CBS Is In Another Super Bowl Controversy…

CBS is not afraid to roll the dice. They’re already involved in another Super Bowl controversy. Their latest contoversy doesn’t involve a “wardrobe malfunction” – this time it’s about the running of a pro-life advocacy ad for the conservative group Focus on the Family. In this ad, Pam Tebow discusses her difficult and dangerous pregnancy in 1987. Doctors advised Mrs. Tebow to abort the pregnancy. She refused. That birth resulted in the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, Tim Tebow who is also seen in the commercial. The Florida quarterback discusses the controversy. According to the Washington Post, CBS’s acceptance of the advocacy ad seems to mark a shift in network policy against airing Super Bowl commercials with divisive political or social content. The network says it changed its mind about advocacy ads a while back. “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”, spokesman Dana McClintock told the Associated Press…

While there’s much opposition to the Tebow ad from Women’s Media Center, the Feminist Majority Foundation and others, there’s no opposition to an ad that won’t be seen when the Super Bowl kicks off on February 7. For the first time in more than 20 years, Pepsi has decided to pass on the Super Bowl. According to David Allan, an assistant professor of marketing at Saint Joseph’s University and member of the 2004 NAB Subcommittee on Indecency following the Janet Jackson incident, “looks like Coke is it this year at the Super Bowl as Pepsi has decided to take a pass. Pepsi changed their marketing strategy to focus on where their target drinkers really are - online.”…

Why spend $2.5 million to $3 million for a 30-second spot when you can own about a dozen websites for a month by going on-line? A sign of the future for advertising? It’s a better bet than the 4 points the Saints are getting in the Super Bowl…

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1880] Got a light?: Thomas Edison patents the electric incandescent lamp…
2. 1926] Radio with pictures: John Logie Baird, a Scottish inventor, demonstrates a pictorial transmission machine called television…
3. 1927] Networking: United Independent Broadcasters, Inc. starts a radio network of 16 stations. The company will later be renamed the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)…
4. 1948] Wired: The Wire Recording Corporation of America announces the first magnetic tape recorder. The “Wireway” with a built-in oscillator sells for $149.50.  Here’s a Webster wire recorder in action…
5. 1951] Dropping A bomb: Atomic testing begins in the Nevada desert when an Air Force plane drops a one-kiloton bomb on Frenchman Flats…
6. 1967] Death on the pad: A flash fire aboard Apollo I during a test kills astronauts Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee…
7. 1981] Welcome back: Ronald Reagan welcomes the 52 former Iranian hostages to the White House.  The story of the crisis is told in this clip…
8. 1991] A super performance: Whitney Houston sings the definitive version of our national anthem at Super Bowl XXV and Scott “wide right” Norwood becomes famous for missing a field goal that would have won it for Buffalo. Instead, the Giants win 20-19…
9. 1998] A right-wing conspiracy: First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton blames a “vast right-wing conspiracy” on her husband’s (Monica) personal (Lewinsky) problems on “The Today Show”…
10. 2004] The winner and not champion: John Kerry wins the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary.  Here, Kerry gives his concession speech…

Music Memories:

• 1956] Released on this date: “Heartbreak Hotel” - Elvis Presley (by April 21st it’s #1)…1968] “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of The Bay“ - Otis Redding (released 6 weeks after his tragic death)…
• 1968] Debuted on this date: The Bee Gees make their U.S. debut with a concert at the Anaheim (CA) Convention Center.  They sang this song…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday“:

Bridget Fonda (46), Cris Collinsworth (51), Keith Olbermann (51), Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, (55), Mikhail Baryshnikov (62), Nedra (”Ronettes”) Talley (64) and Bobby “Blue” Bland (80)…

Timeline Countdown: 11 days until the Super Bowl, 18 days until Valentine’s Day, 19 days until President’s Day, 22 days until pitchers and catchers voluntarily report to Spring Training and 67 days until the MLB opener (Red Sox vs. Yankees)…

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January, 27, 2010 at 08: 10:10 p01 and is filed under Today's Post. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.