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This has me outraged and I'll definitely have to do some research into what should/will be boycotted (I'm sure NBC is more than just a network, no?)
I can understand a "no political ads" policy, but this isn't even about that; it's about the men and women, so far away from home during the Holidays, and thanking them for putting their lives at risk to serve our country, whether they believe in it or not.
FTR, I am against what's going on over there right now but I will ALWAYS support the troops. My great uncle Don (rest his soul) was the longest held POW to return from imprisonment (so far) and my stepdad served in Desert Storm and is now fighting for his life due to what is now being called "Gulf War Syndrome"
To not support the troops would be a dishonor to the both of them.





I boycott NBC anyways because they cancelled The Black Donnellys.
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^^^ the boycott that should be called for would be a boycott of new military contracts to General Electric ... the parent company of NBC. Of course, this would mean GE would have to acknowledge that they are 'playing both sides against the middle'.





You don't find it offensive that this group is using "thanking the troops" as a cover to promote their own political agenda? That is, after all, why NBC isn't airing the ad; it's promoting a political organization and they don't want to air "issue ads." I'm sure no one would have accepted a Christmas card to the military from MoveOn.org.










well well, whaddya know ?
Regardless of whether or not anyone agrees with the political views expoused by Freedom Watch, the fact is that they were willing to PAY for access to NBC air time and NBC refused. Now it's one thing for a network to GIVE free access to airtime for a political message, as NBC arguably did by giving 35 free hours to Al Gore ... but it's another thing for a network to refuse to grant PAID access to send particular political messages while gladly accepting paid access to send other political messages. Such actions smack of political censorship, which is totally inappropriate when done by a 'private company' entrusted with one of a very limited number of keys to the 'public' airwaves.





No I don't because the reality is, there ARE troops over there and there is no other political message in this piece other than the "thank you". Had they added something else, I might give pause, but not this one.
ETA - And, like I stated in my first post, I am against the current activity over there. But, I disagree with many people on many issues; doesn't mean that we can't come together on some things.
I happen to agree with this one message and stand by my opinion.





^^^You can't possible think this about thanking the troops can you? You really think that NBC would reject an ad that did nothing but thank the troops? Their objection was over a link to a neocon website at the end of the ad, which is backed by a group of wealthy conservative fundraisers, who are vocal supporters of Bush's fiasco in Iraq.





Again...I disagree with MANY people over MANY issues, but the message was still a thank you. And, if you read what you just wrote and what that group is about, it's obvious they support the fiasco, so ergo, they must support the people that are fighting in it.
I have no opinion about the hidden agenda that NBC is fighting against. I'm only watching and reading the commercial, like most people will.
Most people will not go over to the "other side" after seeing that message. You're reading way too into it.
I have to agree with Mel. This is censorship and I dislike censorship of any kind.





Well it looks like NBC has had a change of heart and will run the ads afterall.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071208/ap_po/rejected_ad_8
I still don't think NBC would have been wrong for not running them though.
(snip)Alan Wurtzel, NBC's head of standards and practices, said the network decided not to run the Freedom's Watch ad because the group insisted that the spot contain the URL address of its Web site.
The Freedom's Watch Web home page contains links for visitors to demonstrate their support for the troops. It also contains a welcoming message that states: "For too long, conservatives have lacked a permanent political presence to do battle with the radical special interests groups and their left-wing allies in government."
"We have a policy that prohibits acceptance of advertising that deals with issues of public controversy," Wurtzel said. "This particular ad, in and of itself, is fine. It thanks the troops for their action overseas. We asked them to eliminate a URL address where a person is asked to contact elected officials and told not to cut and run on the war on terror."
NBC rejected a previous Freedom's Watch ad that addressed funding for the troops.
"It's a long-term policy, it goes back decades," Wurtzel said of NBC's stance of declining controversial issue advertising.
He suggested that Freedom's Watch did not alter the ad in order to force NBC to reject it and thus get media attention.
"Candidly, some folks have found that you get more attention when an ad is not accepted," he said.
http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Arch.../msg00829.html





I wholeheartedly agree with this statement as it lends validity to what I said above.
Most people won't run to their computers to check out that website. And if they did, they'd find the same hooey we all did and discard it from their brains. Rejecting it only makes people research it further. I know I would never have looked into that website if I saw that commercial on TV.
I just thought the thank you message comes at a good time and it might soothe some who have family over there. They wouldn't be thinking about hidden agendas, just that someone took the time to say thank you.
Is that understandable at all?![]()





It is understandable and I agree with you on that point. NBC offered to run the ad without the URL on the end, that would have accomplished that, Freedom Watches refusal to change it signifies to me that there was obviously a hidden agenda attached though, that's where I have my problem.





And I completely understand your point and your problem. I don't want anyone to think I side with anyone who is so narrowminded, I just liked the commercial and I don't like censorship.
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