently did United Church
of Christ
learn of networks' ultimate refusal of church ads
In March, disputed
television ad ran - without incident -
on many CBS, NBC affiliates
CLEVELAND - Despite recent statements by CBS and NBC executives that,
earlier this year, their networks made clear that they would reject a
television ad by the United Church of Christ for being "too
controversial," church leaders disagree. Media buyers had no
difficulty placing the ads on NBC and CBS stations during the
campaign's test-market phase.
In March, after networks had expressed their non-approval to media
buyers, the UCC's 30-second spot was placed - without incident - on
numerous stations in six test markets, including the markets' six NBC
network affiliates and five of six CBS affiliates. (The test markets
included Tampa / St. Petersburg, Fla.; Raleigh / Durham, N.C.,
Lancaster / York, Pa., Cleveland / Akron / Canton, Ohio; Springfield /
Holyoke, Mass., and Oklahoma City.)
"The networks clearly offered mixed signals," says
the Rev. Robert Chase of the UCC's communication ministry. "At no
time were we under the impression that the networks' decisions were
final. Our understanding was that such negotiations between media
buyers and networks were not unusual and were nothing to be concerned
about. From the church's viewpoint, we simply could not believe that
this advertisement would be considered controversial or
issue-oriented, because quite clearly it is not."
Chase says that media buyers heard the networks' reservations earlier
this year, but when the church had no difficulty placing the ads on
the networks' stations, it appeared that the rejections were not
solid. Chase says the local affiliates' non-objection, coupled with
the lack of controversy generated in the test markets, led media
buyers to assure church leaders that they would have little problem
getting network approval in time for the Dec. 1 national release.
On Nov. 30, the day before the ads began airing nationally, the United
Church of Christ learned that the two networks' decisions were final.
Larry Hollon, who leads the national advertising effort for The United
Methodist Church, said yesterday (Dec. 1), the networks' rejection of
the UCC's ad was baseless, even "chilling."
"The reasons given by the networks for rejecting this
message should bring a chill to everyone who supports freedom of
religious expression because they are saying that a fundamental tenet
of Christian belief is politically unacceptable for the public
dialogue," Hollon told his denomination's newspaper, the United
Methodist Reporter. "The belief that God loves every person
without condition is so basic to Christian teaching that if a
denomination cannot make this assertion what can it say? Such
decisions shut out the Christian community from the national
conversation."
"How ironic that a gentle message of inclusion is considered
unacceptable while ads for beer are accepted and programs in which
people eat insects and worms are considered entertaining," Hollon
said. "In a divided and fearful world this message is not only
needed. It could lead to healing."
The disputed ad, part of the denomination's new, broad identity
campaign set to begin airing nationwide on Dec. 1, states that -- like
Jesus -- the United Church of Christ seeks to welcome all people,
regardless of ability, age, race, economic circumstance or sexual
orientation.
The debut 30-second spot features two muscle-bound
"bouncers" standing guard outside a fabled, picturesque
church and selecting which persons are permitted to attend Sunday
services. Written text interrupts the scene, announcing, "Jesus
didn't turn people away. Neither do we." A narrator then
proclaims the United Church of Christ's commitment to Jesus'
extravagant welcome: "No matter who you are, or where you are on
life's journey, you are welcome here." (The ad can be viewed
online at
.)
In focus groups and test market research conducted before the
campaign's national rollout, the UCC found that many people throughout
the country feel alienated by churches. The television ad is geared
toward those persons who, for whatever reason, have not felt welcomed
or comfortable in a church.
But, according to a written explanation from CBS, the United Church of
Christ is being denied network access because its ad implies
acceptance of gay and lesbian couples, among other minority
constituencies, and is, therefore, too "controversial."
"Because this commercial touches on the exclusion of gay couples
and other minority groups by other individuals and
organizations," reads an explanation from CBS, "and the fact
the Executive Branch has recently proposed a Constitutional Amendment
to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, this spot is
unacceptable for broadcast on the [CBS and UPN] networks."
NBC stated simply the ad is "too controversial."
"It's ironic that after a political season awash in commercials
based on fear and deception by both parties seen on all the major
networks, an ad with a message of welcome and inclusion would be
deemed too controversial," the Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC's
general minister and president, has said. "What's going on
here?"
The ad has been accepted and is airing on a number of networks,
including ABC Family, AMC, BET, Discovery, Fox, Hallmark, History,
Nick@Nite, TBS, TNT, Travel and TV Land, among others.
The United Church of Christ's national offices -- located in Cleveland
-- -speak to, but not for, its nearly 6,000 congregations and 1.3
million members. In the spirit of its rich tradition, UCC
congregations remain autonomous, but also strongly in covenant with
each other and with the denomination's regional and national bodies.
