>From: "Peter McWilliams" >Subject: Drug Czar's aide lies. (No news here.) >Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 16:59:54 -0800 >X-Mozilla-Status: 8001 >X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 > >Pubdate: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 >Source: Daily News of Los Angeles (CA) >Copyright: 2000 Daily News of Los Angeles >Address: P.O. Box 4200, Woodland Hills, CA 91365 >Fax: (818)713-3723 >Feedback: http://www.DailyNews.com/contact/letters.asp >Website: http://www.DailyNews.com/ >Author: Valerie Kuklenski, Staff Writer >Cited: ONDCP: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/ >See: The Salon report at: >http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00.n043.a09.html >And: The DrugSense Alert at: >http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0145.html > >ABC DISPUTES DRUG OFFICE'S CLAIMS > >ABC executives said Saturday the White House drug policy office asked >for scripts of TV shows before they were aired as part of its program >content-for-advertising swap, directly contradicting what the White >House office said Friday. > >Patricia Fili-Krushel, president of ABC, said it is likely the Office >of National Drug Control Policy made the same script request of other >networks. > >The statements are the latest twist to a controversy that erupted >Thursday over the networks' apparent use of program content in a >financial bargain with the government. > >Fili-Krushel's disclosure suggests that the drug czar's office has >been trying to influence the content of TV shows, not merely with >input from experts, but as a condition for monetary credit with the >networks. > >Fili-Krushel said ABC had been sending tapes of already-aired programs >-- "The Practice," "Home Improvement" and "General Hospital," among >others -- to the ONDCP, which concluded the shows' content fulfilled >at least part of a contract granting the ONDCP free air time, or >public service announcements, for anti-drug messages. > >However, Alan Levitt, the administrator of the ONDCP's controversial >arrangement with the networks, met with ABC salespeople last spring >and asked the network for advance scripts instead of aired tapes in >order to grant credit, ABC executives said. > >"They (the ONDCP) told us they were changing the requirements, that we >had to submit scripts ahead of time in order to qualify for >programming content (credit)," Fili-Krushel told reporters at the >Television Critics' Association meeting in Pasadena. > >Alex Wallau, ABC's president of administration and operations, said >the request was raised by Levitt. > >While there was no explicit demand for script approval or input -- the >conversation didn't get that far, he said -- it is difficult to >imagine any other reason why the ONDCP would insist on seeing scripts >instead of tapes. > >"We said we're not going to do that, and that was the end of >discussions," Wallau said. > >The ONDCP issued a statement Saturday saying it never suggested >changes in scripts. > >"Indeed, we have always assumed that any transcripts or programs >submitted for public service value qualification were final products >and not subject to further change," the statement said. > >As a result of the script request, ABC stopped submitting program >content for possible fulfillment of its PSA obligation to the drug >czar's office beginning last fall, instead meeting its requirement >with free commercials. > >ABC's disclosure contradicts statements made Friday to the critics' >group by Donald R. Vereen, ONDCP's deputy director. > >"We don't approve scripts. We don't alter them. We don't ask for >them," Vereen said. "They're sent to us voluntarily, often after >they're totally completed or have already aired." > >Wallau said the proposal written by the ONDCP and its ad agency, >Ogilvy & Mather, for the 1999-2000 season does not specify "as >strongly as it was specified in the meeting as to the desire for >scripts in advance," according to his sales staff. > >In the wake of an investigative story broken this week by online >magazine Salon.com and other reports, the drug office seems to be >backing down. > >"The agency, Ogilvy & Mather, called us (Friday) and said, `If you >want to submit (tapes) after the fact for a programming match, you >may,' " Wallau said. "We said we'll pass, we'll just stay with our PSA >match." > >Nearly all the broadcast networks said last week that they have not >submitted scripts to the ONDCP for an advertising exchange. WB did >alter episodes of its series "The Wayans Bros." and "Smart Guy" in >response to ONDCP input, apparently for program content credit, >according to the Salon.com report. > >ABC also contradicted suppositions that it profited from the >arrangement. "We lost money on this deal," Wallau said. > >Fili-Krushel said in the 1997-98 season, the network aired $45 million >in paid spots for the ONDCP. In the second year it aired a projected >$45 million worth of free PSAs. > >The PSA schedule, analyzed after the fact against ratings reports, >under-delivered air time by about $5 million, so the network submitted >tapes of some of its shows dealing with the subject, estimating the >combined programs were worth $105 million. The ONDCP agreed the >contract had been fulfilled. > >While ABC did not come out ahead, it saved $5 million in additional >spots it would have had to give the drug policy office. > > >================================================================ > >This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to > the mailing list . >To unsubscribe, E-mail to: