They are censoring Free Speech at MSNBC and CNBC

CNBC and MSNBC (and CNN and Fox..) are not public airwaves. They are paid subscription services, and therefore not "public" venues where free speech is enforced or expected. They can run whichever ads they choose to, because they are a purely commercial enterprise. The news, advertising, and content you see on these channels are controlled and programmed by the owners of the channels. The government really shouldn't have a right to tell them what to air - government regulation of the media isn't a good idea for free speech in general. (We could wind up with one official news station called "The Truth Channel" and then where would we be?)

The best you can do is write to them and express your views about their ad buying policies.

If it were ABC, NBC, CBS or PBS, or most radio stations (free broadcast channels, considered public at this time) the situation would be completely different. These are public airwaves, broadcast free to anyone with an antenna to pick them up, and they are held to a higher standard by the FCC.

MDP, those things are full of lies and they do nothing but try to seduce the American public into hurting ourselves and our country more than we even have already. I believe the people who run these stations have enough discernment to realize this.

At least fox runs democratic ads. They at least have that integrity.

Come on Olga, you got to be kidding. If they run moveon.org ads they should run these. Peoples opinions are not lies

I just read an article concerning on how the Bush Administration is trying to push through legislation that it would prohibit anti-war advertisements, this is a reaction to a guy who sells t-shirts with anti-war slogans.

Most ads on the cable channels are not controlled by the stations, they are mostly controlled by the cable providers. (Comcast, Verizon etc.) However, any involvement of NBC to limit such ads is wrong and increases the reality of Media Bias, and grosse propaganda. (which we have all known for while.)

Oh, I'm so shocked and appallled that I just might start watching them again.

MDP - Just keep getting your misinformation from fox.

Another specious "cause" that is a case of ignorance.

The supposed "injustice" was answered in the very first comment.

"At least fox runs democratic ads. They at least have that integrity."

You have got to be kidding us, Publius.

You admit that you can get a fair story on Fox if you pay for it.

Other than that, it's republican noise all the time.

Gotta laugh, again, sorry.

Wow Ron is procensorship, and proterrorism. A true american

Ok to set the record straight. I dont watch fox. I dont like how they are one sided. But, a news network should not deny buying ads because they dont agree. I would say the same if they prevented moveon.org from buying ads

I have a newfound respect for CNBC and MSNBC.

Good for them !!!!!!
a network with a conscience . (Keith Olbermann ?)

Elizabeth and Don I am disappointed. How is it ok to do this. You would be completly angry if some network did this for something you support. I believe all opinions should be heard.

I don't mind if you don't agree with me. But don't label my thoughts drivel because you don't like them. And what I said is true, if she doesn't like what I write she can feel free to go elsewhere. I won't be offended.

And to your point. The press has always presented their slant on the news. Why would you be surprised by the networks doing it? Seems ironic though. GE makes gatlin guns, fighter engines and turbines for warships. You'd think they would welcome a war.

Private cable channels have the right to refuse any advertising they want to. Freedom of speech does not extend to advertising in privately owned entities. Just as Fox can turn down antiwar ads, so can MSNBC turn down prowar ads. How anyone could be prowar about Iraq is a completely different question for another post! If you owned a billboard, you can refuse any advertiser you don't want to put on it! We call that freedom of enterprise!

You're surprised that the news media has an agenda?

I find it odd that some have commented that MSNBC and CNBC are free to refuse any advertisements that they chose. No one has argued otherwise.

What is being argued is that MSNBC and CNBC have a moral obligation to present a balance of opinions on a topic of national concern.

Overt hard-left bias is a big problem in the media, it is a national embarrassment.

Cable news channels sometimes reject ads for their political content. It has to be considered very offensive or grossly misleading, to my memory. Plus, all the networks will show clips of any "offensive" ad on their news shows, after getting it off of the internet. I didn't see any statement from the 2 NBC's in the Power Line posts I read. Still, it looks like a duck, and quacks like one. I'm filing this as "liberal anti-war" bias.

I found these commercials refreshing, and well-produced. I think that NBC was worried that their miniscule cable audience might desert them, if they ran these commercials. The only problem is who that audience is: people who get offended by commercials promoting victory in Iraq, as part of the war against Al Queda. They have the right to reject the ads, but it exposes them to charges of unfairness, and other bad publicity, like this!

THANKS, MDP, for the heads up. I've been ignoring the political stuff all summer, in my reading, as well as writing. I am grateful to you for helping me think about this stuff again. I'm featuring this on GP, of course.

I have always known the news media to be bias,... so what else is new? Haha

The libs dont want the good news to come out about Iraq, they want it to be a failure, Most of these news stations are owned by libs. Thats my guess on it, but I do agree all sides of the story should have equal time. If you run anti war, then you should run pro war . Freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Conservatives own the airwaves, Vickey.

It shouldn't be a surprise that the media isn't covering the good news out of Iraq. It's not safe for them to commute around to get the story. When it's safe, I'm sure that they will be more than happy to spread the word of the "good news."

Want to see that crap then you still have "fake news" and abc.

If you don't like msnbc don't watch.

That what I do with the "fake news" network.

After it is still a free country , no matter what you neoCONS have tried to do .

Hell if this keeps up maybe we won't have to see all the lying distorted campaign ads from the roves of your party.

Wouldn't that be refreshing........................................?

Conservatives own the airwaves, Vickey.

Some people are so far to the left that everything looks "conservative".

But let me guess the thinking behind this statement. Since "corporations" own media outlets and "rich people" own corporations and "rich people" are conservative --- then by deduction, the media is owned by conservatives.

Come out of the 1970's and step into the new millennium where the New York Teacher's Union (about as liberal as you can get) is the largest stock holder in Exxon.

Unions, mostly very liberal civil service unions, own 30% of all corporate stock through their pension funds. Add in the pension funds held by the Democratically controlled state government and liberal charitable trusts -- and guess what?

The majority of corporate stock is held by the left.

Vickey;

There is no good news about Iraq. That's what you, and John McCain, don't get.

MSNBC has no obligation to air commericials that they deem objectionable for any reason. Personally, I wish they wouldn't show that screaming Australian guy with all the weird products.