TV Stations Require Change in Ad

Source from:  registerguard.com September 11, 2007 09/13/2007

Four TV stations in Oregon, including two in Eugene, briefly refused to continue airing an anti-Measure 50 ad until the tagline indicating the ad's sponsor was revised. The change was to have been made Monday evening. The TV ad initially identified Oregonians Against the Blank Check and Reynolds American as the ad's sponsor. Reynolds American is the parent company of the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. But some Measure 50 supporters and TV viewers contend that Reynolds American should be listed as the sole sponsor since the tobacco company is, to date, the sole contributor to Oregonians Against the Blank Check. Reynolds American has contributed about $1.8 million. Measure opponents said Monday that they plan to flip the tagline so that the ad now declares that it is paid for by Reynolds American and authorized by Oregonians Against the Blank Check. That apparently suits Mark Metzger, general manager at KLSR-TV, the Fox network affiliate in Eugene. KLSR-TV and its sister station, KEVU-TV, are among the four stations in Oregon that said they would not continue running the ad until the tagline was changed. KRCW, a WB affiliate in Portland, and KMVU, a Fox affiliate in Medford, also pulled the ads. Metzger said he asked the Oregon Association of Broadcasters to look into the matter after receiving calls from Measure 50 supporters who felt the tagline was misleading. The Oregon Association of Broadcasters suggested that its 23 member stations pull the ad until the tagline could be changed, said Bill Johnstone, the trade group's president. Each station was free to make its own decision, he said. Mark Nelson, campaign director for Oregonians Against the Blank Check, called the flap much ado about nothing. He said Measure 50 opponents voluntarily listed Reynolds American as an ad sponsor, "but that wasn't good enough for the zealots; they didn't like the fact that we had Oregonians Against the Blank Check listed first. So we voluntarily changed it (again) even though we thought we did it right the first time." Actually, measure sponsors aren't real happy with the revised ad, either - contending that Oregonians Against the Blank Check is nothing more than a front group and so shouldn't be listed at all. "One hundred percent of the money for this ad comes from the RJ Reynolds Co.," said Carol Butler, campaign manager for Healthy Kids Oregon. "Every nickel is coming from them." Enditem