ABC News Refusing to Air Opposing Ads During Obama's Health Care Special

busyLivin · 06-18-2009, 05:04 PM

Opponents of President Obama's proposed health care reform are blasting ABC News for refusing to air opposing ads during a prime time special next Wednesday, just as a new study finds ABC News coverage of the president's health care plan is favorable by a ratio of 3 to 1.

The prime time special -- called "Questions for the President: Prescription for America" -- will be a nationally televised event during which Obama will answer questions presented by audience members selected by ABC News. The network has refused to accept advocacy ads during the hourlong show.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele accused ABC News and anchor Charles Gibson of making Obama's case for "nationalized" health care "without any opportunity for opposing views to be aired.

In a fundraising e-mail aimed at raising nearly $100,000 to buy air time for a counterprogram, Steele said the RNC's request to add its views to the debate during the special was "flatly rejected" by ABC News.

"What are the Democrats and their media allies afraid of? The truth?" he asked in a fundraising letter to supporters. "That is outrageous! And we will not take it!"

But ABC News spokesman Jeffrey Schneider told FOXNews.com that it has been a "longstanding" policy not to accept "advocacy" ads.

Schneider explained that the policy was established decades ago and only local ABC affiliates air issue ads.

"Local stations have different standards," he said, adding that ABC News refused to air Obama's infomercial the week before the presidential election in November because it did not meet the station's standards.

Since the president's inauguration in January, ABC's "World News" and "Good Morning America" have aired stories that feature Obama or supporters of his health care plan 55 times compared to 18 appearances by critics of his plan, according to a Business & Media Institute (BMI) analysis released Wednesday.

Schneider said during Wednesday's broadcast a roomful of people will present a broad range of opinions on health care and be able to ask the president questions. Viewers will also be able to submit questions via ABCNews.com.

"We're going to be producing a fair and open and honest debate about health care, which is vitally important to the country" he said. "The point of the debate is to hear from all sides."

Rick Scott, chairman of Conservatives for Patients Rights, is pushing ABC News to reconsider its ban on issue ads.

"It is unfortunate -- and unusual -- that ABC is refusing to accept paid advertising that would present an alternative viewpoint for the White House health care program," he said in a statement, noting estimates that potential legislation costs at least $1 trillion of taxpayer money.

"The American people deserve a healthy, robust debate on this issue and ABC's decision -- as of now -- to exclude even paid advertisements that present an alternative view does a disservice to the public."

Some conservative bloggers are calling for people to boycott advertisers on ABC.

"All Americans who are opposed to a major media arm becoming a visible branch of the presidential political machine" should use the marketplace to voice their objection, one blogger wrote.

min0 lee · 06-18-2009, 06:20 PM

Fox caught with its pants down on ABC attacks
by Jed Lewison

Thu Jun 18, 2009 at 01:03:59 PM PDT

As Think Progress noted, despite Fox's whining about ABC's upcoming special on health care reform which will include a town hall conducted in the White House, it turns out that when George W. Bush was President, Fox did exactly what they are accusing ABC of.

Here's a video mashup of what Fox is saying now -- and what it reported then, including footage from its fawning specials on both Bush and Cheney.

It's just another reminder you can never believe a single word that comes out of the mouth of Sean Hannity, Karl Rove -- or anyone else at Fox for that matter.

Update, 1:10PM: And don't forget, as Al Rodgers commented, Fox televised a McCain Town Hall last June -- in which McCain handpicked the audience. They are the GOP Network indeed. That's fine...as long as they are treated like any other opinion or advocacy group. --Jed

::

min0 lee · 06-18-2009, 06:22 PM

ABC "All Barack Channel"

maniclion · 06-18-2009, 07:06 PM

Sounds to me like they won't except advertising on either side of the debate, not just the views opposing B.O's.....

bandaidwoman · 06-18-2009, 07:23 PM

How's this for another reason why a public option or national health isurance is mandatory. Will any Op-Ed piece talk about the practice of recission?

Quote:

Lawmakers ask three executives if they'll stop dropping customers except where they can show "intentional fraud." All say no.

Executives of three of the nation's largest health insurers told federal lawmakers in Washington on Tuesday that they would continue canceling medical coverage for some sick policyholders, despite withering criticism from Republican and Democratic members of Congress who decried the practice as unfair and abusive.

The hearing on the controversial action known as rescission, which has left thousands of Americans burdened with costly medical bills despite paying insurance premiums, began a day after President Obama outlined his proposals for revamping the nation's healthcare system.
An investigation by the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations showed that health insurers WellPoint Inc., UnitedHealth Group and Assurant Inc. canceled the coverage of more than 20,000 people, allowing the companies to avoid paying more than $300 million in medical claims over a five-year period.

It also found that policyholders with breast cancer, lymphoma and more than 1,000 other conditions were targeted for rescission and that employees were praised in performance reviews for terminating the policies of customers with expensive illnesses.

"No one can defend, and I certainly cannot defend, the practice of canceling coverage after the fact," said Rep. Michael C. Burgess (R-Tex.), a member of the committee. "There is no acceptable minimum to denying coverage after the fact."

The executives -- Richard A. Collins, chief executive of UnitedHealth's Golden Rule Insurance Co.; Don Hamm, chief executive of Assurant Health and Brian Sassi, president of consumer business for WellPoint Inc., parent of Blue Cross of California -- were courteous and matter-of-fact in their testimony.
snip
An investigation by the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations showed that health insurers WellPoint Inc., UnitedHealth Group and Assurant Inc. canceled the coverage of more than 20,000 people, allowing the companies to avoid paying more than $300 million in medical claims over a five-year period.

It also found that policyholders with breast cancer, lymphoma and more than 1,000 other conditions were targeted for rescission and that employees were praised in performance reviews for terminating the policies of customers with expensive illnesses.

"No one can defend, and I certainly cannot defend, the practice of canceling coverage after the fact," said Rep. Michael C. Burgess (R-Tex.), a member of the committee. "There is no acceptable minimum to denying coverage after the fact."

The executives -- Richard A. Collins, chief executive of UnitedHealth's Golden Rule Insurance Co.; Don Hamm, chief executive of Assurant Health and Brian Sassi, president of consumer business for WellPoint Inc., parent of Blue Cross of California -- were courteous and matter-of-fact in their testimony.

..http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-rescind17-

It happens, I see it all the time, I diagnose a cancer ( one guy with burkitts lymphoma) five visits later find out the insurance is not going to pay any of the five visits that led up to and including treatment of his cancer, we get hosed ......

maniclion · 06-18-2009, 09:12 PM

It's sad when the thought of getting a disease and dying doesn't scare someone as much as going into debt because of it....

Big Smoothy · 06-19-2009, 11:35 AM

Health care and health care reform is so complicated I only know a few of the big basics, and I barely know how it works.

The issue is complicated and there is a lot of propaganda on both sides. The only way to learn about it is to research it for hours, and I'm not willing to do this.

Next year (according to a USA Today article I read yesterday) is predicting a 9% increase in health care costs.

The US health care system is a train crash - and I am referring to those who ARE insured. As well as those that cannot afford private health insurance who work full time and don't get any via the employer-employee.

06-18-2009, 05:04 PM	#1
busyLivin Senior Member Elite Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Chicago Posts: 4,339	ABC News Refusing to Air Opposing Ads During Obama's Health Care Special Opponents of President Obama's proposed health care reform are blasting ABC News for refusing to air opposing ads during a prime time special next Wednesday, just as a new study finds ABC News coverage of the president's health care plan is favorable by a ratio of 3 to 1. The prime time special -- called "Questions for the President: Prescription for America" -- will be a nationally televised event during which Obama will answer questions presented by audience members selected by ABC News. The network has refused to accept advocacy ads during the hourlong show. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele accused ABC News and anchor Charles Gibson of making Obama's case for "nationalized" health care "without any opportunity for opposing views to be aired. In a fundraising e-mail aimed at raising nearly $100,000 to buy air time for a counterprogram, Steele said the RNC's request to add its views to the debate during the special was "flatly rejected" by ABC News. "What are the Democrats and their media allies afraid of? The truth?" he asked in a fundraising letter to supporters. "That is outrageous! And we will not take it!" But ABC News spokesman Jeffrey Schneider told FOXNews.com that it has been a "longstanding" policy not to accept "advocacy" ads. Schneider explained that the policy was established decades ago and only local ABC affiliates air issue ads. "Local stations have different standards," he said, adding that ABC News refused to air Obama's infomercial the week before the presidential election in November because it did not meet the station's standards. Since the president's inauguration in January, ABC's "World News" and "Good Morning America" have aired stories that feature Obama or supporters of his health care plan 55 times compared to 18 appearances by critics of his plan, according to a Business & Media Institute (BMI) analysis released Wednesday. Schneider said during Wednesday's broadcast a roomful of people will present a broad range of opinions on health care and be able to ask the president questions. Viewers will also be able to submit questions via ABCNews.com. "We're going to be producing a fair and open and honest debate about health care, which is vitally important to the country" he said. "The point of the debate is to hear from all sides." Rick Scott, chairman of Conservatives for Patients Rights, is pushing ABC News to reconsider its ban on issue ads. "It is unfortunate -- and unusual -- that ABC is refusing to accept paid advertising that would present an alternative viewpoint for the White House health care program," he said in a statement, noting estimates that potential legislation costs at least $1 trillion of taxpayer money. "The American people deserve a healthy, robust debate on this issue and ABC's decision -- as of now -- to exclude even paid advertisements that present an alternative view does a disservice to the public." Some conservative bloggers are calling for people to boycott advertisers on ABC. "All Americans who are opposed to a major media arm becoming a visible branch of the presidential political machine" should use the marketplace to voice their objection, one blogger wrote.

06-18-2009, 06:20 PM	#2
min0 lee Senior Member Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: The Bronx, NYC Posts: 38,792 Photos: 542	Fox caught with its pants down on ABC attacks by Jed Lewison Thu Jun 18, 2009 at 01:03:59 PM PDT As Think Progress noted, despite Fox's whining about ABC's upcoming special on health care reform which will include a town hall conducted in the White House, it turns out that when George W. Bush was President, Fox did exactly what they are accusing ABC of. Here's a video mashup of what Fox is saying now -- and what it reported then, including footage from its fawning specials on both Bush and Cheney. It's just another reminder you can never believe a single word that comes out of the mouth of Sean Hannity, Karl Rove -- or anyone else at Fox for that matter. Update, 1:10PM: And don't forget, as Al Rodgers commented, Fox televised a McCain Town Hall last June -- in which McCain handpicked the audience. They are the GOP Network indeed. That's fine...as long as they are treated like any other opinion or advocacy group. --Jed :: How To Do The Perfect Bench Press Rep Bodybuilding and Lifting Weights, the Difference ironmagazine-frapper

06-18-2009, 06:22 PM	#3
min0 lee Senior Member Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: The Bronx, NYC Posts: 38,792 Photos: 542	ABC "All Barack Channel" How To Do The Perfect Bench Press Rep Bodybuilding and Lifting Weights, the Difference ironmagazine-frapper

06-18-2009, 07:06 PM	#4
maniclion Cartographer of the Mind Elite Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Mens Incognita Posts: 20,432 Photos: 10	Sounds to me like they won't except advertising on either side of the debate, not just the views opposing B.O's..... "We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Natures inexhaustible sources of energy — sun, wind and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that." Thomas Edison: In conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone

06-18-2009, 09:12 PM	#6
maniclion Cartographer of the Mind Elite Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Mens Incognita Posts: 20,432 Photos: 10	It's sad when the thought of getting a disease and dying doesn't scare someone as much as going into debt because of it.... "We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Natures inexhaustible sources of energy — sun, wind and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that." Thomas Edison: In conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone

06-19-2009, 11:35 AM	#7
Big Smoothy Windy City Elite Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Chicago Posts: 3,266	Health care and health care reform is so complicated I only know a few of the big basics, and I barely know how it works. The issue is complicated and there is a lot of propaganda on both sides. The only way to learn about it is to research it for hours, and I'm not willing to do this. Next year (according to a USA Today article I read yesterday) is predicting a 9% increase in health care costs. The US health care system is a train crash - and I am referring to those who ARE insured. As well as those that cannot afford private health insurance who work full time and don't get any via the employer-employee. Military men are dumb, stupid animals, to be used as pawns for foreign policy – Henry Kissinger (January-February 2003 edition of Eagle Newsletter)

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