"... I'm not real comfortable with the implications around race."...

What's the implication, that Wright is black? Will they run any anti-Obama ads at all? Because as far as I know, Obama's African American, also. Watching these politically correct whites run around trying not to offend anyone is really sickly comical.

Hypocrisy at it's finest for all to see....ought to make McCain happy though.

Main stream media will continue for a bit yet.

Linda Daves for President! 

"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill

The party needs to re-do the add to feature Bill Ayers. Let's see if the stations balk then.

Do you suppose Martin Luther King, Jr., meant to make black candidates impervious to criticism when he said "I have a dream?" I don't. How many anti-Obama ads will be censored because media outlets are afraid of the racism charge?

When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.

Jim Hefner (any relation to Hugh?), WRAL's vice president and general manager, called the ad "inflammatory" and said his station has turned down ads from conservative and liberal groups.

First off, "moveon" and other "groups" are not political parties. The NC Republican party is the actual party which is running candidates in the State.

Does anyone know what the are the legal requirements for a private television station having the privilege of using the "public airwaves" to broadcast political ads.

It it really up to them to say they do not approve of an official ad from one of the main parties, and therefore they will not run it.?

Vote 4 change. Vote 4 anything. See Jack & Mr Shy's first campaign ad for the ONLY viable 3rd party candidate.

by Desperate Housewives, CSI NY, Katie Couric, George Stephanopoulos and the nags on The View (who are racist, anti-men and politically charged).  Who would like to bet me that these folks won't censor these objectively offensive shows?

Okay I've done a couple minutes research, and I do not see how these two TV stations can morally REFUSE to air political ads paid for by one of the official political parties in the United Sates.

They seem to be saying they have the right to vet ads to meet their criteria of what is or is not "fair." Is not that a VERY dangerous position for all political persuations?

Okay I note that it is claimed that the station is not under a legal obligation to run the ad, as it might be if a candidate and not a party were sponsoring it. What do you think reading the act provisions, and noting how simple it would be to add a candidate to the end.

Broadcasters, like NBC, ABC and CBS, have an obligation to use the public airwaves which they access for free, "in the public interest, convenience and necessity."

In July 2003, Senator McCain introduced S. 1497, the Our Democracy, Our Airwaves Act of 2003, co-sponsored by Senators Feingold, Durbin and later, Senator Corzine.

This bill amends the Communications Act of 1934 and applies to commercial, broadcast television and radio stations. The Act ensures that candidates receive the same low advertising rates that stations give their high-volume, year-round advertisers; establishes the minimum equirements for stations to air candidate-centered and issue-centered programming before primary and general elections; and establishes a voucher system for the purchase of commercial, broadcast air-time for political advertisements.

Broadcasters and the Public Interest
Broadcasters have always been public trustees as well as private businesses. Uniquely, they have been granted the privilege of using a scarce public asset--the airwaves-- to transmit their signals. In return for this free grant of airwaves, broadcasters have agreed to serve “the public interests, convenience and necessity”-- and the courts have consistently determined that this compact places limits around their First Amendment freedoms

A reasonable access provision requires that stations sell commercial air time to candidates who can afford to pay or it; an equal opportunities provision requires that stations which have sold spots to one candidate must provide his or her opponent with the chance to purchase comparable air time at a comparable price; and the lowest unit charge provision is supposed to assure that candidates will receive the same low rates as stations’ best year-round product advertisers.

Vote 4 change. Vote 4 anything. See Jack & Mr Shy's first campaign ad for the ONLY viable 3rd party candidate.

I agree with conservatives, that the ad should be played, but at the same time, why was there not the same outcry when owners of radio stations refused to play the Dixie Chicks. Little hypocricy here?

There can be corporate fascism in the media. Let me throw something in to the mix.

WSOC-TV is owned by Cox Broadcasting, which some on the communist left will blame as part of the consolidation of the media. This despite the company owns news/talk radio stations like WDBO Orlando, WHIO Dayton.

WRAL-TV, thought of--even by this nutmegger, as the benchmark of North Carolina TV, is locally owned by Capitol Broadcasting Company. And here's a shocker, this station has in essence disgraced Senator Jesse Helms, who used to do commentaries on the station before becoming a Tar Heel State political giant. WRAL has a sister station in Fox 50 WRAZ and a couple of FM stations under its belt.

The Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill market has one network-owned station in WTVD 11 (Cap Cities/ABC). I was thinking WNCN 17 was NBC-owned--but it is now under Media General.

This shows me that both these stations seem to be in the backpockets not just for Obama, but for the liberals who want to be Governor of North Carolina..