UCC AD LAUNCH: Summary
of Day 1
J.
Bennett Guess, UCC Office of Communication, 12/01/04 08:11 PM
Let's recap
Day 1, shall we? Unbelievable
web traffic
On launch day, (as of 8 p.m.), there were 38,500 viewers on <stillspeaking.com>
(compare that to just 3,400 visitors the day before) and 22,000 viewers
on <ucc.org>
(compare to 8,000 the day before). The news release about the CBS/NBC
controversy was the most popular hit on <ucc.org>.
Even non-UCCers
want to contribute
Financial Development reports 23 online contributions on Wednesday
to the Still Speaking initiative. Twenty were non-UCC members who
were excited by the campaign and wanted to support it. Some comments
from the non-UCC contributors:
- "Wow,
a Christian organization that actually practices tolerance and acceptance."
- "You are
doing God's work. Thanks."
- "Finally,
breathing room..."
- "Thank
you for running this important message of inclusivity. I am also
writing CBS and NBC in protest."
- "Blessings
on your historic church for continuing to lead the struggle against
demeaning others."
The UCC
story is everywhere -- literally
We
fielded calls from no less than 50 reporters. John Thomas and others
were interviewed by numerous news outlets, including National Public
Radio in Washington, D.C. At the time of this writing, John Thomas
was scheduled to appear on CNN's Paula Zahn, and mention of the CBS/NBC
controversy was expected on CNN's NewsNight with Aaron Brown.
A google news
search reveals more than 60 news stories. Here's a rundown of some
of the more-prominent mentions of the ads and the ad controversy:
Here's the story
from Religion News Service wired to news outlets on Wednesday night:
Ads Welcoming
Gays to Church Rejected by NBC, CBS
(RNS) The United Church of Christ
is protesting a decision by the NBC and CBS television networks to
reject as "too controversial" a national ad campaign that
highlights the church's acceptance of gay couples.
The UCC's $1.7 million "Still
Speaking" ads debuted on Wednesday (Dec. 1), the latest attempt
by a mainline Protestant church to use television to increase visibility
and build membership. The 30-second spots feature beefy bouncers outside
a church denying entry to various people, including a gay couple.
Written text on the screen says, "Jesus didn't turn people away.
Neither do we." A narrator says, "No matter who you are,
or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here."
CBS, in a response provided by the
UCC, said it refuses any issue ad that "touches on and/or takes
a position on one side of a current controversial issue of public
importance." "Because this commercial touches on the exclusion
of gay couples ... and the fact that the executive branch has recently
proposed a constitutional amendment to define marriage as a union
between a man and a woman, this spot is unacceptable for broadcast
on the (CBS and UPN) networks."
The network said it would accept
ads that "deliver secular messages that are beneficial to society
in general" but none "that proselytizes on behalf of any
single religion." A CBS spokesman said a different UCC ad was
accepted.
A rejection notice from NBC called the ads "too controversial."
The ad has been accepted on several cable channels, including ABC
Family, Black Entertainment Television, Fox, TNT and TBS.
Church officials hoped the ads,
scheduled to run through Christmas, would reach at least 60 percent
of the U.S. population at least three times. The Rev. Robert Chase,
director of communications for the Cleveland-based denomination, said
the networks' decision doesn't make sense. "We find it disturbing
that the networks in question seem to have no problem exploiting gay
persons through mindless comedies or titilating dramas, but when it
comes to a church's loving welcome of committed gay couples, that's
where they draw the line."
Dana McClintock, a spokesman for
CBS, did not return calls, and NBC officials said they were "not
commenting yet" on the decision.
-- Kevin Eckstrom
*********************************************************************
The Rev. J. Bennett Guess
Editor, United Church News
700 Prospect Ave.
Cleveland, Ohio 44115-1100
(216) 736-2177 <guessb@ucc.org>
http://www.ucc.org/ucnews
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