Fox TV Affiliate Refuses to Air Anti-Bush Campaign Ad for Democrat in New York

By Sara Kugler Associated Press Writer
Published: Sep 7, 2005

NEW YORK (AP) - A Fox affiliate television station rejected a campaign commercial for a Democrat running in a local race, and the candidate alleges it's because the ad slams President Bush.

Brian Ellner, one of nine Democrats running for Manhattan borough president, said Tuesday that the station had agreed to air his ad leading up to the Sept. 13 primary.

But Fox 5 pulled out of the deal after it saw the 30-second ad, which features Bush's head superimposed onto a bare torso as the voiceover intones, "He claims he's a uniter, but New Yorkers know the emperor has no clothes."

Ellner's commercial has already drawn attention because it concludes with a scene in which he throws his arm around his partner of three years. His campaign says no openly gay candidates for public office have ever featured their significant others in political advertisements.
Ellner said Fox told the campaign media adviser and the ad buyer that the spot was refused because it was "disrespectful to the office of the president."

WNYW Fox 5 spokeswoman Brandii Toby said, "We're not running the ad." But she said the station had no comment on why the decision was made or who was responsible for it.
Ellner spent about $290,000 to air the spot for two weeks on several network and cable affiliates, campaign manager David Meadvin said. No other stations refused to run it.

Meadvin said the campaign was considering filing a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates broadcast channels.

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