Demand CBS Reverse Decision Declaring Pro-Marijuana Ad “Too Political”

Victory!

Mar 03, 2010

9566 Signatures

We just heard that CBS has reversed its decision and will accept the ad!

Congratulations to NORML for winning this well-deserved turnaround -- and thanks to all the Change.org readers who helped reverse CBS's decision.

Targeting: Leslie Moonves (CBS CEO), Dana McClintock (CBS Senior VP for Corporate Communications), and Jeremy Murphy (CBS Outdoor VP Communications)

Started by: Change.org

CBS, which recently ran a superbowl ad sponsored by the extreme right-wing group Focus on the Family, has just rejected an ad by NORML calling for the legalization of marijuana.

The ad was supposed to run on Times Square billboards owned by CBS in New York City. The slogan at the end of the ad was simply “Legalize Marijuana – Billions in Taxes.”

CBS previously rejected ads from a variety of progressive organizations including MoveOn and the United Church of Christ by saying that it didn’t accept “advocacy” ads at all. In response to the controversy surrounding the Focus on the Family ad, however, the company claimed it changed its policy and would now accept “responsibly produced” advocacy ads.

An email from the ad buying company NORML used told the organization “that If CBS changes their morals we will let you know.”

CBS is clearly acting in bad faith as it accepts conservative political ads but not progressive ones. The company is not only banning NORML’s message, it is implicitly endorsing Focus on the Family at the same time.

Send an email to CBS and tell them to accept the NORML ad now!

Petition Text

Reverse Decision Rejecting Pro-Marijuana Ad as “Too Political.”

Greetings,

Last week CBS ran an ad during the superbowl sponsored by the ultra-conservative Focus on the Family. When challenged regarding CBS’s past decisions to reject ads from progressive groups like MoveOn.org and the United Church of Christ, your company said that it now accepts “responsibly produced” advocacy ads.

But now CBS has been accused of rejecting ads sponsored by NORML calling for the legalization of marijuana because they are “too political.”

It seems like CBS is picking and choosing which advocacy ads to accept based on political preference for right-wing messages.

This is not only hypocritical, but dishonest and at best poor judgment on CBS’s part. If you are now accepting advocacy ads you should accept NORML’s very reasonable ad for your Times Square billboards.

By rejecting the NORML ad you are not only doing a disservice to the public by limiting speech based on political viewpoint, but you are implicitly endorsing the views of Focus on the Family and its message.

I hope this was simply a mistake and that CBS will quickly reverse this decision.

[Your name]

Signatures
Tweets

Lisa Bell (Ann Arbor, MI)
Signed letter

Mar 19
ROSA POZO MENDEZ (las rozas de madrid, ESPAÑA, Spain)
Sent letter to Jeremy Murphy (CBS Outdoor VP Communications), Dana McClintock (CBS Senior VP for Corporate Communications), and Leslie Moonves (CBS CEO)

Mar 19
Alice McGough (Mashpee, MA)
Sent letter to Jeremy Murphy (CBS Outdoor VP Communications), Dana McClintock (CBS Senior VP for Corporate Communications), and Leslie Moonves (CBS CEO)

Mar 18
monique waitzer (qld, AL)
Signed letter

Mar 18
Sherry Gerszberg (Kendall Park, NJ)
Signed letter

Mar 18
Tammy Campbell (Pensacola, FL)
Sent letter to Jeremy Murphy (CBS Outdoor VP Communications), Dana McClintock (CBS Senior VP for Corporate Communications), and Leslie Moonves (CBS CEO)

Mar 18
Madeleine Brumley (Lafayette, LA)
Sent letter to Jeremy Murphy (CBS Outdoor VP Communications), Dana McClintock (CBS Senior VP for Corporate Communications), and Leslie Moonves (CBS CEO)

Mar 18
Damon Lytle (Brownsville, TN)
Sent letter to Jeremy Murphy (CBS Outdoor VP Communications), Dana McClintock (CBS Senior VP for Corporate Communications), and Leslie Moonves (CBS CEO)

Mar 18
kellie huynh (Plano, TX)
Sent letter to Jeremy Murphy (CBS Outdoor VP Communications), Dana McClintock (CBS Senior VP for Corporate Communications), and Leslie Moonves (CBS CEO)

Mar 18
Devaney Roberts (Springfield, OH)
Sent letter to Jeremy Murphy (CBS Outdoor VP Communications), Dana McClintock (CBS Senior VP for Corporate Communications), and Leslie Moonves (CBS CEO)

Mar 17
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