A life-affirming commercial that shows the humanity of unborn babies will not air on three major TV channels after their corporations deemed the ad too “controversial.”
The Daily Wire reports CBS, the Hallmark channel and CMT (Country Music Television) all refused to run the ad this spring.
The 30-second spot from the Susan B. Anthony List shows ultrasound images of unborn babies as the narrator talks about recent scientific advances that demonstrate how unique and valuable they are.
“Science tells us that at 15 weeks these babies have fully formed faces. They smile. They yawn. They feel pain,” the ad states. “Isn’t it time the law reflects the science?”
Though the ad does not mention the U.S. Supreme Court specifically, it addresses an upcoming case about a Mississippi law that bans abortions after 15 weeks.
Polls consistently show that a majority of Americans support strong limits on abortion especially after the first trimester, but the three TV channels decided the ad was to controversial anyway.
“Issue-oriented advertisements that are designed for the purpose of presenting views or influencing legislation on issues that are controversial by general public consensus are unacceptable,” CBS, which is owned by ViacomCBS, told SBA List in an email.
ACTION ALERT: To complain about the censorship, Contact ViacomCBS and also Contact Crown Media, which owns the Hallmark Channel.
CMT also rejected the ad, telling the pro-life organization that it does not air “controversial” commercials.
“While we do accept political and issue-based ads on a case-by-case basis, issue-oriented ads that are designed for the purpose of presenting views or influencing legislation on issues that are controversial by general public consensus are unacceptable,” the channel responded in an email.
Hallmark, which is owned by Crown Media, said the commercial does not meet its “positive experience” criteria for its content, according to the Daily Wire.
Last year, Hallmark also prompted outrage from pro-lifers after it edited out the pro-life film “Unplanned” from an awards show; the channel later apologized.
For years, pro-life organizations have struggled to spread the message of life through major media outlets. Even seemingly uncontroversial ads like the one produced by SBA List get rejected as too controversial. Meanwhile, pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood are highlighted in movies and TV shows and praised by big-name celebrities.
SBA List told the Daily Wire that its new ad does not “issue any calls to action to Congress or attack any candidate or politician.”
“It simply praises the modern miracles of medicine and health care tech which have increased opportunities for every generation in the last 50 years, except for the unborn because the U.S. allows abortion on-demand through birth,” the group said.
ACTION ALERT: To complain about the censorship, Contact ViacomCBS and also Contact Crown Media, which owns the Hallmark Channel.
