Accessible Airwaves

Once again, the United Church of Christ's inclusion-themed, 30-second TV commercial has been rejected by the broadcast networks and now cable network, Viacom.

The United Church of Christ's all-inclusive message has been deemed "too controversial."

It’s time for equal access.

1. Let Your Voice Be Heard - Send a Message to Viacom Viacom accepts ads laced with sexual innuendo, greed, violence, and the politics of personal destruction, while our message of openness and welcome is not allowed. Tell Viacom to make the airwaves accessible. 2. Tell Your Friends Broadcasters who use the public airwaves have a responsibility to operate in the public interest. Spread the word about our campaign!

Our Turn, Your Turn - Defining the Public Interest

As we expected, CBS and NBC have filed comments with the FCC that suggest that they are digging in their heels and are defending their actions in rejecting our all-inclusive message of extravagant welcome.

While the United Church of Christ's (UCC) original goal was airing our message that all are welcome at the UCC, the rejection of our ad has raised another equally important issue. Who defines what is in the "public interest." Television stations are allowed by the FCC to broadcast over the public airwaves when "the station has served the public interest, convenience and necessity."

The question then remains – who gets to define the public interest? Have we as a society turned that responsibility over to network executives or those with a narrow religious agenda?

Yesterday, the UCC filed a response to the Networks filings and once again called upon the FCC to reject the pending license applications for NBC and CBS owned and operated stations for failing to serve the public interest.

How do you think the FCC should allow the public interest to be defined? Please write your own response comments. While the applications pending are just two stations, how the FCC responds could determine how station licensees are handled in the future. Free speech and diverse views on television is at stake – please make sure that your voice and the voices of people you know are heard.

The Rev. Bob Chase
Director of Communication
United Church of Christ


PS - What is clear is that where the ad is shown it is having an impact. As far as we know, not a single complaint has been registered, but attendance and giving to UCC congregations is up all across the country.

Posted by The Rev. Bob Chase
2/09/2005 08:29:40 AM
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About OC Inc.

The Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc. is the media advocacy arm of the United Church of Christ, a mainline Protestant denomination of over 1.3 million members. The United Church of Christ was the first voice to demand that broadcasters who use the public airwaves have a responsibility to operate in the public interest. In the 1960s, the United Church of Christ earned its place in U.S. broadcasting history by successfully challenging the license of WLBT-TV in Jackson, Miss, for refusing to broadcast news and information about African Americans.