Some TV Networks Refuse to Run Church Ad

NPR | By Lynn Neary

Published December 2, 2004 at 12:00 AM EST

CBS and NBC have refused to air a TV commercial for the United Church of Christ, saying the ad is too controversial. The 30-second commercial shows two bouncers standing in front of a church refusing to let some people in, including a gay couple. NPR's Lynn Neary reports.

The commercial emphasizes the UCC's openness to all people, including gays. The ad was accepted by other broadcast and cable outlets, including ABC Family, AMC, Discovery, TNT and Fox.

A CBS spokesman said the network has "a long policy of not accepting advocacy advertising." NBC spokesman Alan Wurtzel said the network rejected one of two ads it received from the UCC because it violated the company's policy of not accepting ads that deal with "issues of public controversy."

Lynn Neary

Lynn Neary is an NPR arts correspondent covering books and publishing.

See stories by Lynn Neary

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