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!

Web site critical of UCC gives false impression of new ad

Last week, a website known for its negative critiques of the UCC published a description of our new TV ad, a full week before the planned release of the publicly at today’s press conference.

On March 20, ucctruths.com, which said it possessed a copy of the UCC’s new ad, posted a description of the commercial, along with critical comments and an unflattering still-image "video grab" which gave a false impression of the tone of the commercial especially its treatment of persons with disabilities.

In an email to the site operators on March 20, Stillspeaking Coordinator Ron Buford appealed to the site to not publish the ad until the scheduled release date.

“We have only given the ad to people who have promised to keep it within the UCC until the press conference,” Buford wrote. “Whoever released this to you has borne false witness, either directly or by omission. I do not believe you want to proceed with material you have received in this way.”

Thankfully, on Tuesday morning, James Hutchins of ucctruths.com responded to Buford, saying that it had no plans to run the ad in its entirety at this time.

The ucctruths.com Web site is long-known to lambaste UCC leaders, including the occasional use of unflattering photos. A recent post critical of General Minister and President John H. Thomas’ March 7 lecture at Gettysburg College includes an unrelated image of Thomas with his eyes closed, appearing to be asleep.


Blessings,

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

Posted by The Rev. Bob Chase
3/25/2006 05:31:00 PM
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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.