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Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Media / Drugs Too Controversial for Television?

Posted by Dominic Holden on Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 3:33 PM

The New York City affiliates of ABC, CBS and Fox refuse to run this ad:

It's horrifying, eh? Joe Peacock, a sick man talking about smoking some pot and feeling... better. It's not a impertinent ballyhooing about the virtues of dope, either. New York State's Assemblyman Richard Gottfried and state Senator Tom Duane sponsored legislation that would allow sick folks to use marijuana with a doctor's permission, so—in a state that has no initiative process—contacting their legislators is the only way New Yorkers can influence legislation. And the double-standard is bizarre: TV stations can make pot a laughing stock or sensationalistic news piece, but when it's time to change the law, stations refuse to touch it. In Seattle, the ABC affiliate (KOMO) also ran screaming inanities from a matter-of-fact ad about marijuana laws. TV stations air the show Weeds, broadcast specials about the marijuana business, and run segment after segment about pot busts, but they can't allow discussion about pot laws. No doubt, stations executives insist that they say they don't want to take sides—but by refusing to air the non-mocking, anti-prohibitionist argument, television stations are taking sides. In effect, they are lobbying to maintaining backward pot laws, even though most voters approve of medical marijuana and decriminalization. The NBC affiliate in New York, like in Seattle, was the only station that had the balls to run Mr. Peacock's commercial.

Comments (8) RSS

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Technically, Weeds is run on one station. And it is a subscriber based one. But I hear ya on the rest.

Posted by Akbar Fazil on September 16, 2009 at 4:02 PM

TV networks are also perfectly comfortable running attack ads against gays. At least they are in Maine so far. They accepted $700,000 to run this ad.

Posted by Simply Me on September 16, 2009 at 4:02 PM

Ninnies!!! All of 'em.

Posted by MyMomLovesYouAnyway on September 16, 2009 at 4:10 PM

That's because pot is bad.

Say 'no' to drugs kids!

Posted by The Amazing Jim

on September 16, 2009 at 4:10 PM

If they weren't afraid, they'd put it up to a vote of the people.

But they are afraid - because American voters are sick and tired of paying for this police state War on Drugs.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on September 16, 2009 at 4:22 PM

Pot is the new Gay.

Posted by very bad homo on September 16, 2009 at 4:32 PM

When you think about all the hundreds of millions these stations take so big pharma can peddle their latest poisons, maybe there's a connection.
If you can grow your own medication you aren't being robbed by big pharma. And big pharma, like big insurance, run this scam called health care.

Posted by Vince on September 16, 2009 at 4:40 PM