[lit-ideas] Possible ban on Fahrenheit 911 ads
- From: "Andreas Ramos" <andreas@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Lit-Ideas" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2004 12:23:30 -0700
Fahrenheit 9/11 ban?
Ads for Moores movie could be stopped on July 30
By Alexander Bolton
Michael Moore may be prevented from advertising his controversial new
movie, Fahrenheit 9/11, on television or radio after July 30 if the
Federal Election Commission (FEC) today accepts the legal advice of
its general counsel.
At the same time, a Republican-allied 527 soft-money group is
preparing to file a complaint against Moores film with the FEC for
violating campaign-finance law.
In a draft advisory opinion placed on the FECs agenda for todays
meeting, the agencys general counsel states that political documentary
filmmakers may not air television or radio ads referring to federal
candidates within 30 days of a primary election or 60 days of a
general election.
The opinion is generated under the new McCain-Feingold
campaign-finance law, which prohibits corporate-funded ads that
identify a federal candidate before a primary or general election.
[...]
The FEC ruling may also affect promotion of a slew of other upcoming
political documentaries and films, such as Uncovered: The Whole Truth
About the Iraq War, which opens in August, The Corporation, about
democratic institutions being subsumed by the corporate agenda, or
Silver City, a recently finished film by John Sayles that criticizes
the Bush administration.
Another film, The Hunting of the President, which investigates whether
Bill Clinton was the victim of a vast conspiracy, could be subject to
regulations if it mentions Bush or members of Congress in its ads.
Since the FEC considers the Republican presidential convention
scheduled to begin Aug. 30 a national political primary in which Bush
is a candidate, Moore and other politically oriented filmmakers could
not air any ad mentioning Bush after July 30.
That could make advertising for the film after July difficult since it
is all about the Bush administration and what Moore regards as its
mishandling of the war on terrorism and the decision to invade Iraq.
[...]
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