Group Asks Networks to Remove Hummer Ads in Wake of NBC and CBS Banning Church Ads

Group Asks Networks to Remove Hummer Ads in Wake of NBC and CBS Banning Church Ads

12/3/2004 3:46:00 PM

To: National Desk

Contact: Tim Cline of Population Connection, 202-332-2200

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- After NBC and CBS refused yesterday to air a commercial for the United Church of Christ (UCC) which included a gay couple because it was "too controversial" and dealt with an issue currently under governmental review, Population Connection, a national population and environmental non-profit organization, is asking the networks to also remove the ads they run for the highly controversial Hummer manufactured by General Motors.

John Seager, Executive Director of Population Connection, said, "If picturing a diverse congregation is issue advocacy, so is the promotion of Hummers, the highest polluting civilian vehicle on the road. Advertisements for the Hummer promote reckless fuel consumption and environmental degradation.

"If the United Christ of Church cannot portray homosexual couples because gay unions are currently under governmental review, General Motors should not be allowed to advertise its Hummers, whose catastrophic pollution rates are the subject of consideration in many bills and treaties currently being debated, including the Kyoto Treaty, CAFE Standards, and the McCain- Lieberman bill."

Population Connection is asking CBS and NBC to use the same logic the networks used against the UCC commercial to remove ads featuring the highly divisive Hummer, a super-sized sports utility vehicle manufactured by General Motors. Almost 16 feet in length and weighing in at over 3 tons, the Hummer is currently the most contentious vehicle on the market. The Hummer H2 gets just 10-12 miles per gallon and has drawn the concern of the executive branch's Environmental Protection Agency, which gave it a rating of 2 out of 10 on environmental standards. While current standards require 27.5 miles per gallon for cars and 20.7 miles per gallon for SUVs and other light trucks, the Hummer is classified as a "lightweight truck" and therefore exempt from the restrictions. The gas-guzzling behemoth has drawn widespread criticism because it increases US dependency on foreign oil and increases emissions of green house gases that lead to global warming.

CBS announced yesterday that they would not air a commercial for the United Church of Christ that criticizes the exclusion of certain groups carried out by many churches. "Because this commercial touches on the exclusion of gay couples and other minority groups by other individuals and organizations," explains a written statement from CBS, "and the fact 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." NBC simply responded that they will not run the ad because it is "too controversial."

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