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http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=tct:2006:04:13:550788:EDITORIAL
Censorship Still Lives In Networks' Ad Picks
The Capital Times :: EDITORIAL :: A13
Thursday, April 13, 2006
RON BUFORD
"Sorry, cable trouble."
A slide with those words was all you'd see for minutes at a time when watching the largest television station in Jackson, Miss. When the national NBC news feed included coverage of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights initiatives, the local affiliate, WLBT, blocked it and aired the slide instead.
For several years starting in the 1950s, WLBT edited out civil rights activities as too controversial to air. Instead, the station aired pro-segregationist editorials and covered only all-white church services. Nearly 50 percent of WLBT's viewers were African-American, but they were invisible.
Complaints filed with the Federal Communications Commission were dismissed, and a federal appeals court ultimately ruled -- twice -- that WLBT's owners were misusing the public airwaves. After 16 years of litigation, WLBT's owners lost their license, and the station eventually came under African-American ownership. In the process, a landmark legal precedent was established that forever changed the face of television.
I am proud that Everett C. Parker and the United Church of Christ -- the church I call home -- helped lead the fight against WLBT. And I am proud that a half-century later, the UCC continues to be a leader, embracing our nation's diversity and working for freedom and fairness.
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. ..."
[Click link above for the full The Capital Times newspaper article.]
Censorship Still Lives In Networks' Ad Picks
The Capital Times :: EDITORIAL :: A13
Thursday, April 13, 2006
RON BUFORD
"Sorry, cable trouble."
A slide with those words was all you'd see for minutes at a time when watching the largest television station in Jackson, Miss. When the national NBC news feed included coverage of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights initiatives, the local affiliate, WLBT, blocked it and aired the slide instead.
For several years starting in the 1950s, WLBT edited out civil rights activities as too controversial to air. Instead, the station aired pro-segregationist editorials and covered only all-white church services. Nearly 50 percent of WLBT's viewers were African-American, but they were invisible.
Complaints filed with the Federal Communications Commission were dismissed, and a federal appeals court ultimately ruled -- twice -- that WLBT's owners were misusing the public airwaves. After 16 years of litigation, WLBT's owners lost their license, and the station eventually came under African-American ownership. In the process, a landmark legal precedent was established that forever changed the face of television.
I am proud that Everett C. Parker and the United Church of Christ -- the church I call home -- helped lead the fight against WLBT. And I am proud that a half-century later, the UCC continues to be a leader, embracing our nation's diversity and working for freedom and fairness.
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. ..."
[Click link above for the full The Capital Times newspaper article.]