North Carolina Public Radio Station Runs Abortion Ad Another Refused 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 22, 2004
Durham, NC (LifeNews.com) — A public radio station based on the campus of North Carolina Central University has broadcasted an ad for a pro-abortion group that another station refused to air. WNCU, a jazz and news station, agreed to run the ads from Ipas, a population control advocacy group in exchange for a $1,000 donation.
Last month, Chappel Hill-based WUNC-FM informed the group that it would change the content of an advertisement because it used the term "reproductive rights," which could be interpreted as advocating a political position.
The station required the group to use the phrase "reproductive health" instead, which prompted Ipas to scrap its longstanding relationship with the station.
But, that was no problem for WNCU, which aired 30 announcements for the pro-abortion group promoting a benefit concert.
Edith Thorpe, the station’s general manager, would not respond to a request from the Herald Sun newspaper as to why her station took a different route from WUNC.
Unlike, WUNC, Thorpe said her station believed the ad met all FCC regulations limiting political spots on public radio stations.
Anu Kumar, executive vice president for development at Ipas, told the Herald Sun she didn’t know why WNCU decided to air the ads.
"Presumably the same set of guidelines apply to both stations," she said.
Kumar said Ipas wants to resume its ads on the much larger Chappel Hill station, but no compromise has been made as to the content. Ipas had been donating $1,680 per month to WUNC in exchange for airing its announcement 20 times.
The WUNC decision drew strong opposition from 22 pro-abortion groups, including NARAL and Planned Parenthood, that wrote a letter to station management.
Both stations are North Carolina affiliates of National Public Radio (NPR).
