E-mail from Proctor & Gamble RE: Sinclair Broadcasting

[Sandpiper]

Keep it up guys and gals! We've definitely gotten the advertisers' attention


Response (Angela) - 10/13/2004 06:29 PM
Thanks for contacting us about Sinclair Broadcast Group’s plans to air “Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal,” a show involving Senator John Kerry.

We haven’t reviewed the program content for this show and as a result, haven’t provided any advertising support for it. Since the network has said this is a news program, the preparation is handled entirely by their staff and the selection of content is based solely on their judgment. Advertisers aren’t given the opportunity to review news shows in advance. If we had been able to review it, one of our guiding advertising principles is that we don't advertise in programs where there is expression for or against a given political candidate.

The way we spend our advertising dollar is important to us. For most tv programming, we’re able to review the content and we do this on a show by show basis before making any advertising sponsorship decisions. You may see some of our commercials air on the Sinclair Broadcast Group's network during tv series that we've agreed to appear in.

The networks also have control over tv programming and can choose to preempt regularly scheduled programming with different shows, such as this one.

We appreciate your comments and I'm sharing them with those responsible for television sponsorship.

Angie
P&G Team

[aquart]

1. Not good enough.

The Sinclair offense is airing WITHOUT advertising. My objection is to supporting such a corporation PERIOD.

[DeadHead67]

2. No advertising, eh ? Good ! that makes MY argument . . . . .

. . , that it's a campaign contribution even more viable. The Federal Election Comission should step in and admonish Sinclair about the violation of campaign finance statutes inherent in airing it.

[Carla in Ca]

3. I have been boycotting P&G for many years already

They still do animal testing.

[BUSHOUT]

4. NO, NOT GOOD ENOUGH....HERE IS THE LINE FOR ALL ADVERTISERS....

The 60+ network affiliates of Sinclair are being monitored and advertisers are being identified.

If thier advertising continues to appear on these stations and this anti-Kerry attack airs, they will be judged complacent and supportive of it.

That puts them on a list, and that list goes on my fridge for a lifetime ban.

This is not some fringe activist movement....this is a MASS movement.

take no corporate write-offs from these people. We're polite, but firm.

On the phone, any spiel about them not advertising during the program should be interupted. We KNOW it's commercial free, no excuse for them.

They are not being politically neutral if they're supporting these stations ahead of the time this thing airs, if it airs.