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!

December 21, 2004

---

Thank You – Have you been accepted?
Posted by The Rev. Bob Chase, 12/21/2004 11:10:00 AM

Last week, in response to charges by some groups that our ad was “dishonest,” I took our case directly to you and asked if there were some among you who had experienced rejection from the institutional church. I have been overwhelmed, and deeply moved, by your responses and by the courage you demonstrated in sharing your experiences. Thank you for your bravery and for the forthright expressions you wrote.

To update where we stand with our ad campaign: the “Night Club” ad continues to run on cable networks and Fox through this evening. Then, beginning tomorrow and continuing until Christmas Day, we will run our “Steeple” ad, which will air even on CBS and NBC. Network executives cleared this ad for broadcast, despite the fact that it contains the same message of extravagant welcome as “Night Club.” Go figure.

Since we intend to run the Night Club ad on network television in future seasons, the effort to secure approval from CBS and NBC will continue. We believe the FCC has a critical role in this, and so we will challenge them with renewed vigor in the New Year. Our next scheduled ad buy is in February, not too much time to change the network executives’ minds. Your continued help in this struggle is essential.

Christmas is now upon us and there seems an appropriate pause in many of our schedules. For Christians, Christmas is a time of hope and in that spirit, I make another request: would you be willing to share those times when you have felt accepted, affirmed and uplifted by your faith community? We’ve heard the difficult news, but like our commercial itself, the ominous music ultimately changes, the smiles appear on a magnificent mosaic of the human family. Hope abounds. Share with us those moments of profound joy you have experienced—whatever you faith tradition—so that others may also be inspired.

Once again, thank you for your courage and support.

Blessings in this season,

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

Please click on the comments link below to post your own story of acceptance.

To see the new ad please visit: http://www.stillspeaking.com/default.htm

To see the ad schedule - http://www.stillspeaking.com/news/adschedule.html

Your continued help in letting others know about this campaign is always appreciated as are donations for our campaign.

Permanent Link  [ ]

December 16, 2004

---

Have You Been Turned Away?
Posted by The Rev. Bob Chase, 12/16/2004 10:01:11 AM

The United Church of Christ’s ad has received abundant support from faith-based organizations and individuals from all walks of life. However, some groups, specifically the Association for Church Renewal and the Institute on Religion and Democracy--widely identified with the religious right--are calling our ad, "dishonest and insulting to other Christian churches."

The ad is clearly allegorical. In the same way Jesus used startling symbols in his parables—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into heaven—it contains arresting imagery, taken from the point of view of those who have felt excluded. In focus groups held in preparation for the production of this ad, non-church goers cited again and again that the reason they didn’t attend church was because they had been wounded or rejected in the past. We are simply trying to reach out to this group in a language they can understand and invite them to give the church another chance.

Were our focus groups on target? Have you been hurt by a church? Your stories will help illustrate the need for inclusion and highlight the importance of our message. The attacks on the UCC’s campaign deny the truth that many people face. Please post your stories as comments as a way of serving witness to the truth. We’re interested in your experience as a way of personalizing the realities our ad reflects.

Please post comments here on this blog that reflect how your experience made you feel towards church in general and whether or not it impacted your participation in church. Please refrain from posting specific information about individuals, specific churches or religious groups – our mission is to encourage inclusion.

As we continue to let more and more people know about our extravagant welcome, your responses can help our congregations better serve as welcoming places where healing can take place and more accurately address the pain you are feeling.

Thank you,

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

Permanent Link  [ ]

December 13, 2004

---

Olympics Investigated While Inclusive Campaign Blocked from TV
Posted by Ken, 12/13/2004 05:20:40 PM

In case you were wondering it the FCC reads complaints that they get -

"The Federal Communications Commission has asked for a tape of NBC's broadcast of the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics after it received at least one indecency complaint."
- Reuters - 12/13/04

While visitors to this site have generated 3,616 letters to the FCC in the last few days, please add your voice and write your own letter and let others know about this campaign - one letter can make a difference - so write your letter and take the time to edit it with your thoughts on this issue.

The campaign has been getting some good play - here are some recent clips:

• Stillspeaking's national coordinator speaks out in Maine
• It's not the ad that's objectionable
• UCC told its ads can't air on TV

Permanent Link  [ ]

December 10, 2004

---

Great First Day - Campaign Update
Posted by Ken, 12/10/2004 03:35:52 PM

There has been a great outpouring of support from Internet users for AccessibleAirwaves.org after only a single day of operation. The numbers speak for themselves:

• 2,600+ Messages sent to the FCC
• $9,000+ Contributed online for the Campaign

This site is being driven by a wide variety of Bloggers, from pastordan’s posting on Dailykos.com, where he added a poll that voted 98% to endorse the campaign to Chris Bowers at mydd.com who highlights the impact of letters to the FCC.

We are also starting to see some great support from other organizations including HRC that sent out an email alert telling their members about our campaign.

On Thursday afternoon we had some reports that people were getting error messages from the FCC. We have spoken directly to officials at the FCC to alert them of this problem. They have assured us that we are submitting the comments correctly and that they are being included in the file of the stations that are the subject of the complaint.

Thanks. Let’s keep the pressure up!

Permanent Link  [ ]

December 9, 2004

---

Editorial Support
Posted by AccessibleAirwaves.org Webmaster, 12/09/2004 05:31:59 PM

Two great editorials today supporting the campaign.

Marblehead Reporter - We're shaking our heads right along with interim minister Rev. Raymond Patch and many others in the Old North Church community. Read on...http://www2.townonline.com/marblehead/opinion/view.bg?articleid=142677

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Heaven help us when television networks that regularly pander with titillating dramas and suggestive sitcoms refuse to air a church commercial because it's "too controversial." Hypocrisy was served up recently by CBS and NBC when the networks rejected a national ad campaign by the Cleveland-based United Church of Christ. Read on...http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04344/423906.stm

Permanent Link  [ ]

UCC Challenges Broadcast Licenses
Posted by AccessibleAirwaves.org Webmaster, 12/09/2004 02:41:00 PM

The Office of Communication of United Church of Christ, Inc. is filing challenges on the License renewal of a CBS station WFOR-TV and NBC station WTVJ-TV in Miami for failing to operate in the public interest. This is in response to CBS’s and NBC’s refusal to air a paid UCC ad on religious tolerance and inclusion because it was deemed “controversial”. Broadcasters who use the public airwaves have a responsibility to operate in the public interest. UCC's message is being denied access to the airwaves, therefore the licenses should not be renewed. It’s time to take back the airwaves from the big media corporations. You can help by making a contribution and sending the FCC a written "informal objection" to the broadcast license renewal to the FCC.

Permanent Link  [ ]

---

Blog Archives:

12/01/2004 - 12/31/2004
01/01/2005 - 01/31/2005
02/01/2005 - 02/28/2005
03/01/2005 - 03/31/2005
05/01/2005 - 05/31/2005
03/01/2006 - 03/31/2006
04/01/2006 - 04/30/2006

Learn more about the UCC

Recent Posts

Sign Up!

Receive email updates about our ongoing campaign

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.