So, not only is ABC not planning to include opposing voices to President Obama's health care proposals during its special presentation next week -- though ABC does claim "those in the audience" will ask questions of the president -- it is refusing to even allow groups that oppose Obamacare to purchase paid-for advertisements to air during the healthcare special.
Rick Scott, chairman of Conservatives for Patients Rights, contacted ABC and inquired about purchasing some ad time during the Obama infomercial, but was refused the sale. Scott wanted to air his 60-second ad before the healthcare show started. Though it was refused by the national network, apparently it is still possible for Scott the buy time on local affiliates should he desire it.
Scott released a statement earlier today:
It is unfortunate--and unusual--that ABC is refusing to accept paid advertising that would present an alternative viewpoint for the White House health care event. Health care is an issue that touches every American and all potential pieces of legislation have carried a price tag in excess of $1 trillion of taxpayers' money. The American people deserve a healthy, robust debate on this issue and ABC's decision--as of now--to exclude even paid advertisements that present an alternative view does a disservice to the public. Our organization is more than willing to purchase ad time on ABC to present an alternative viewpoint and our hope is that ABC will reconsider having such viewpoints be part of this crucial debate for the American people. We were surprised to hear that paid advertisements would not be accepted when we inquired and we would certainly be open to purchasing time if ABC would reconsider.
One has to wonder why ABC won't even permit a 60-second ad that opposes Obamacare to air? Is 60 seconds too much time for what might be considered an effort at a sort of "fairness doctrine"?
**Update**
An emailer notes that ABC World News does not feature local affiliate breaks during its air time. I am getting some conflicting info as to whether this healthcare "special" is included under the rubric "ABC World News" or if it is a separate deal, but it is possible that there is no local ad time available for opposing voices at all, unless the network accepts such ads.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Alternate Viewpoints
June 17, 2009 - 21:40 ET by ParagrouperI bet a buck that Arby's gets airtime.
"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking." - General George Patton Jr
More indoctrination
June 18, 2009 - 00:09 ET by jdhawkMore indoctrination propaganda from the state run media . . .
Guess what I, refuse to view ABC or any of the other alphabet crap networks that spew their one-sided propaganda day after day.
I any of you agree with me that obamacrapcare is being stuffed down our throats, write or call your elected representatives and complain. If your elected representative(s) is a dimocrat, tell him or her that you are writing a check to the RNC to run and beat that representative in next election if they vote for this obamacrapcare.
ABC won't get my time
June 18, 2009 - 08:26 ET by DontFeedTheTrollsI refuse to watch this also, and will refuse to watch ANY ABC programming, I will stick to Netflix for my entertainment. I will also send an e-mail to ABC telling them so. You can too!
E-mail ABC here.
D
Keep the ILLEGALS out, join NumbersUSA to send free faxes to your reps.
Get on them
June 18, 2009 - 09:54 ET by EllisWyattI just sent my email. Everyone else should do the same. Flood their inbox and blow out their phone system with your phone calls. Make them pay for this decision.
If you're not outraged at the media, you haven't been paying attention.
But it's not an
June 17, 2009 - 21:42 ET by NewsbusterbrownBut it's still not going to be an Obamainfomercial!
“There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.” - Ronald Reagan (1964 Republican Convention)
No one will spoil Obama's special day.
June 17, 2009 - 21:47 ET by superconLet his critics get their own primetime network special.
Nothing you can say can tear me away from my guy....my guy
Hey Janet Napolitano...I'm proud to be a Right-winger.
sc... ...and when it
June 17, 2009 - 22:00 ET by bigtimersc...
...and when it comes to being happy..We Are....
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Yes we are ....
June 17, 2009 - 22:11 ET by supercon(sigh)
Hey Janet Napolitano...I'm proud to be a Right-winger.
;-) Doubling
June 17, 2009 - 22:21 ET by bigtimer;-)
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
This Just In
June 17, 2009 - 22:01 ET by kilrodA teacher asked her 6th grade class how many of them were Obama fans. Not really knowing what an Obama fan is, but wanting to be liked by the teacher, all the kids raised their hands except for little Johnny. The teacher asked Little Johnny why he has decided to be different Little Johnny said, 'Because I'm not an Obama fan. The teacher asked, 'Why aren't you an Obama fan?' Johnny said, 'Because I'm a Republican.' The teacher asked him why he's a Republican. Little Johnny answered, Well, my Mom's a Republican and my Dad's a Republican, so I'm a Republican.'
Annoyed by this answer, the teacher asked, 'If your mom was a moron and your dad was an idiot, what would that make you?'
With a big smile, Little Johnny replied, 'That would make me an Obama fan.
(GRINS) Just had to post this somewhere.(GRINS) kilrod
Remember, only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American Soldier
THE PLAN A.. Back off and
June 18, 2009 - 00:03 ET by jdhawkTHE PLAN
A.. Back off and let those men who want to marry men, marry men.
B.. Allow those women who want to marry women, marry women.
C.. Allow those folks who want to abort their babies, abort their babies.
D.. In two generations, there will be no Democrats.
fascism has arrived
June 17, 2009 - 22:07 ET by jondelwichewith its state run media....
What else needs to be said?
ABC
June 17, 2009 - 22:12 ET by SeftonAl Barack Channel
An hour long infomercial
June 17, 2009 - 22:25 ET by DaBirdAn hour long infomercial advocating Obamacare will not allow a sixty second commercial advocating against Obamacare? Irony anyone?
The question we should look
June 17, 2009 - 22:30 ET by Dan The Man 2The question we should look at if ABC is accepting any advertisements? And if not, then why not. Why is ABC doing this and foregoing money for advertisements? This is really disturbing and we get closer to the SCM reality.
Chavez has to be
June 17, 2009 - 22:31 ET by bigtimerChavez has to be proud.
Like Rush says...State Run Media/
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Well
June 17, 2009 - 22:45 ET by well99I know I wont watch it.Why watch propaganda.
Your government-media
June 18, 2009 - 00:10 ET by nadadhimmiYour government-media complex at work, bringing you the finest in socialist propaganda. In 3 yrs, ABC will outright deny they EVER did anything like this. They have willingly crossed a line to worship at the feet of the mess-iah, prostituting all integrity like the whores they truely are. I predict there will not be a NYT or ABC in 5 yrs as they have proven themselves to be completely biased laughingtocks. As these incredible events continue to unfold, the previousely unthinkable will become reality. An armed restoration of the Constitution may indeed occur in the streets of America
Yeah, It Sucks, But . . .
June 18, 2009 - 00:45 ET by Junk Science SkepticWhat do you want to bet that 7 out of 10 readers of this site will go out and willingly spend money on Disney crap sometime in the next six months?
Wake up and stop funding the enemy, people.
Just like living in the ol'
June 18, 2009 - 00:46 ET by mostlymoderateJust like living in the ol' U.S.S.R. minus those beautiful, Russian women and that unlimited amount of cheap vodka. :(
Sure -- this sounds like a
June 18, 2009 - 01:39 ET by Jack BauerSure -- this sounds like a real ratings winner. Hence ABC can turn down so many people who want to advertise.
ABC = Applaud Barak Channel
June 18, 2009 - 02:20 ET by AMR1960ABC (Applaud Barak Channel) Millions of Us DON'T trust you anymore. You are Fawning members of the 'Obamedia' and are irrevocably invested in "DearLeader" We see you now as craven worm-tongues on par with the North Korean press. We'd be fools to look to the State Run Media you are now a part of for truthful reporting. What's the latest count of former reporters/news-people employed by Obama--did you A$$-CLOWNS think, that we would not notice? I'll take a pass on viewing your wretched infomercial.
__________________________
Long Live...THE REPUBLIC !
I think fox should try and
June 18, 2009 - 05:42 ET by kangarooI think fox should try and find something spectacular and run it at the same time, or get the pollies against, to come on and say their ideas and why obammas idea sucks,
Yesterday Rush sugested that
June 18, 2009 - 07:27 ET by Tom PaineYesterday Rush sugested that FOx News devote its entire evening schedule to running shows featuring only opponents of Obamacare
this would be the perfect
June 18, 2009 - 05:51 ET by kangaroothis would be the perfect time for the power to go out, hope for a ripper storm, or a hacker to disable the teleprompter, that would be brilliant, cause you know with the prompter gone baz wouldn't know what the hell he was talking about,
Not fair or balanced at any price, apparently.
June 18, 2009 - 06:41 ET by locomotivebreath1901It's going to be a looong four years, boys n girls.
http://locomotivebre...
Imagine the outcry if the
June 18, 2009 - 07:26 ET by Tom PaineImagine the outcry if the Bush administration had allowed Fox News to broadcast from the Blue room of the White House and then host a prime time special on Social Security privitization that featured only proponents of privitization.
Remember the outcry in the
June 18, 2009 - 07:54 ET by Dan The Man 2Remember the outcry in the start of the Afghanaistan war when President Bush wanted to make sure that the governmnet got a fair shake and produce media reports for the WOT. Now this, we have changed.
How?
June 18, 2009 - 08:37 ET by capavHow are they choosing their town hall people? They say that ABC will be choosing the questioners. I went to their website to apply, but there's no link and I didn't see anything regarding the "event". Is there a place to submit your question?
Re Fox
June 18, 2009 - 09:46 ET by slickwillie2001Agree on Fox Network. Fox News might also try something big, maybe Palin would agree to an interview that hour, or maybe President Bush would do his first post-administration TV interview. Anything to crush ABC's ratings!
Health Care Insurance Profits
June 18, 2009 - 10:15 ET by slickwillie2001This is a critical point that calls BS on the Bamster's plans for socialized health care:
"The largest publicly-owned health insurers in America are United Healthgroup, WellPoint, Cigna International, and Aetna. ... Health insurance isn’t the inordinately profitable industry that Obama and his surrogates say it is. By my rough count, the four big public insurers are showing aftertax profit margins of barely three percent. And their total profits add up to well under $10 billion a year."
Listening to the Bamster's acolytes, you would think the insurance companies are another Exxon-Mobil, with a country-sized treasury inviting government plunder for a good cause. It's just not so.
Article: The Health Insurance Industry Is On Fire: http://www.redstate.com
On the other hand, if anyone thinks that a new government band of unionized civil-servants can administer health care more efficiently than private companies, there's a guy in Manhattan named Bernie that would like to handle your investments.
Liberal tolerance on
June 18, 2009 - 10:25 ET by wiwfLiberal tolerance on parade
The Rocky Mountain Collegian: Illustrating Idiocy
ABC
June 18, 2009 - 10:27 ET by jessieHjessieH So, who do you suppose, at ABC, is going to work for Mr. Obama?