If you're from Missouri (physically), give the good folks at KMOV a Thank You. They're at: http://www.kmov.com/misc/contact.html
The media is working for us for a change.
STORY
KMOV rejects anti-Bush ad from group promoting gun control
By Terry Ganey
Jefferson City Bureau Chief
A spokesman for Handgun Control Inc. said Wednesday that KMOV (Channel 4) in St. Louis is the only television station refusing to broadcast its commercial that criticizes George W. Bush's position on concealed weapons.
Handgun Control Inc. is a Washington-based anti-handgun lobbying group. Its political director, Joseph Sudbay, said KMOV and its owners, the Belo Corp. of Dallas, refused to air the 30-second spot, charging that it was misleading.
Sudbay said the ad is accurate and that an ad check by The New York Times confirmed that in May. He said 25 other television stations were broadcasting the commercial.
"The ad just discusses Bush's record, which Handgun Control can do," Sudbay said.
Paul Conaty, national sales manager for KMOV, said, "We don't have a comment about it."
Their respective positions on guns marks a major difference between Bush, the Republican presidential nominee, and his Democratic opponent, Vice President Al Gore. Bush, the governor of Texas, has supported gun ownership rights and the right to carry concealed weapons. Gore has pushed for stricter gun controls.
In the ad, a male announcer quotes Bush as saying that if you want to know what he'll do as president, take a look at his record. A female voice then says that as Texas governor, Bush signed a law that allows people to carry concealed weapons. The male voice then says he signed a law that allows people to carry concealed handguns in churches, nursing homes and amusement parks.
The ad goes on to quote an NRA official who predicted that if Bush wins, "We'll have a president where we work out of their office."
The ad concludes with the female voice saying: "Say NO to the gun lobby," and the male voice saying, "Tell George Bush handguns don't belong in our nursing homes and churches."
Sudbay said the commercial is part of a $1.2 million ad campaign, the largest in the group's history. The commercial is being broadcast in major cities in states where election results could be crucial to the outcome of the presidential race. In addition to St. Louis, the other cities are Philadelphia, Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee.
Sudbay said that other than KMOV, no station has rejected the commercial because of its content. He said it was being broadcast on other St. Louis television stations such as KDNL (Channel 30), KTVI (Channel 2) and KSDK (Channel 5).
As governor of Texas, Bush signed in 1995 a law allowing people to carry concealed handguns. Two years later, Bush signed a law that said guns could be carried into hospitals, nursing home and churches unless a sign was posted prohibiting concealed weapons.
The quotation attributed to NRA first vice president Kayne Robinson was based on a report May 4 in the Washington Post.
Bob Hopkins, a spokesman for the Bush campaign, said Bush "along with the governors of 30 other states did give law-abiding Texans who passed a vigorous background check the ability to protect themselves and their families." He said Bush has stated "unequivocally" that right-to-carry laws were state issues and that he did not support a federal concealed-weapons law.
Hopkins said the premise of the ad - that Bush would do as president what he did as governor - is false.
And he said it was "simply untrue" that Bush signed a law allowing people to carry guns into churches.
"Under the legislation he did sign, churches, not the government, have the authority to set their own policy and standards for permit holders," Hopkins said.
He also said Bush has proposed a program that would provide $325 million in federal matching funds to make child safety locks available for every handgun owner in America.
E-mail: tganey@postnet.com
Phone: 573-635-6178
© 2000 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, postnet.com
------------------
"The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside
the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." (Romans 13:12)
The media is working for us for a change.
STORY
KMOV rejects anti-Bush ad from group promoting gun control
By Terry Ganey
Jefferson City Bureau Chief
A spokesman for Handgun Control Inc. said Wednesday that KMOV (Channel 4) in St. Louis is the only television station refusing to broadcast its commercial that criticizes George W. Bush's position on concealed weapons.
Handgun Control Inc. is a Washington-based anti-handgun lobbying group. Its political director, Joseph Sudbay, said KMOV and its owners, the Belo Corp. of Dallas, refused to air the 30-second spot, charging that it was misleading.
Sudbay said the ad is accurate and that an ad check by The New York Times confirmed that in May. He said 25 other television stations were broadcasting the commercial.
"The ad just discusses Bush's record, which Handgun Control can do," Sudbay said.
Paul Conaty, national sales manager for KMOV, said, "We don't have a comment about it."
Their respective positions on guns marks a major difference between Bush, the Republican presidential nominee, and his Democratic opponent, Vice President Al Gore. Bush, the governor of Texas, has supported gun ownership rights and the right to carry concealed weapons. Gore has pushed for stricter gun controls.
In the ad, a male announcer quotes Bush as saying that if you want to know what he'll do as president, take a look at his record. A female voice then says that as Texas governor, Bush signed a law that allows people to carry concealed weapons. The male voice then says he signed a law that allows people to carry concealed handguns in churches, nursing homes and amusement parks.
The ad goes on to quote an NRA official who predicted that if Bush wins, "We'll have a president where we work out of their office."
The ad concludes with the female voice saying: "Say NO to the gun lobby," and the male voice saying, "Tell George Bush handguns don't belong in our nursing homes and churches."
Sudbay said the commercial is part of a $1.2 million ad campaign, the largest in the group's history. The commercial is being broadcast in major cities in states where election results could be crucial to the outcome of the presidential race. In addition to St. Louis, the other cities are Philadelphia, Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee.
Sudbay said that other than KMOV, no station has rejected the commercial because of its content. He said it was being broadcast on other St. Louis television stations such as KDNL (Channel 30), KTVI (Channel 2) and KSDK (Channel 5).
As governor of Texas, Bush signed in 1995 a law allowing people to carry concealed handguns. Two years later, Bush signed a law that said guns could be carried into hospitals, nursing home and churches unless a sign was posted prohibiting concealed weapons.
The quotation attributed to NRA first vice president Kayne Robinson was based on a report May 4 in the Washington Post.
Bob Hopkins, a spokesman for the Bush campaign, said Bush "along with the governors of 30 other states did give law-abiding Texans who passed a vigorous background check the ability to protect themselves and their families." He said Bush has stated "unequivocally" that right-to-carry laws were state issues and that he did not support a federal concealed-weapons law.
Hopkins said the premise of the ad - that Bush would do as president what he did as governor - is false.
And he said it was "simply untrue" that Bush signed a law allowing people to carry guns into churches.
"Under the legislation he did sign, churches, not the government, have the authority to set their own policy and standards for permit holders," Hopkins said.
He also said Bush has proposed a program that would provide $325 million in federal matching funds to make child safety locks available for every handgun owner in America.
E-mail: tganey@postnet.com
Phone: 573-635-6178
© 2000 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, postnet.com
------------------
"The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside
the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." (Romans 13:12)