CBS Drops Gateway Digital Music Ad Over Political "Advocacy"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 31, 2003 - 3:47am.

Boston -- The Boston Globe reported on Monday that the CBS television network has refused to air an ad from PC maker Gateway, which points viewers to a website expressing views on copyright legislation contrary to those held by the network. "We don't accept advocacy advertising and this particular ad fell under that umbrella," CBS spokesman Dana McClintock told The Globe. CBS says the "advocacy" it objects to is presented on a website advertised during the commercial, on which Gateway urges visitors to contact their Congressmen to argue against federal legislation that would put government-mandated copy-protection technology into consumer electronics, such as the CD burners it sells. Major TV networks such as CBS and its parent company Viacom have lobbied in favor of such legislation. Gateway responded by saying that 15 networks, including NBC, Fox, MSNBC and VH1, have agreed to run the ad. http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/089/business/CBS_refuses_Gateway _ad_over_Web_address+.shtml
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