Mo. Democrats: Viacom Said No to Ad

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=703&e=2&u=/ap/20040227/ap_on_re_us/democrats_viacom

ST. LOUIS - The state Democratic Party on Thursday accused media giant Viacom of political favoritism and corporate censorship for backing out of a deal to sell billboard space for a political ad.


Party Chairwoman May Scheve Reardon said the ad was set to run for a month along Interstate 70 in predominantly black sections of St. Louis and Kansas City.


The ad, featuring a black man's face against an American flag, states: "Missouri Republicans have a plan. You are not a part of it."


In a letter Wednesday, Viacom Outdoor General Manager Kyle Dorton in St. Louis told party Executive Director Jim Kottmeyer the company viewed the ad as "negative."

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[I AM SPARTACUS]

1. okay...so change the face to Asscraft's...

...and the copy to ""Missouri Republicans have a plan. You WILL be a part of it, whether you like it or not. Heh, heh, heh..."

[Born Free]

9. NO, just make it another campaign issue

Media consolidation is a problem Americans need to address. Corporate controlled media is given too much power and thus has become corrupted. It's time working Americans unite and stand up to corporate media. But I am afraid the democrats are no better, when corporate media attacked dean, democrats ran and hid and allowed him to be slain, some even rejoiced to see the outspoken outsider get attacked.

[joeunderdog]

11. So they admit that helping blacks is a negative thing?

I guess that says it all.

[jburton]

2. Media consolidation

Jeez, they even own the friggin billboards!

[Norquist Nemesis]

6. More than you would know

Viacom and Clear Channel control more of what you see everyday that you realize. Look at the little plates on the bottom of the billboards as you're driving by.

[fujiyama]

19. LOL

That's a great picture!

[sistersofmercy]

3. Uh, yeah I think there bush* supporters

I'll ask around b/c they don't own all the St Louis billboards. Perhaps, I'll contact them to let them know which ones can be bought.

[Gman]

4. This is all part of the plan

get ready for networks to turn down Dem tv ads in the fall. Think I'm kidding? hide and watch.

[maggrwaggr]

5. wow. this is just the beginning

the ad is negative? How about the FACT that what the ad says is true. I think that's pretty negative.

Man, this is getting SO out of hand.

[Norquist Nemesis]

7. There's an easy fix to the ad actually

Change it to "Missouri Democrats have a plan...Be a part of it"

Flame away, but I don't like the ad as it's described in the article.

[notbush]

8. Missouri Democrats have a plan...Be a part of it.

This is a positive ad that they won't turn down.
Be positive it's infective.

[leQ]

13. ditto that

as angry as i am with the cabal, i know being positive will generate better results among the sheeple.

[ikojo]

16. Many in the black community don't feel they are

part of the Missouri Democrats' plan either. They definitely would not vote for a pug but some are finding it more and more difficult to support the Democratic party as well.

[tanstaafl]

14. I will flame away

Just because it is negative does not mean it should not be displayed. And if you think the Republicants won't be using or have not been using negative ad/etcs then you are living in a cave.

This is war, civil war, going on within this country and I do NOT think it is inappropriate to put up "negative" ads which essentially tell the truth!

[newyawker99]

18. Hi tanstaafl!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Voltaire99]

10. Welcome to the uni-culture

...in which political change is doomed because the message can't get out. But how ironic; both parties, of course, have looked favorably upon the merger mania that has led to media consolidation.

Howard Dean talked about splitting up the media. Howard Dean paid a price for that.

[rhino91063]

12. This is so scary

First baby powell allows the big right wing media companies to gobble up everything in site. Now with the elections nearing, they are using that monopoly power to control what the public sees and hears. The republicans and conservatives are truely evil people. They seem bent on destroying our country and turning it into a facist state.

[KansDem]

15. I work in downtown Kansas City, Missouri...

And I'd like to know who owns the billboards that are currently being used to promote a local radio station:

The billboard shows several women's breasts (covered in bathing suit tops) and nothing else. The photos show only from the neck down to the tummy, so the intention is clear. Along with these photos is a statement that reads (something to the effect): "...where you find the big ones" referring ostensibly to "music hits" but...(you get the message).

But if the NFL, CBS, and MTV can show Janet Jackson's titty on prime-time TV, then anything goes, unless you happen to be a Democrat with an ad critical of the Republicans.

(Incidently, ViaCom referred to this ad as an "ambush" ad, whatever the hell that is...)

[nodictators]

17. Viacom owns CBS network

I believe they also own the cable BET (Black Entertainment Television) and MTV.

They also own many other media companies of all kinds.

Maybe if the Missouri Dems changed their ad to something involving erectile dysfunction, Viacom would accept it. As they do with those ads on CBS 60 minutes and did on the Super Bowl broadcast.

[ikojo]

20. If the Missouri Dems had any real connection to the black

community then they have a ready made issue...seems a billboard stating blacks are not part of the Republican plans is seen as too negative, however, billboard after billboard of liquor ads is not seen as a negative thing in a community that has more liquor stores than grocery stores.

Neither Viacom nor ClearChannel Communications has any problems with the liquor billboards that proliferate in the black community. If you go so North St Louis (majority black and impoverished) you will see many ads for booze as well as a lot of billboards. These things just don't exist in the same numbers on the South Side (primarily white although blacks are moving to the South Side in greater numbers than in years past).