NBC refuses to air CatholicVote.org pro-life ad

I understand that NBC is refusing to air the CatholicVote pro-life ad.

This is in from Free Republic.

According to a Jan. 29 press release from CatholicVote.org, “After several days of negotiations, an NBC representative in Chicago told CatholicVote.org late yesterday that NBC and the NFL are not interested in advertisements involving ‘political candidates or issues.’”

 

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28 Comments

  1. David Andrew says:

    And this comes as a surprise because . . .

  2. They probably think it’s a “downer.” Nobody wants to take up precious airwave real estate with something that brings the party down. Let me be clear; I’m not agreeing with the decision. I’m just looking at this from a marketing standpoint. It’s mercenary, it’s shallow, it’s hedonistic… it’s the nature of the beast.

  3. little AMU person says:

    Be a helluva sacrifice, but maybe we should boycott the superbowl on NBC.

  4. we love being married says:

    File this and remind everyone if Jeff Immelt and NBC ever ask for any federal bailout money. I thought I was the only one who read both WDTPRS and FR :)

  5. I seem to recall Barack Obama and HIlary ads running in last year’s superbowl…..

    Double standard anyone?

  6. Aloysius says:

    “…NBC and the NFL are not interested in advertisements involving ‘political candidates or issues.”

    And….I’m not interested in NBC or the NFL now.

  7. Ed says:

    Wasn’t it just yesterday that we learned about chief rabbis boycotting the Vatican…

    The message above says “not interested in advertisements involving ‘political candidates or issues.’”

    Perhaps a better message…more in line with Truth will get through.

    Another rosary.

  8. AndyPandy says:

    They should have been prepared for that response. They should have had banners made with the CODED website for the pro-life message and had the mysterious website appear on everything from Tshirts to forehead tattoos. The whole brainless football world would be running to their keyboards to find out what it was all about. AND it would be for FREEEEE. hehehehe

    They should have asked me. I’d a told ’em how to handle it.

    Time to stop being so dang naive about the evil that is in charge of all media. Time to deal with them like you would deal with any other viper, cautiously and at arms length on the end of a stick, or not at all. USA refused a prepaid full page pro-life ad from Priests for Life a few years back. Haven’t we learned anything yet? Sheesh.

  9. ArlingtonDio says:

    The typical policy on Super Bowls is no issue advocacy or political ads — products and services only. (All subject to the whims of the various networks each year, of course.)

    About 10 years ago I had a defense issue ad that I wanted to place on the SB, but found out rather quickly that it wouldn’t fly. Period. No issue ads. None. Nada. Not gonna happen.

    Though I would love to see the Catholic Vote ad aired Sunday, imagine the can of worms that allowing these kinds of ads would open up.

    The SB would become 2 hours of left wing preaching and a few minutes of conservative preaching with a football game interspersed throughout.

    Bleh.

  10. Roland de Chanson says:

    Maybe they’d reconsider if the ad showed Barry O’Bama drinking a Bud Lite. Or even a Bud Dark, for that matter.

  11. TJM says:

    Don’t you just love those advocates of free speech liberal type of organizations! Tom

  12. Steve K. says:

    It’s a pity but as others have said, is this a surprise?

    I haven’t watched NFL (or any pro sports) in a long time, mostly because the crass commercialism I can no longer stand, and too many of the athletes I find completely unsympathetic. Many are thugs who would be in jail if they were not NFL stars.

  13. Allison says:

    However, NBC will run ads during the Superbowl that are overtly sexual…which FEEDS the abortion machine!

  14. DG says:

    Not surprised. CatholicVote’s advert was off-the-mark anyway.

    The ad’s poor, emotionalized reasoning to oppose abortion simply because of potential celebrity or fame is wrong-headed. *Every* life is important, regardless of what the baby might become.

    When it comes to life issues, we have reason and truth and science on our side. Let’s not forget that!

  15. John Polhamus says:

    I don’t watch the Super Bowl or NBC anyway, so I’m not likely to be
    breaking that protocol! And after their advertisers spent all that
    money on little-ole me!

  16. Joe says:

    “Not surprised. CatholicVote’s advert was off-the-mark anyway” — the way I took it was that if Mr. O’s mom was of the same attitude as he , Mr. O would not be here.

  17. Martin says:

    Do not have a television set at home. This is evil.

  18. Allena says:

    Well, my personal opinion, is why watch any of it? NBC, CBS, and the others, especially PBS. They are all huge promoters of the liberal agenda. They get the word they want out, OUT. Otherwise we would see actual reporting instead of one sided views. I believe FOX has been known to report a little from the other side, but then they aren’t so great either.

    I don’t watch ANY of it. It’s crazy how sleazy it all is, once you get away from it for a few months.

    People are addicted to it, its our modern version of the gladiator battles and merciless slaughter of the Christians from the Roman era….just with explosions.

  19. Andy F. says:

    “Do not have a television set at home. This is evil.”

    So, do they have televisions in Albi, Martin?

  20. RJSquirrel says:

    FOX showed the game last year and are free to have a different policy than NBC. NBC also rejected an ad for PETA but for different stated reasons. Personally I think that like PETA, there was never a desire for them to run the ad as it would have cost close to $3,000,000 to do so, or close to half that if it ran in pre-game. However, this way they get a ton of free publicity and viewing that they otherwise would not have had. Nicely done. Marketing 101 when you have no budget.

  21. nathan says:

    Send your complaints about the rejection of the ad to Victoria Morgan, Vice President, Advertising Standards, NBC Universal, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 1825 E. New York, NY 10112. Call (212) 664-4267 or fax (212) 664-6366 or email victoria.morgan@nbc.com
    Come folks, take a minute to send an email. Be heard

  22. DG says:

    Joe, yes, but there are still incorrect facts in that ad, even if it were a valid argument, which it isn’t. BHO’s parents were married at the time of his birth — in fact, they got married after his mother became pregnant.

    “if Mr. O’s mom was of the same attitude as he , Mr. O would not be here.”

    *And* we must admit to ourselves that some people who support abortion rights are not going to have abortion themselves. That says a lot about this group of abortion rights supporters — they’re some humanity in them still. If we win a majority of these over to our side, we will have won the war.

    This ad cannot aid in that in its current form with half-truths, implications, and unsound reasoning.

  23. nathan says:

    I didn’t get from the video that we are should to oppose abortion simply
    because of potential celebrity or fame. I got that we should oppose
    abortion because every baby no matter the circumstances in which is born
    has great potential period.

    I am always shocked at how splinter the pro-life movement is and hostile
    against other pro-life efforts. I see prolifers constantly attacking other
    pro-life each other for not being perfect in the message or efforts. The
    success of the pro-abortion movement has been their willingness to get their
    message out in any form in other to imbed themselves in the fabric of our
    country. They support each other even though some groups are supposedly
    more “moderate” on the abortion issue. A house divide can not stand.

    Maybe you don’t agree with 100% how the message is “spun” for the TV viewers.
    Remember most people watching TV are not going to thinking as deeply about
    thisas you folkd have. However it is a step in changing hearts and minds.
    It is already gotten the topic of pro-life on the table in several venues
    that rare speak about it.

    The pro-abortion forces want to silence all and any pro-life messages – so it
    appears that most people are pro-abortion. I celebrate catholicvote.org
    work to get a piece of the pro-life message out. I pray for more catholics
    to be as active in educating the masses.

  24. DG says:

    nathan, respectfully, you’ve got a point about knowing your audience — a Super Bowl audience may not have a majority of deep-thinkers in it.

    I’m not trying to promote faction with my comments on the ad, just trying to point out the ad is not something I’d show to my “pro-choice” peers because of the holes in it and that’s it’s just not that *great* of an ad. It isn’t.

    I oppose abortion because it destroys life, period. No other reason. Sometimes the clearest message is the most effective.

    When you even bring up potential in an ad or an argument, you imbue an idea that if there’s no potential, the life is somewhat less worthy of protection — even if you don’t say that outright, the kernel is left there for some folks. This is problematic when it comes to babies with physical and mental defects, and in certain cultures and times, unfavorable sex, class, or race/ethnicity.

    All I’m saying is let’s keep our message simple. I think that would win the most hearts and minds.

  25. Angie says:

    For this reason, I WILL BOYCOTT NBC. I encourage others to do the same and email NBC to tell them why.

  26. Aaron Sanders says:

    I just think it’s interesting that whenever there’s an election coming up the media has to remind us about how abortion is a “religious issue” that ought not be imposed politically, but then once their candidate gets into office it turns into a “political issue.” How convenient…

  27. Maria Teresa says:

    Contact NBC to ask them to air the Pro-Life Super Bowl Ad

    I just sent an email and followed up with a phone call to NBC. Here is the link: http://www.afa.net/petitions/issuedetail.asp?id=343

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