Friday, February 05, 2010

Focus on the Family to air a second ad during Super Bowl pre-game.

By Amanda Terkel In recent weeks, CBS has been taking heat over its decision to allow a pro-life ad by Focus on the Family, featuring Heisman winner Tim Tebow, to air during the Super Bowl. Last week, CBS faced further complaints when it rejected an ad by a gay dating site. Today, USA Today reports that Focus on the Family will now be airing a second ad — also featuring Tebow and his mother — to run four times during pre-game airtime. More details on the organizations ads:

Although Focus on the Family won’t reveal its ads’ details, CEO Jim Daly says the original ad was rejected by CBS. In it, Pam Tebow, who was advised by a doctor to have an abortion for medical reasons when pregnant with her son, said, “Both of our lives were at risk.”

“They felt that was too much,” he says. “So we dropped the line. We didn’t fight them.” The word “abortion” is never used.

The ad is “an open discussion on the sanctity of human life — not just the issue of abortion,” Daly says. It was made for less than $100,000 with “a bit of humor in it — in fitting with the Super Bowl theme.”

This week, Dana Goldstein of the Daily Beast reported that CBS executives collaborated with Focus on the Family on making the ad fit for airing, giving the group guidance that other advertisers don’t receive. Yesterday, Planned Parenthood posted a pro-choice response ad featuring former college and professional football player Sean James and Olympic gold medalist Al Joyner. Watch it here.

M.C.L. comment: Here's the issue I have with CBS anytime a progressive advocacy groups like Move On or PETA wanted to air an ad during the Super Bowl CBS scream uh-um uh it's political advocacy and we don't do political advocacy ads. Yet they have no problem airing the right wing Focus on the Family who supported and defended Scott Roeder the man who shot and killed Dr. George Tiller in a church.

The only bright side I see coming from this crap being air is that CBS set a precedent, CBS no longer can tell Move On, PETA or whomever they can't run a ad because of its political content when they allow a group whose far more dangerous to air ads multiple times during the Super Bowl broadcast.

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