Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia - December 3, 2004
Dan Whitcomb
A spokesman for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which was rejected when it tried to run the ads during NBC's prime-time hit comedy "Will and Grace," and late-night programs, said the organization believes that affiliates were afraid to run afoul of the U.S. broadcast regulator.
In the commercial two shirtless men meet at a bar and go home together. They part the following morning, one clad only in underwear and an open bathrobe, as the blob-like pustule character "Phil" moves in -- bringing several friends toting boxes that read "brain damage," "rash" and "HIV pusher."
"We're going to seek clarification from the stations themselves as to what they find inappropriate and we're also going to pursue this at the FCC," AIDS Healthcare Foundation spokesman Ged Kenslea said.
"This is in the swirl of stations running scared after Janet Jackson's 'wardrobe malfunction' and the creep of moral values is really flipping over," Kenslea said in reference to a furor over the broadcast on CBS of this year's Super Bowl half-time show, in which Jackson bared her breast.
The FCC said it would fine 20 CBS stations, including Los Angeles affiliate KCBS-TV, a record total of $550,000, for the Jackson incident.
"We consider the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases a serious matter," KCBS spokesman Mike Nelson said in a statement. "It is an issue that we have addressed and will continue to recognize through fair, accurate and balanced news reporting and the broadcast of public service announcements. With that said, we do not believe the spot we received was appropriate for our broadcast TV audience."
The commercials, which were funded by Los Angeles County's health agency, aired on cable channels during the summer.
Kenslea said that when his organization tried to buy time on broadcast stations, initially considering spots during "Will and Grace," "The Simpsons" and "The Late Show with David Letterman," it was met with resistance by the affiliates.
He said most of the stations wanted to run the commercial in toned-down form or late at night, when children would not likely be watching, while CBS and NBC rejected them outright.
Since then, he said, NBC has offered to broadcast the commercials late at night.
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