Accessible Airwaves

A Campaign by the Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ Inc.

Click Here to Put the Blog Ad on Your Site

Have you seen
this yet?

"Too political" - Viacom
"Too controversial" - NBC

If It's Sunday It's Conservative - A recent report by Media Matters
Network Rejection Notices
National Council of Churches President urges communicators, take on 'false religion'

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!

April 19, 2006
Tell NBC to open its Sunday talk show to mainline churches
Posted by The Rev. Bob Chase, 4/19/2006 03:30:00 PM

For the past several years, Easter Sunday has been an occasion for NBC's "Meet the Press" to discuss religion in America.

And for the past two years, and perhaps more, the show's "Faith in America" installment has totally shut out any representation from the nation's mainline churches.

The issue transcends liberal and conservative, Left and Right. It's about the continued absence of representation afforded to mainline, mainstream churches.

This year, two Roman Catholics and a Pentecostal represented the Christian perspective, in addition to comments from one Muslim and one Jew. Last year, it was a Southern Baptist, a Roman Catholic and a Pentecostal who articulated just what Christians believe.

Not a United Methodist to be found. No United Church of Christ leader. No Presbyterian moderator. No ELCA Bishop. No representation from the Greek Orthodox. In fact, not a single voice representing the 35 communions of the mainline National Council of Churches was invited to appear on the program.

That's an oversight of 45 million Protestant, Orthodox and African American churches gathered in more than 100,000 churches -- and for at least two years running.

This year's show included evangelical Richard J. Neuhaus, a Roman Catholic priest and board member of the anti-mainline Institute for Religion and Democracy, who is known for his strong attacks against mainline Protestant denominations.

Despite the fact that mainline churches are at the heart of the American landscape, they continue to be silenced, or perhaps just ignored, when it comes to media conversations about religion in America.

At the beginning of the show, host Tim Russert asked the panelists, "Were people more religious at the founding of our country and were we more divided on moral issues back then than we are now?"

Ironically, there was no one present to represent those historic, mainline Protestant traditions that have been so prominently at the center of American life since its earliest days.

Tell NBC to open its Sunday talk show to mainline churches. Take Action now.

Permanent Link [ ]
Where's the mainline, mainstream voice?
Posted by The Rev. Bob Chase, 4/19/2006 12:03:00 PM

When CNN went looking for Easter guests for its Sunday morning talk shows, do you think it ever considered a mainline Christian voice?

No, instead it asked the Rev. Jerry Falwell to join CNN Late Edition host Wolf Blitzer in a Resurrection-day conversation about the involvement of conservative Christian voters in the 2006 and 2008 elections.

Lasting nearly 10 minutes, the segment didn't speculate how mainline Christians might vote in upcoming elections. It only served to underscore the assumption that so-called "values voters" are evangelicals.

Wouldn't Easter have been an appropriate on-air occasion for this nation's 45 million mainline Christians and 100,000 mainline churches to have a turn at the TV microphone? Must Falwell's bully pulpit always be the media lectern where the monolithic "Christian" message of the Religious Right is proclaimed?

Where's the mainline, mainstream voice?

Permanent Link [ ]
April 13, 2006
Another Network Agrees to Run Ad For Free
Posted by The Rev. Bob Chase, 4/13/2006 03:51:00 PM

Some good news to pass along...

Q Television, another national network directed to the LGBT community, has become the second gay-themed cable channel to run the UCC's "ejector" ad for free as a public service announcement. The decision comes a week after LOGO, a Viacom-owned, gay-focused network, rejected the ad.

Here! TV announced on April 11 that it would run the ad indefinitely on its national premium cable channel.

Read the full story.

Permanent Link [ ]
William Sloane Coffin Had A Message For The Networks
Posted by Chuck Currie, 4/13/2006 01:06:00 PM

Today the world is mourning the death of United Church of Christ minister William Sloane Coffin, the former Yale chaplain and former senior minister of Riverside Church in New York City. Coffin was a hero to many and it was a great privilege for me to interview him in 2004.

Rev. Coffin was quite concerned when the first round of UCC television spots were banned by the networks. He wrote an op-ed piece during that time sharing his concerns and his support for the denomination.

As a tribute to this great man and the causes he fought for I’d like to reprint that op-ed piece here because of its relevance in this moment.

Let us give praise to God for the ministry of William Sloane Coffin.

Chuck Currie

Written by William Sloane Coffin Wednesday, 15 December 2004

At my age, I harbor far fewer illusions than I did in younger years. Still, I was shocked by the refusal of NBC and CBS to air a TV ad by the United Church of Christ. The UCC is a mainline, Protestant denomination of 1.3 million members who gather in some 6,000 congregations across the country.

There was nothing unseemly or hateful about the ad; quite the contrary. In effect, it said that there are no outsiders to a God who created all humankind, and as Christ himself was the soul of hospitality, a faithful church strives to be inclusive. Pictured among a variety of people who have been hurt by exclusion were two men walking hand in hand.

Inevitably, in a homophobic society, many people feel uncomfortable with displays of same-sex affection. But their comfort is not the issue. At issue is the discomfort of gays and lesbians who for years have been isolated, silenced, abused, and killed. The image of Matthew Shepard hanging on a Wyoming fence still burns in many American minds and hearts.

So NBC and CBS were guilty not only of censorship but also of insensitivity to considerable suffering. No doubt, the networks feared a right-wing backlash. It is true that such leaders of the Religious Right as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Gary Bauer repudiate violent forms of homophobia. But to deplore the violence, while continuing to proclaim the ideas that undergird it, strikes thoughtful people as hypocritical. Seeds of disrespect all too often blossom into hatred and violence.

The UCC properly implied that millions of American Christians are at odds with the Christian Right. They know that the Biblical book of Leviticus forbids homosexual relations. They are also aware that the same book condemns barbequed ribs and Monday Night Football for it is "toevah" - an abomination - not only to eat pork but merely to touch the skin of a dead pig.

In reality, there are no biblical literalists, only selective literalists. By abolishing slavery and ordaining women, millions of Protestants have gone far beyond biblical literalism. It's time we did the same for homophobia.

Homosexuality was not a big issue for Biblical writers. All told, there are only seven verses in 66 books that refer to it. Nowhere in the four gospels is it ever mentioned. Not everything Biblical is Christ-like, and verses involving more hate than love have no place whatsoever in the human heart. For Christians, the problem is not how to reconcile homosexuality with the scriptural passages that condemn it, but how to reconcile the rejection and abuse of homosexuals with the love of Christ. The UCC ad claims that it can, and must be done.

In a Washington, D.C., cemetery, on the gravestone of a Vietnam veteran, it is written, "When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one."

Is a man loving another immutably immoral? Cannot Hamlet once again persuade a reluctant Horatio that "there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy?"

The Rev. William Sloane Coffin, a UCC minister, died on April 12, 2006.

Permanent Link [ ]
April 11, 2006
Free Of Charge
Posted by Chuck Currie, 4/11/2006 10:51:00 PM

Some good news:
A national premium network, “here! TV,” which caters to lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender audiences, has said it will run the United Church of
Christ’s new “ejector” commercial -- without charge -- as a public service announcement, following a decision by LOGO, a competing gay-oriented network, to reject the ad.
Click here for the full story. A television company that owns 14 stations across the US ran the UCC’s ads for free last year. There are a lot of good people out there who want to hear the God’s message of extravagant welcome.

But as good as this news is the fact remains that everyone should be able to see this spot. Make sure you e-mail the link of this website to your family and friends so they have the opportunity!

Permanent Link [ ]
April 7, 2006
The New York Times, The United Church Of Christ, & The Institute on Religion and Democracy
Posted by Chuck Currie, 4/07/2006 10:31:00 PM

This morning The New York Times published an article about the United Church of Christ and a conservative critic of all mainline denominations: the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD).

What is IRD? Well, the group has very little to do with religion and a lot to do with politics.

It was set-up in the early 1980s by conservative political groups upset with mainline church critics who charged that US foreign policy was supporting violent dictatorships in places like El Salvador and South Africa. Mark Tooley, one of IRD’s top leaders, is a former CIA employee.

The aim of IRD was then and is now to sow division in mainline churches and church bodies such as the National Council of Churches by defaming church leaders and institutions.

IRD receives funding today from conservative politics activists such as Richard Mellon Scaife. Scaife provided nearly all the funding needed to wage an eight-year campaign against Bill and Hillary Clinton during their tenure in the White House.

IRD and their backers consider many Republicans too liberal and have even fought against conservative evangelical Christians concerned about the environment.

During the 2004 elections the IRD accused mainline churches of partisan political activity in support of democratic candidates. John Lomperis, one of IRD’s staffers, wrote several pieces on IRD’s web site making that charge. The charge, however, was totally false. Mainline churches only engaged in proper and legal voter registration drives and get out the vote efforts. Lomperis never disclosed that he was actively working on the Bush 2004 re-election campaign while make these false allegations.

Members of all mainline churches - such as the UCC - represent many different political beliefs.

IRD also coordinates a group called the Association for Church Renewal. Part of this association is a small IRD-aligned organization called the Biblical Witness Fellowship. BFW is assigned to target the UCC by attacking the denomination's leadership and members. IRD distributes their press material.

Is there a “vast right wing conspiracy” aimed at mainline churches and organized by IRD?

I’d call it more of a “vast right wing coordination.”

IRD and their allies hope to silence the prophetic voice of mainline churches that argue against economic policies that benefit the wealthy at the expense of the “least of these,” work to promote peace over war, seek to make sure everyone feels welcomed at God’s table, and maintain that the environment is a gift from God we must protect.

IRD is a political organization concerned with political activities. The United Church of Christ is a church concerned with preaching the Gospel.

Our denomination is fortunate to have leaders speaking out against such partisan groups misusing the Christian faith for nationalistic political goals.

But when the networks ban the UCC from airing television spots proclaiming the Gospel message of extravagant welcome then groups like IRD win and the Gospel message loses.

Send a message to the network executive telling them not to let that happen.

Chuck Currie

Permanent Link [ ]
Follow Up: The UCC Off The Air In Many Places
Posted by Chuck Currie, 4/07/2006 01:22:00 AM

Some follow-up on the decision yesterday by NBC’s cable affiliates and Viacom’s stations not to air the United Church of Christ’s new television commercial:

First, Accessible Airways has a new link up where you can send a message to Viacom asking that they change their tune and air the spot.

The Viacom decision means the commercial will not air on Spanish language stations.

Pastor Dan also has a good post on Street Prophets with his thoughts about the controversy.

Finally, Frederick Clarkson wrote today about how the Republican Party aligned-Institute on Religion and Democracy is trying to spin this story in right-wing publications.

Related Post: The Marriage Of David Horowitz And The Institute on Religion and Democracy

Chuck Currie

Permanent Link [ ]
April 6, 2006
Op-ed in this morning's San Jose Mercury News
Posted by The Rev. Bob Chase, 4/06/2006 09:35:00 AM

In this morning’s San Jose Mercury News, our very own Rev. Ron Buford, director of our Stillspeaking Initiative, shares the difficulty he is having getting the “Ejector Seat” ad on network television:

“This month, a new television ad for our 'God Is Still Speaking' campaign is airing across the country. The ad, called 'Ejector Seats,' shows a variety of people being literally ejected from a church because they're 'different': homeless, gay, Middle Eastern or just ordinary people with noisy kids. Our campaign's message is simple. No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you're welcome in the UCC.

“Like modern Bible parables, these commercials are short, catchy, simple and memorable. And like the Bible parables, they challenge the status quo. Perhaps that's why they've been branded as 'too controversial' by the major television networks. Our message about rejection was itself rejected, and ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX all refused to air the ad.

“When I've talked to network executives, it's clear that they believe they're being fair because they air programs with gay characters. From 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' to 'Will & Grace,' the networks portray gay people in one dimension, like minstrels who exist simply to entertain viewers. But showing lesbians and gay men seeking relationships with God is deemed 'too controversial' for the public airwaves.”

We're simply asking to pay for airtime, like any other advertiser reaching people in the marketplace.”
Read the full piece, “Network censorship can't silence church's campaign.”

Permanent Link [ ]
April 5, 2006
General Electric’s NBC Cannot Silence God’s Message Of Extravagant Welcome
Posted by Chuck Currie, 4/05/2006 11:30:00 PM

What a weird world we live in. ABC will run advertisements for the Religious Right political group Focus on the Family – whose founder has made defeating democrats a primary task of his organization – but the network and others (now including some NBC-owned cable stations) will not air a television spot promoting the United Church of Christ. ABC says they won’t air religious commercials but the hypocrisy is apparent whenever they have aired Focus on the Family spots. NBC won’t air the UCC spots because our denomination promotes a message that God doesn’t turn anyone away. For the peacock network – a media conglomerate owned by General Electric – the Gospel message of extravagant welcome is one that should be silenced. General Electric, which gives millions of dollars to conservative political campaigns, clearly has a stake in silencing any prophetic message that challenges society to follow Jesus’ ministry – a ministry that spoke of tolerance, love, justice, and God’s gift of grace. Those are not always corporate values. Will the effort on the part of the media corporations to silence the voice of the United Church of Christ work? No. God is still speaking. Even GE isn’t powerful enough to keep that voice quiet.

Chuck Currie

Permanent Link [ ]
Viacom says our new ad is too "political"
Posted by The Rev. Bob Chase, 4/05/2006 10:22:00 PM

I wish I was writing to you tonight to announce some good news, but unfortunately, that is not the case.

As you know, our newest commercial, the "ejector seat" ad, has already been rejected by ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and the WB. We have now learned that Viacom has rejected the ad as well. Apparently, they think the ad is too "political."

Viacom’s decision is particularly disturbing because they ran our first commercial, the "bouncer" ad, last year.

We had hoped that the ad would start running this week on Nick at Nite, TV Land, and LOGO, the new cable channel for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) audience. We are truly disappointed that this will not be happening, and we hope you are, too.

Personally, I am particularly alarmed that Viacom would start a cable channel specifically for an LGTB audience and then deny that audience a chance to see an ad that specifically reaches out to the LGBT community in such a positive way.

Evidently, when it comes to LOGO, they don't really mean it's the LGBT community's network, it's just a channel targeted at the LGBT community to sell a product.

As always, the networks are OK with ads filled with lust, greed and violence. But, for some reason, an ad about openness and welcome that merely says "church doors are open to all" is being silenced as too political. Political?

Churches like the United Church of Christ should be allowed to deliver positive messages that seek to build and enrich the quality of life. Please pass that message on to Viacom!

Blessings,
Bob

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

Permanent Link [ ]
April 4, 2006
"Ejector Seat" Ad Starts
Posted by The Rev. Bob Chase, 4/04/2006 12:33:00 PM

Our "Ejector Seat" television ad is now running. For the next three weeks, it will appear on cable TV.

While multiple cable networks have accepted the ad, all of the major broadcast networks — CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox and WB — have thus far rejected it, claiming it's a controversial, issue-advocacy ad. Of course, we think this part of a larger problem: a bias on the part of the network in favor of the religious right.

If you have not done so yet, please contact ABC's This Week and ask them why so many leaders of the religious right have been on their show at the exclusion of others from churches like UCC. So far, we have been able to send more than 4,500 messages to ABC. Let's keep the pressure on!

By the way, we continue to get great press coverage of our efforts. For a great story on the Accessible Airwaves project, see "Church Moderates Seek Airtime" from the Hartford Courant.

Blessings,
Bob

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

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

The Ad the Networks Don't Want You to See

Replay the Ad

Real Player
QuickTime
Windows Media Player

Learn more about the UCC