Prime Time Mind-Control
After a six-month investigation, the online magazine Salon has reported
that the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy - more commonly
known as the Drug Czar's office -- has been paying millions of dollars to
all six US television networks, in return for secretly putting
government-approved and government-written Drug War messages in their
prime-time programs.
The networks: NBC, ABC, CBS, WB, Fox, and UPN.
Among the shows: ``Beverly Hills 90210,'' ``ER,'' ``Chicago Hope,'' ``The
Drew Carey
Show,'' ``Seventh Heaven,'' ``The Practice,'' ``Home Improvement,''
``Sports Night,'' ``Promised Land,'' ``Cosby,'' ``Trinity,'' "The Wayan Bros,"
``Providence,'' ``Sabrina the Teenage Witch,'' ``Boy Meets World,''
``General Hospital'' and others.
According to Salon, in 1997 Congress funded a five-year, $1 billion
anti-drug media campaign. Some of this money was used to buy TV ads. Part
of the deal the drug warriors made with the networks was that broadcasters
would give the government one free public service ad for every ad paid for.
In the spring of 1988, the government offered the networks a lucrative
variation: if the networks would send copies of TV scripts with drug themes
to the Drug Czar's office for approval - including, sometimes, rewriting -
the networks would be given back some of the public service ad time, which
they would be free to sell.
The deal was worth millions to the networks, and they jumped on it. During
the past two years, the networks have been sending primetime scripts and
videotapes to the Drug Czar's office for approval and/or rewriting. (UPN
started this season.) According to Salon, the networks have made around $25
million so far. NBC received over $1 million for a single drug plot on "ER."
Donald Vereen, deputy director of the drug-control policy office, explained
his agency's aims: "When the message is embedded in [programming], it has a
much more valuable 'oomph.' The message has to get deeper than a 30-second
or a 60-second spot." Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey apparently is also now U.S.
Minister of Propaganda.
The deal was, understandably, kept highly secret. According to Salon, most
writers and producers had no idea that network bosses were inviting
government drug agents to serve as co-writers and co-producers. The Salon
story was the first media mention of the deal.
Salon speculates the deal may violate federal payola laws, which require
disclosure of any consideration paid -- either directly or indirectly -- in
return for the airing of content of any kind.
Alan Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, a public
interest law firm, told Salon: "This is the most craven thing I've ever
heard of yet. To turn over content control to the federal government for a
modest price is an outrageous abandonment of the First Amendment." To the
Washington Post, he added, "The idea of the government attempting to
influence public opinion covertly is reprehensible beyond words. It's one
thing to appropriate money to buy ads, another thing to spend the money to
influence the public subliminally."
President Clinton expressed support for the program.
In his classic novel 1984, George Orwell warned that "Big Brother is
watching you.''
Not quite, notes the San Jose Mercury News: "As it turns out: you're
watching Big Brother."
(Sources: Salon; San Jose Mercury News; DRCNet, Los Angeles Times)
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