Current:Home > My‘The View’ abortion ad signals wider effort to use an FCC regulation to spread a message -Zenith Investment School
‘The View’ abortion ad signals wider effort to use an FCC regulation to spread a message
View
Date:2025-04-12 08:04:42
An anti-abortion ad that aired during “ The View ” this past week and criticized the show’s personalities was the most visible manifestation of a campaign that is making use of a federal law that forbids broadcasters from turning it down.
In the ad, a narrator says, “I am so sick of stupid celebrities and lying journalists,” while the screen shows pictures of “The View” host Whoopi Goldberg, her colleagues and other celebrities, including Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey, Robert DeNiro, Billie Eilish, Wolf Blitzer, Rachel Maddow and Dana Bash.
The ad compares the celebrities to Nazi leaders Joseph Goebbels and Leni Riefenstahl, criticizes the Americans for their so-called support of abortion rights and includes graphic pictures of aborted fetuses.
In a disclaimer that posted onscreen, ABC made clear it was holding the message at arm’s length: “The following is a paid political advertisement, and the ABC television network is required to carry it by federal law. The advertisement contains scenes that may be disturbing to children. Viewer discretion is advised.”
Ads are the work of a longtime anti-abortion activist
Longtime anti-abortion activist Randall Terry is behind the ads. Terry is a fringe candidate for president who has qualified for the ballot in a dozen states as the standardbearer of the Constitution Party, a status that has enabled him to get airtime for his commercials.
Under Federal Communications Commission regulations, broadcast stations “are prohibited from censoring or rejecting political ads that are paid for and sponsored by legally qualified candidates,” a standard that Terry has met.
“This is the last bastion of free speech,” Terry said in an interview. “The only place that you can still have free speech is on a licensed station as a federal candidate.”
The FCC rule applies only to candidates, not political organizations, meet its criteria and doesn’t apply to cable networks or web-based properties like podcasts. CNN, which is not required to show the ad and said it wouldn’t meet its standards anyway, issued a statement calling it “outrageous, antisemitic and dangerous.”
Terry already has another ad — featured on his website but not yet on television — that specifically targets CNN’s Jake Tapper.
“I’m not going to be the president,” Terry said. “I’m not delusional. The whole point of this is to cause Kamala’s defeat.”
To that end, many of his ads are anti-Harris and, except for a brief printed message on the screen, don’t even mention his candidacy. He has been running advertisements on a local level throughout the campaign, in each of the states where an abortion measure is on the ballot. A total of 40 local ads have been completed, along with a series of national advertisements, Terry said.
His target audience is people aged 50 to 80, an age group that would be most likely to watch broadcast television, who are likely Democratic voters, Catholics and Black.
Christian F. Nunes, president of the National Organization for Women, said she worries that the ads represent a manipulation of FCC regulations and are promoting hateful rhetoric.
“It’s definitely concerning,” Nunes said. “No one should be able to use running for office as a free pass in order to spew hate speech.”
What to know about the 2024 Election
- Today’s news: Follow live updates from the campaign trail from the AP.
- Ground Game: Sign up for AP’s weekly politics newsletter to get it in your inbox every Monday.
- AP’s Role: The Associated Press is the most trusted source of information on election night, with a history of accuracy dating to 1848. Learn more.
Terry is probably more attuned than any activist to the use of FCC rules to help spread his message, said Jack Goodman, a Washington lawyer and former general counsel of the National Association of Broadcasters. He’s not aware of any efforts to change the regulations through the years.
How far can the ads go?
The rules don’t permit broadcasters to edit the advertisements for use of what may be considered shocking images or language; whether or not an ad can contain an obscenity, for instance, has not been tested in court, Goodman said. On his website, Terry’s so-far unaired Tapper ad includes an obscenity, although he said he will likely use a cleaner version for television.
He doesn’t object to the warnings that some stations have shown before his ads.
“They’re doing what they feel is in the best interest of the station,” Terry said. “That’s up to them. I can’t fault them for that. Look, these are hard images to see.”
Nunes said she suspects the advertisements will backfire for Terry among many women, driving them to the polls to vote against what he’s advocating.
___
David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder.
veryGood! (219)
Related
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- Authorities seek killer after 1987 murder victim identified in multi-state cold case mystery
- Man arrested after he pulls gun, fires 2 shots trying to prevent purse snatching on NYC subway
- Titanic first-class menu, victim's pocket watch going on sale at auction
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Israel agrees to 4-hour daily pauses in Gaza fighting to allow civilians to flee, White House says
- With Democrats Back in Control of Virginia’s General Assembly, Environmentalists See a Narrow Path Forward for Climate Policy
- Why Michigan’s Clean Energy Bill Is a Really Big Deal
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Are banks, post offices closed on Veterans Day? What about the day before? What to know
Ranking
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- Zac Efron Shares Insight Into His Shocking Transformation in The Iron Claw
- Kendall Jenner Details Her Hopes for “Traditional” Family and Kids
- Myanmar’s military chief says a major offensive by ethnic groups was funded by the drug trade
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- HSN failed to report dangerous defect in 5.4 million steamers
- Nashville officers on 'administrative assignment' after Covenant shooter's writings leak
- Missing 5-year-old found dead in pond near Rhode Island home
Recommendation
California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
What is Diwali, the Festival of Lights, and how is it celebrated in India and the diaspora?
Missing 5-year-old found dead in pond near Rhode Island home
Horoscopes Today, November 8, 2023
California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
Underclassmen can compete in all-star games in 2024, per reports. What that means for NFL draft
Japanese Americans were jailed in a desert. Survivors worry a wind farm will overshadow the past.
Bleu Royal diamond, a gem at the top of its class, sells for nearly $44 million at Christie's auction