CBS refuses to air MoveOn's 30-second issue ad during the Super Bowl, claiming the ad is too "controversial" MoveOn's ad pictures children working in grocery stores as clerks, in factories as bottle manufacturers, and in auto shops as mechanics. The only line, "Guess who's going to pay off President Bush&'s one trillion dollar deficit?" concludes the spot. In a letter to its members MoveOn writes, "This is not a partisan issue. It's critical that our media institutions be fair and open to all speakers. CBS is setting a dangerous precedent, and unless we speak up, the pattern may continue." CBS has agreed to air other issue ads during the Super Bowl, including an American Legacy Foundation's 30-second anti-smoking ad and an anti-marijuana ad sponsored by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Critics claim that CBS does not have a clean track record when it comes to fairness in broadcasting. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) says that CBS is being hypocritical by airing the president’s ad on marijuana policy, and refusing to air MoveOn’s ad despite a recent CNN/Time poll indicating that marijuana decriminalization currently enjoys 72 percent support among the American public. In March 2003, Gateway Inc. was also refused airtime from Viacom, which owns CBS. CBS has taken a clear stance against easing the digital piracy laws. In fact, Viacom has been among the most vocal media companies lobbying Congress for tougher rules regarding digital piracy. CBS claimed that Gateway’s ad went against their “no controversial ad” policy because they were offering a digital music package as part of the purchase of any new PC, including 50 free songs from an Internet music provider. The ad also mentioned a new Gateway Web site, www.ripburnrespect.com. On the site, Gateway urges visitors to contact Congress if they think anti-piracy proposals by the record labels have gone too far. Robert McChesney, founder of Free Press, a national nonpartisan organization working to increase informed public participation in crucial media policy debates, states that, “CBS is playing politics with the right to free speech: another example of media monopoly’s chilling effect on democratic debate.” He adds that the problem of censorship may get worse as media companies gain more control over the airwaves. A provision within the omnibus-spending bill gives media companies, such as CBS, more control over the market. Sen. John McCain, R-AZ, spent nearly an hour on the Senate floor last Wednesday arguing against the provision saying, “the new ownership cap is a prize to CBS and Fox, which would have to sell television stations if the original 35 percent limit was enacted.” Free Press reports that CBS/Viacom spent over four million dollars in the past four years lobbying Congress to raise the media ownership cap to atleast 39 percent. It is interesting that in an election year and during the single most visible annual event CBS will shut out one voice while allowing another to be heard. Is this an example of viewpoint discrimination? Or is CBS simply trying to abide by its policies? We would like to hear from you. Please let us know if you think that this is an important issue, what other concerns does this raise for nonprofit organizations, and any other knowledge you might have in light of these circumstances. You can voice your ideas, opinions, and/or knowledge on NPAction.org’s forum. NPAction.org is our web site designed to stregthen the capacity of nonprofits to participate in public policy.