PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Rebekah Spicuglia, Media Director
Women’s Media Center
(office) 212-563-0680; (cell) 415-290-2970
rebekah@womensmediacenter.com
Coalition of Progressive Organizations Demand CBS Pull Divisive Anti-Choice Super Bowl Ad
January 26, 2010 (New York, NY) – The Women’s Media Center and united organizations dedicated to reproductive rights, tolerance, and social justice have launched a campaign calling CBS to immediately pull an anti-choice advertisement sponsored by Focus on the Family to air during Super Bowl XLIV.
CBS has a well-documented history of prohibiting advocacy ads it deems controversial, rejecting ads from organizations such as PETA, MoveOn.org, United Church of Christ, and even ones that carry only an “implicit” endorsement for a side in a public debate. Last year, NBC made the prudent decision to not air anti-choice messages during the Super Bowl. CBS executives have indicated in the past that they would not air Super Bowl ads where “substantial elements of the community (are) in opposition to one another.”
Focus on the Family is an organization well-known for opposing the equality of Americans based on gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and reproductive freedom. This ad uses one story to subtly dictate morality to the American public, and encourages women to disregard medical advice, potentially putting their lives at risk. Abortion is a controversial issue and anti-abortion vitriol has resulted in escalated violence against reproductive health service providers and their patients.
“An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year – an event designed to bring Americans together regardless of background, faith, ideology or political affiliation,” says Jehmu Greene, President of the Women’s Media Center.
The ad goes against the approximately 70 percent majority American view that reproductive decisions should be left up to a woman and her physician; against the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that such decisions are protected by a constitutionally guaranteed right to privacy; and against the health needs of the 1 in 3 American women who will need an abortion at sometime in her life.
American values of privacy and freedom should be respected, not undermined during the Super Bowl. CBS must take action now, by canceling the airing of Focus on the Family’s anti-choice ad.
To speak with WMC President Jehmu Greene, or to book other experts on health reform, health care politics, or women’s reproductive rights, please contact Rebekah Spicuglia, (212) 563-0680, rebekah@womensmediacenter.com.
Coalition partners signed onto the letter to CBS include: Abortion Access Project, ACCESS/Women’s Health Rights Coalition, Women, Action & the Media, Advocates for Youth, Alternet, By Any Media Necessary, California Council of Churches IMPACT, CAMI project, Choice USA, Civil Liberties and Public Policy (CLPP)/Hampshire College, Equality Now, Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF), Feminist Press,
HollabackNYC, Ibis Reproductive Health, Law Students for Reproductive Justice, MAMAPALOOZA!, Media Equity Collaborative, Medical Students for Choice!, Ms. Foundation, New Prospect Family Praise and Worship Center, National Organization for Women (NOW), NOW-NYC, OpEd Project, Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health, Religious Institute, RH Reality Check, Sisterhood is Global, Inc, The White House Project, Third Wave Foundation, Women, Action & the Media (WAM!), Women In Media & News, Women’s Information Network (WIN).
About the Women’s Media Center: The Women’s Media Center is a non-profit organization making women visible and powerful in the media. Its women’s health care campaign NotUnderTheBus.com is working to ensure that health care is fair, safe, and accessible to all.
Please visit WomensMediaCenter.com to learn more about our work.
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CBS Corporation
51 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
January 27, 2010
Dear Leslie Moonves:
This letter is in response to the reported CBS decision to air an anti-choice advertisement during Super Bowl XLIV, sponsored by the controversial organization Focus on the Family. As united organizations dedicated to reproductive rights, tolerance, and social justice, we urge you to immediately cancel this ad and refuse any other advertisement promoting Focus on the Family’s agenda.
CBS has a well-documented history of prohibiting advocacy ads it deems controversial, rejecting ads from organizations such as PETA, MoveOn.org, United Church of Christ, and even ones that carry only an “implicit” endorsement for a side in a public debate. Last year, NBC made the prudent decision to not air anti-choice messages during the Super Bowl. CBS executives have indicated in the past that they would not air Super Bowl ads where “substantial elements of the community (are) in opposition to one another.” Abortion is a controversial issue and anti-abortion vitriol has resulted in escalated violence against reproductive health service providers and their patients, including the murder of Dr. George Tiller during Sunday morning service at his church. We sincerely hope you do not want CBS associated with this brand of un-American hate.
Focus on the Family has waged war on non-traditional families, tried its hand at race baiting during the 2008 election, and is now attempting to use the Super Bowl to further ramp up the vitriolic rhetoric surrounding reproductive rights. By offering one of the most coveted advertising spots of the year to an anti-equality, anti-choice, homophobic organization, CBS is aligning itself with a political stance that will alienate viewers and discourage consumers from supporting its shows and advertisers. The decision to air this ad would be ethically, economically and politically disastrous for CBS. The content of this ad endangers women’s health, uses sports to divide rather than to unite, and promotes an organization that opposes the equality of Americans based on gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and reproductive freedom. Focus on the Family’s ad is surrealistic in its argument that a woman who chooses not to have a child may be depriving the Super Bowl of a football player. It uses one family’s story to dictate morality to the American public, and encourages young women to disregard medical advice, putting their lives at risk.
The Super Bowl is an entertainment event that brings people together regardless of background, faith, ideology or political affiliation. Focus on the Family’s ad goes against the approximately 70% majority American view that reproductive decisions should be left up to a woman and her physician; against the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that such decisions are protected by a constitutionally guaranteed right to privacy; and against the health needs of the 1 in 3 American women who will need an abortion at some time in her life.
Though women comprise only 9% of CBS’s board, they are a key constituency for the CBS network and 40% of Super Bowl viewers. If you contradict your policy and air this ad, you will be throwing these women under the bus. American values of privacy and freedom should be respected, not undermined during the Super Bowl. The last thing Americans need is CBS or its advertisers telling us how and when to have a family. CBS must take action now, by cancelling the airing of Focus on the Family’s ad.
Signed,
Abortion Access Project
ACCESS/Women’s Health Rights Coalition, Women, Action & the Media
Advocates for Youth
Alternet
By Any Media Necessary
California Council of Churches IMPACT
CAMI project
Choice USA
Civil Liberties and Public Policy (CLPP)/Hampshire College
Equality Now
Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF)
Feminist Press
HollabackNYC
Ibis Reproductive Health
Law Students for Reproductive Justice
MAMAPALOOZA!
Media Equity Collaborative
Medical Students for Choice!
Ms. Foundation
New Prospect Family Praise and Worship Center
National Organization for Women (NOW)
NOW-NYC
OpEd Project
Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health
Religious Institute
RH Reality Check
Sisterhood is Global, Inc
The White House Project
Third Wave Foundation
Women, Action & the Media (WAM!)
Women In Media & News
Women’s Information Network (WIN)
Women’s Media Center
Tags: Abortion, anti-choice, CBS, Focus on the Family, NFL, pro choice, superbowl, The Women's Media Center
I’ve signed the petition. I know CBS is human, and therefore biased, but when they say they do not want to cause political polarization, then they shouldn’t post something that goes on the fence.