Rejecting demands by several national women's groups and pro-choice organizations that it not air an anti-abortion advertisement during next month's Super Bowl telecast, CBS on Tuesday acknowledged that it had changed its policy on so-called advocacy advertisements. "We have for some time moderated our approach to advocacy submissions after it became apparent that our stance did not reflect public sentiment or industry norms on the issue," CBS said in a statement. The 30-second ad, for which the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family reportedly paid about $3 million, features University of Florida Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and his mother Pam, who reportedly tells of her decision to reject the advice of her doctors to have an abortion after she became seriously ill while a Christian missionary in the Philippines and being treated with medication that could damage her fetus. However, in a letter to CBS, the Women's Media Center said that the ad "encourages young women to disregard medical advice, putting their lives at risk." Meanwhile, Advertising Age commented today (Wednesday) that the controversy over the ad could damage Tim Tebow's endorsement opportunities. The trade publication quoted Robert Tuchman, executive vice president of the marketing firm Premiere Global Sports, as saying, "There are people who are extremely passionate about this topic, and many of those people happen to work in corporate America in jobs that hire athletes for endorsements."
27/01/2010
