| MANCHESTER, NH
- December 21 - Comcast Cable has censored Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana (GSMM), prohibiting the group from purchasing airtime on the company's cable system in New Hampshire, according to GSMM Campaign Coordinator Aaron Houston. Houston approached Comcast last month, asking to buy airtime for a television commercial, but he was denied without receiving any written material detailing the company's reasoning. When a Comcast representative informed Houston on December 1 of the company's denial, the representative noted that officials in Comcast's legal department had not viewed a specific television spot from GSMM, but the officials had denied the group based on its message about medical marijuana. After receiving a written request from Houston seeking an explanation, the representative said reasons for the denial would be sent to GSMM in writing. Then, on December 16, the same representative told Houston in a telephone call that Comcast's legal department "doesn't issue written explanations." "They denied us based solely on who we are," Houston said. "Comcast Cable is infringing on our right to speak to 21 million subscribers, even though 84% of likely voters in the upcoming election agree with our point of view. We think voters who have a vital role in picking the Democratic Party's nominee believe this is a serious and relevant issue." Interestingly, Comcast recently struck a deal with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA). In October 2003, Comcast announced a three-year advertising pledge, valued at $50 million, allowing PDFA to increase exposure for anti-drug advertising on Comcast's cable systems in 35 states. The deal constituted "the largest single upfront commitment of advertising from a major media company to The Partnership in the organization's history," according to a PDFA news release. Houston commented, "Comcast pledged $50 million dollars to the war on drugs, yet they have censored us from raising a critical question about this policy: If we're going to have a drug war, can we at least take sick and dying people off the battlefield?" ### |
