Anti-Gay Infomercial Resurfaces in North Carolina and California
June 22, 2009 by Cindi Creager, GLAAD's Director of National News
Back in February, we blogged about partnering with LGBT community members and leaders in several local markets who were responding to an anti-gay infomercial titled Speechless: Silencing the Christians, which was produced by the American Family Association. Local expressions of concern led stations in Grand Rapids, Michigan and Columbus, Ohio to either decline to air the infomercial or postpone airing it indefinitely.
Just this week GLAAD has received three more reports of constituents spotting the anti-gay paid program on their local affiliates. One person saw it in West Hollywood, California on Independent Cable Channel, KDOC on Sunday, June 21, where it aired from 7 to 8 p.m. Another GLAAD constituent alerted us that the infomercial aired on WJZY the CW Channel 46 in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday, June 20 from 9 to 10 p.m. And we heard from other GLAAD constituents that the program aired on KMPH Fox 26 in Fresno, California on Sunday, June 21 (Special thank you to these twitter users for the heads up on Fresno: Gayrainarmy, k8cch14 and jace78).
We appreciate our members alerting us to this information and urge local constituents to take their cue from other local folks who saw this program in the past and spoke out about the fear-mongering rhetoric contained in the hour-long piece. GLAAD’s Senior Director of Media Programs Rashad Robinson had this to say in his Huffington Post opinion piece about this issue last February:
The infomercial was created and financed by the anti-gay American Family Association and features interviews with anti-gay activists who make a series of predictable, breathless, fear-mongering claims about LGBT people and equality.
As you would expect, the video is propaganda, pure and simple — manufactured to perpetuate a climate of hostility toward our community and to create a culture where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are less safe, less secure, and where our families are put in harm’s way.
Robinson also went on to advise local activists how to respond if this program comes to a market near them:
And it’s critical that local community members across the country be vigilant should the AFA try to place this propaganda in their local markets, and be ready to effectively explain why the public’s airwaves should not be used to sow seeds of fear, hostility and malice in the communities they serve.
While it is sad that anti-gay activists want to continue to perpetuate fears about our community, at the end of the day, it’s all they have left. Every day, more and more Americans are getting to know and understand LGBT people and our families. For those whose opinions of our lives are becoming more favorable, the single greatest contributing factor is knowing someone who is gay or lesbian. And as more Americans see and know us as we are, our opponents’ myths, attacks and defamatory stereotypes will continue to fall on ever-growing numbers of deaf ears.
We hope that people who live in the markets served by the three stations that are reportedly now airing this anti-gay infomercial will reach out to the stations using the contact info below. Help them understand why you are deeply concerned that they could be providing a platform for an out-of-state anti-gay group to create a climate of fear and hostility in your community.
As always, please use a respectful, approachable tone and appropriate language when voicing your concerns about this program.
KDOC-TV- Santa Ana, California
Janice Mansfield, Program Director
(949) 442-9800
jmansfield@kdoc.tv
John Manzi, General Manager
(949) 442-9800
jmanzi@kdoc.com
WJZY-TV (The CW)- Charlotte, North Carolina
Joe Heaton, Programming Manager
(704) 944-3340
jheaton@wjzy.com
Will Davis
Vice President and General Manager
(704) 944-3305
KMPH FOX 26-TV – Fresno, California
Debbie Sweeney
Program Director
T. (559) 453-8850
dsweeney@kmph.com
Jack Peck
Vice President & General Manager
T. (559) 453-8850
viewercomments@kmph.com
J.R. Jackson
General Sales Manager
(559) 453-8850
jrjackson@kmph.com
OK I went on YouTube and watched the infomercial ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ootrp7KSZDg ). I think I need a brain shower now.
But here’s the thing, from a marketing Point of View, it’s got some pretty slick production value and uses lots of keyword target language.
Again, I hope the GLBT community doesn’t just wave off this. I feel that would be a mistake to underestimate these folks.
One thing I see is that their message is pretty spread out. Also I see a lot of their “experts” seem to be from various Ministries, churches and what have you. They do seem to stop short of quoting scripture.
I think it does us well to remember basic debate; you’re never going to change the mind or perspective of your opponent, but rather you can get your message out to the people watching the debate. These people seem to know and understand that.
Remember this “infomercial” doesn’t just air. Someone writes a check, they buy air time to run it.
Personally I think it pretty simple, you just have to make it more profitable for the stations not to run this sort of program that encourages such hostility. I’m sure that these stations various advertisers are probably not aware that the station is even carrying this “informerical”. I’m sure that the majority of these advertisers really will not want to be associated and have there products and brands lumped in with another advertiser that promotes hate and hostility towards anyone.
So my advice is if you see this “infomercial” being aired in your market. Take a couple of minutes to let the advertisers know (send an email, it’s free and just takes a minute) just what their products and brands are being associated with.
Let your circle of friends and whatnot via twitter/facebook/myspace (and all the other social networking sites you are on) know that advertiser X, product X, service X, brand X is on a station that would air something like this infomercial, and by being so their product/service/brand is being attached to that.
Remember folks it’s ALL about money. These stations ARE a business, and the way to stop the intolerance and nonsense that this “infomercial” spews out is to make it more profitable for the station not to air this.
When adviser’s start pulling accounts and ad revenue starts shrinking, that will get the attention of the stations.
Who are the advertiser’s? Well they air commercials every 15 minutes. And we all have google. And every website has a contact us page.
Remember people, intolerance, violence, hated and bigotry all fuel each other.
I don’t think it’s worth the time to email the people who put out this “infomercial”. That’s like kicking water up hill, you’re just not going to win.
Anyhow again I think this “infomercial” is sad and sort of a last ditch effort. But I also again want to say don’t underestimate these folks with complacency. That would be a mistake.
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[...] resurfaced in California on Sunday. According to GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, “One person saw it in West Hollywood, [...]
When is glaad going to air their own infomercial? I can’t believe people watch that tomato tree, juicer, and snuggie!
Contacted Will Davis at WJZY in Charlotte, NC. This was his response:
Thank you so much for writing us and sharing your feelings about the
American Family Association program. This was a paid issue
advertisement. We accept such programming on a case by case basis, and
the feedback we have received from you and others will certainly be a
factor in whether we chose to air it again. My apologies if the content
offended you. Your viewership of our station is important. Again,
thanks for letting us know.
Please do the same to let WJZY know that Charlotte area LGBTs won’t stand for such infomercials being aired!
[...] infomercial paid for by the American Family Association (AFA) has led us to organize in Kansas, California, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan and several other [...]