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David Hinckley (Daily News) on Banning of Spot by Boots

By DAVID HINCKLEY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2005

An organization planning a national series of anti-President Bush protests today has blasted Emmis Radio for advising WQHT (97.1 FM) not to run a paid ad for the cause and the events. Emmis, parent of WQHT, says the spot was rejected because "ads of an 'issue' nature can be highly controversial and the claims are often difficult to verify."

The one-minute spot was cut by musician Boots Riley for a coalition of progressive groups and individuals called The World Can't Wait, Drive Out the Bush Regime.

Promoting a noon rally in Union Square today, it says, "Bush made torture into a sport and justifies it. ... We all watched Bush leave people to die in New Orleans. ... This regime is what's criminal." Group spokeswoman Sunsara Taylor says Hot-97 had agreed to run the ad Monday,
but then "had a call from Emmis corporate telling them to kill it."

Emmis spokeswoman Kate Snedeker says, "The Hot-97 sales team asked for guidance from our legal department. While we do not have a firm guideline against taking such 'issue' ads, we are indeed very cautious and proceed carefully.

"Without listening to the spot, [our] legal [department] cautioned that ads of an 'issue' nature can be highly controversial and the claims are often difficult to verify. Based on that, the decision was made not to accept the ad."

Shorter spots on the organization and today's planned actions have run on other radio stations, including Air America.

Among other things, The World Can't Wait wants students and workers to walk out this morning to join the rally, which precedes a march to Times Square.

"We have to take back America from the radical right," says Taylor. The World Can't Wait does have at least one sympathizer on the air at Hot-97. Morning host Miss Jones, infuriated by the government's lack of response to Hurricane Katrina and other things, has a number of times said she'd like to see Bush impeached.
 

PLAY THE BANNED AD EVERYWHERE

EMMIS COMMUNICATIONS BANS AD
NEW YORK'S HOT 97 STOPPED FROM PLAYING AD POISED TO REACH MILLIONS OF YOUTH

Minutes before its scheduled airing, Emmis Communications, owners of Hot 97 in New York, pulled the plug on the World Can't Wait, Drive Out the Bush Regime Ad.   Hot 97 is "the" number one rap station in this city.  The station itself had consciously approved  the content of the ad knowing that this was both controversial and important.  For some working inside the station, the idea of this spot reaching millions of urban youth in New York at this critical time was inspiring.  Emmis Corporation's legal department called Hot 97 just as the spots were to begin to play.

The ad itself was a collaboration of artists Boots Riley from the Coup and Miles Solay from Outernational.  It can break down walls. The spot can be downloaded at
http://www.worldcantwait.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=20&Itemid=33


Youth today have come of age under the gruesome shadow of the Bush Regime.  An entire generation has been betrayed, brutalized, criminalized, enlisted, denied
reproductive rights.   The US Military saturates the youth "market" with slick high-tech ads aimed at turning young people into cannon fodder and the Christian Right spends millions to indoctrinate youth with politics of intolerance and punishment.
 
We stand at this unprecedented time in history.  The energy and creativity of young people around the country will take this movement to the level where it will be unstoppable.

This cannot go down this way.  Here is what you can do:

PLAY THE BANNED WORLD CAN'T WAIT AD TODAY before November 2nd. Send this email to everyone you know in the media. Call in to local radio stations, send to
place you think you can get this on the air. Forward this to press contacts and get it posted prominently on websites. Get dejays to talk about this on the air and announce it at gigs. But most importantly PLAY THE SPOT - it says it all.


Call Ennis Communications at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (317) 266.0100, and let them know that their actions have only given us one more reason to NOT WAIT on November 2nd.  Demand that they lift the ban immediately. 

Call and email Hot 97 at (212) 229.9797, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Tell them to take off the muzzle.  Tell them they were right to approve the ad and they should play it now. 

Then download the ad into your cel phones and ipods and play them everywhere.

Here are the words to the ad.  You get the picture.

Hey, this is Boots Riley from The Coup.

The world can't wait to drive out the Bush Regime.

November 2, no work, no school.
We gonna march.  Join us.  12 noon at Union Square.
Come on, you seen the pictures.
Bush made torture into a sport and justifies it.
You saw Iraq destroyed by a war based on lies.
We all watched Bush leave people to die in New Orleans and treat people like criminals.
This regime is what's criminal.
The Bush Regime is out to remake the world.
Unending war, a devastated environment, forced religion, no right to abortion, no dissent, no critical thought.
We have to stop this now.  If we don't we will be forced to accept it.
The future we get is up to us.
The beginning of the end of the Bush Regime starts Wednesday November 2.
Join us at 12 noon at Union Square.

Check it out www.worldcantwait.org or Call 866-973-4463

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