CBS is refusing to air an ad sponsored by Moveon.org. It’s too “controversial,” CBS claims. CBS says that it avoids giving air time to “controversial issues of public importance.” Precisely because the commercial is of public interest is why it needs to be seen. Otherwise, CBS’s decision has a “chilling effect” on spirited public debate in this country.
The problem is not just with CBS. It’s much larger than that. CBS is owned by Viacom, a gigantic media corporation that either owns or has controlling interests in UPN, BET, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount, Showtime, Simon & Schuster, Scribner, and Blockbuster Video.
If you don’t want this corporate megalith deciding for you what you can or cannot watch or read, then take action.