cannabisnews.com: War-Hero Drug Czar Under Fire In TV Ploy





War-Hero Drug Czar Under Fire In TV Ploy
Posted by FoM on January 24, 2000 at 09:40:00 PT
By John O' Mahony
Source: New York Post
Gen. Barry McCaffrey is used to winning -- but the U.S. drug czar is nursing war wounds for giving networks big-bucks incentives to insert anti-drug messages in TV shows. The four-star general was forced to beat a hasty retreat after TV producers charged him with censorship and congressional officials said his policy allows networks to cheat the government. 
Even as President Clinton defended McCaffrey and denied he had tried to regulate TV content, congressional officials said hearings into his anti-drug message deals are likely. The sudden threat of an investigation stands in sharp contrast to the applause that greeted his 1996 appointment to lead the nation's battle against drugs. McCaffrey, then 56, was the most highly decorated general on active duty and a hero of the Gulf War. The general hoped to translate his battlefield successes to the drug war. In 1997, he got Congress to allocate $1 billion for a five-year program "to fashion anti-drug messages" in movies, TV programs and other media. Under the program, McCaffrey's office bought TV air time for anti-drug public-service announcements and in return, the networks agreed to match each paid ad with free anti-drug PSAs. But as the economy began booming, the networks started to resent the free matching ads, especially during prime time, so McCaffrey offered to give the networks a break if anti-drug messages were incorporated into actual shows. The deal, which involved two dozen popular shows, gave networks an estimated bonus of $25 million in valuable air time to sell to advertisers last year. Anti-drug messages in episodes of "ER" are reported to have recouped $1.4 million in ad time for NBC to sell elsewhere, while ABC's "The Practice" recouped $500,000. A Fox "Beverly Hills, 90210" anti-drug episode was worth between $500,000 and $750,000. Last week, McCaffrey's office agreed to stop reviewing scripts and programs before they're aired, and to stop offering financial credits to networks or producers who ask for advice on how to incorporate anti-drug messages. But McCaffrey may not recover as quickly from charges that he allowed the networks to defraud the government by not providing matching PSAs. A spokesman for the House Commerce Committee, which oversees broadcasting policy, said the situation demands a proper investigation. "There's been a lot of head-shaking around here," he said. "There's definitely interest on Capitol Hill in looking further into the issue." Published: January 24, 2000New York PostŪ Related Articles:Stop the Secret Propagandizing for War on Drugs - 1/24/2000http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread4454.shtmlFeds in the TV Studio - 1/23/2000http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread4449.shtmlTV Too Easily Acquiescing to Government Intrusion-1/23/2000http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread4446.shtmlDrugs, TV and Propaganda - 1/15/2000http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread4326.shtml 
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #6 posted by Ally on January 25, 2000 at 10:10:49 PT
Good Solution
How about writing email's and snails to Clinton asking for his damn resignation!There is too much of tax payer monies going for Drug War priorities, and not enough treatment programs in jails, or even in regular medical centers.The analogy of two folks smoking a joint is a good one! Ain't no way that can lead to a life of degredation and drug abuse!STOP MCCAFFREY...Ally
DRUG WAR ROOTS FORUM
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #5 posted by Doc-Hawk on January 24, 2000 at 17:37:29 PT
Gotta Pass This On!!
If a few thousand of us hit the papers every day with well thought out letters to the editor like the one that follows, the cracks in the wall would grow at a faster rate. Way to go Steve!!!Pubdate: Mon 24 January 2000Source: St. Petersburg Times(FL)Section: lettersAuthor: Stephen Heath, LargoDrug czar fantasiesRe: For a price, anti-drug message on TV, Jan. 14.It is not so surprising to read that the office of the drug czar inWashington has been bribing to gain influence on the scripts ofpopular television shows.Network television programming is often delivered in doses of fictionor fantasy stories.In the world of the drug czar, any and all use of currently illicitdrugs is considered abuse. In the czar's world, two young peoplesmoking a joint together is a sure ticket down an inexorable road ofdoom and degradation.Barry McCaffrey's Office of National Drug Control Policy is desperatethat we not find out the truth, which is that millions of adultAmericans use illicit substances daily and function quite nicely,thank you. Such a revelation might lead Americans to question why thedrug czar's latest strategy is to no longer war on the Americanpublic, but instead to "treat" them for their "illness."Most notably, in McCaffery's fantasy world, unlike that of true life,all marijuana use is a sign of an illness, which can be "cured" bygovernment approved facilities.It is curious why your paper and others are not more openlychallenging of the fantasy approaches of one of Washington's mostpowerful agency heads. Fantasies like a "drug free" America, which wemay assume will still openly deal in alcohol, tobacco andpharmaceuticals.I would hope that the print media has not been compromised in asimilar fashion by drug office advertising. -- 
DrugNews
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #4 posted by FoM on January 24, 2000 at 16:29:38 PT
Another Idea
Maybe we( someone important ) could get a few spots free on tv if some powerful people pushed hard. ( ACLU ) or an organization along those lines. I think even an option of alternative web sites to drug policy should be considered because gosh darnit we aren't a bunch of babbling idiots! We know very well what we know is the right way to deal with our nations drug problem. That's why they won't ask us seriously. They are really scared of us and the amount of energy and emotion we all put into changing these laws that never should have been laws.PS: Just wishful thinking again! Unrealistic though I know.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #3 posted by kaptinemo on January 24, 2000 at 15:34:33 PT
A good idea, FoM, but will they 'buy' it?
Since the entire Barrygate episode begins and ends with moneys spent on advertising, we should let the corporations that advertised during the programs know that they were not as clever as they thought they were. I hate to seem pedantic, but I can't say this enough: the FCC is supposed to control the airwaves for our benefit. The electromagnetic spectrum is supposed to be regulated to prevent abuses of any sort. And, as always, eternal vigilance is needed, not just against the corporations that seek to monopolize what they don't really own, but *the regulators, themselves*. By publicly linking both regulators and the regulated to this very smelly abridgement of our rights, they will be even less inclined to spout ONDCP propagand of *any* sort, ever again.And the WoSD cannot survive being cut off from the media. After all, what's more interesting to watch - Barry's goofy blather, or the latest hot sitcom?
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #2 posted by FoM on January 24, 2000 at 13:08:06 PT
Equal Time
Or we should be given equal time to tell the truth as we believe it is. I know that's a pipe dream but these days heaven knows what will happen next. I think we should get banners to show how we feel like the banners that follow so many of us around as we surf the net. Like vibe and project know I think they're called. Just some ideas.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #1 posted by Dave in Florida on January 24, 2000 at 12:00:05 PT
Buying the Media
-But as the economy began booming, the networks started to resent the free matching ads, especially during primetime, so McCaffrey offered to give the networks a break if anti-drug messages were incorporated into actual shows. --Last week, McCaffrey's office agreed to stop reviewing scripts and programs before they're aired, and to stopoffering financial credits to networks or producers who ask for advice on how to incorporate anti-drug messages. -IMHO the government should buy time at the same rate as everyone else. And they should not offer incentives for plots, even if they do not read the script beforehand. That would seem to lead networks to possibly continue this practice, if an effort to get paid for "the right message" programing. Maybe, some sharp writer reading this, will write a story about the real WOD, or how people really enjoy smoking a bowl after work.
[ Post Comment ]

Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: