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| DECEMBER 2, 2004
As General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), I wish to state my deep concern about your network’s refusal to air a 30-second television ad from the United Church of Christ (UCC). There is no question that the UCC produced a high-quality advertisement designed to promote its welcoming stance toward everyone in the human community. The ad was also part of a well-thought out campaign to create greater name recognition for the denomination. The ad had been test marketed in several U.S. markets earlier this year, and was highly endorsed by those who viewed it. It is troubling to think that a television network would attempt to regulate the type of information that viewers can see by deeming what is now being called the “bouncer” ad as “too controversial.” Your network’s refusal to air the ad appears to violate the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech and freedom of religious expression. The courts ruled more than 40 years ago during the civil right struggles that the airwaves are public, not private property. Communities cannot and should not be denied access to differing ideas and outlooks. The media has a responsibility to provide information of interest to a variety of publics. As Christians, we are called to create a loving and spirit-filled community of believers, which welcomes ALL people. Our denomination, comprised of 770,000 members, supports the UCC in its efforts to develop creative, thought-provoking messages of evangelism. The UCC has been a long-time partner with our church in a variety of ways. We share their message of inclusiveness and belief in God’s saving grace. We ask that you reconsider your opinion about the use of the ad and join with those at a number of other networks who concur with the UCC that this thought-provoking ad is worthy of public viewing. In Christ’s Service, Wm. Chris Hobgood, (A similar letter was sent to Robert Wright,
President and Chief Executive Officer for NBC) |