Search

Slog

News & Arts

Line Out

Music & Nightlife

« Reading Tonight | Another Dose of Sarah Haskins »

Friday, April 17, 2009

Media Bong Hit

Posted by Dominic Holden on Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 10:46 AM

You know that television show KOMO took all that money for and then refused to air? The regional chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has nominated Rick Steves for a Northwest Emmy for hosting the show, Marijuana: It’s Time for a Conversation. The infomercial was a strict policy discussion about marijuana prohibition, but some television stations refused to air it based on objections to its content.

"It supported that people smoke marijuana," Jim Clayton, KOMO's vice president and general manager, said at the time. The station collected thousands of dollars to record the program at the KOMO studios, which received advanced scripts with the plan to air the show, but then refused once filming ended. "Smoking marijuana is illegal and we don't promote things that are illegal on our television station," he said last August. "We don't tell people to go rob banks, either."

KING and KONG television would only run the program at 1:00 a.m. KOMO and KIRO refused to air the program at all.

“The networks’ refusal to sell us time when we could engage more viewers on the issue of our nation’s failed drug war strengthened my conviction that contributing to this project was good citizenship,” Steves said in a statement.

“It’s a nice validation for Rick that this is an important project for him to be involved in,” says Alison Holcomb, drug policy director of the ACLU of Washington, which produced the show. Marijuana: It’s Time for a Conversation—which didn't air nationally, and thus isn't eligible for a national Emmy—also won two Silver Tellys (the highest award) and a Bronze Telly from the Telly Awards.

Share via

Comments (22) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Dom,
you are a Jackass

Posted by find a new bone to gnaw on April 17, 2009 at 10:45 AM

You should retaliate by bringing up how now their main anchor woman can only talk out of one side of her mouth after her brain surgery.

Posted by Dominic's last job? ACLU on April 17, 2009 at 10:54 AM

So, suggesting that a law is ineffectual and counterproductive and that it be changed is the same as promoting unlawful behavior?

Really, Jim Clayton has no business running the public airwaves. He should remember this reasoning the next time he has a guest on that, you know, defends waterboarding or extraordinary rendition. You're promoting illegal behavior, Jim!

Posted by Lee on April 17, 2009 at 10:56 AM

So how can i see this show?

Posted by M on April 17, 2009 at 11:03 AM

Full Disclosure please. You used to work for the ACLU.

Posted by broseph on April 17, 2009 at 11:08 AM

Full disclosure, the ACLU also defends America-hating neocons like Dick "The Shotgun" Cheney.

Posted by Will in Seattle on April 17, 2009 at 11:11 AM

@ 5) I worked for the ACLU of Washington from 2005 to 2007. I've written about it on Slog many times. There's no secret there.

Posted by Dominic Holden on April 17, 2009 at 11:17 AM

It's humorous that KOMO doesn't seem to know that they are giving free publicity to this program by not airing it.

Posted by Greg on April 17, 2009 at 11:17 AM

The guy says that smoking it is illegal....can I still cook and eat it? MMmmmm....

/loves RS

Posted by J in Sea on April 17, 2009 at 11:22 AM

@4, it used to be offered for free on Comcast On Demand, in the Community section.

Posted by kitschnsync on April 17, 2009 at 11:34 AM

But they will take millions of dollars from big pharma whose drug pedaling has killed thousands. How morally superior!

Posted by Vince on April 17, 2009 at 11:53 AM

@4: You can see the show on the marijuanaconversation.org site, on Youtube (parts one, two, and three, or on Google Video (in its entirety). It was once, and still may be (I don't know) available on some Comcast "on-demand" service.

Posted by Phil M on April 17, 2009 at 11:54 AM

National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences? NATAS? backwards? Yep.

SATAN!

Backmasking in acronyms, my heavens!

Posted by mike on April 17, 2009 at 11:55 AM

I hear if you take the ATF and change the order, it spells FAT.

Get thee behind me gun-toting chips!

Posted by Will in Seattle on April 17, 2009 at 12:11 PM

wow, what a shock; tv station owners are conservative assholes!

who knew?

Posted by michael strangeways on April 17, 2009 at 12:17 PM

if i don't rob banks, how shall i fund my potheaded-ness?

Posted by smokin them tweeds on April 17, 2009 at 12:25 PM

@16, With a job, like millionaire workaholic pothead Dan Savage or millionaire workaholic Rick Steves. Or like the millions of other Americans who smoke pot and have jobs, since marijuana doesn't give you a hangover or take time out of work, unlike alcohol or nicotine.

Posted by pothead on April 17, 2009 at 12:54 PM

"It supported that people smoke marijuana." HOLY SHIT! I had NO IDEA that people smoked marijuana until Rick Steves told me! If other people are doing it, I guess that means I have to do it, too, even though it's illegal!

Posted by grist on April 17, 2009 at 1:53 PM

In addition to viewing it as suggested by Phil M @12, you can burn your own copy for free at www.MarijuanaConversation.org on the "Online Video and Interviews Page." Our contract period with Comcast On Demand expired December 14. If you'd like to see it on a big screen, check back with the "Public Screenings" page in a few weeks. We're hoping to screen it, accompanied by a live discussion panel including Rick Steves, at the Edmonds Center for the Arts this fall.

Alison Holcomb, Drug Policy Director
ACLU of Washington

Posted by Alison Holcomb on April 17, 2009 at 2:02 PM

What do they get federal monies to not do true stories about such important topics such as Marijuana ? Seems like they all just stick there head in the sand or somewhere else and think we will go away....NOT

Posted by moslow on April 17, 2009 at 2:35 PM

Oh sure they don't promote bank robbing but they sure to report (talk to death) about armed robberies and house fires, and car chases, and shootings, and drug arrests, and...

Posted by Simone on April 17, 2009 at 4:00 PM

Why do you even turn the fucker on? My TV Box makes a great plant stand.

KOMO, KIRO, KING & KONG... shut that crap off. Watching Susan Hutchinson, Dan, Jim, whoever the flavor of the month Malibu Barbie is now can be dangerous to the well being of your mellow.

They deserve nothing but our scorn. If you see them in the street, throw rotten food at them. Broadcast journalism died when it surrendered itself to Mattel.

Besides, KOMO is being counter productive with all this. They should be advocating marijuana use because with the state of its news programming, their audience needs something to treat the nausea.

Posted by David Aquarius on April 18, 2009 at 11:43 AM