🚀 go-pugleaf

For those of you who don't read alt.censorship, an interesting situation
has arisen.

The TCI outlet in Bloomington, Indiana has refused to air pro-marijuana
ads, citing community opposition.  (== 4 phone calls).

Meanwhile, a group is circulating a petition in Colorado for an citizen
initiative to decriminialize marijuana/hemp in our state.  Since TCI
evidently has no corporate policy guaranteeing access of political
speech, instead leaving it to the discretion of the local system manager
(as proved by TCI's actions in Indiana), there is an excellent chance
that the local petition could succeed, only to fail at the poll since
the cable outlet could refuse to carry pro-initiative ads.

While you may not care about the marijuana/hemp issue, imagine the
uproar if TCI refused to carry pro-life (or pro-choice) ads for an
analogous initiative.  ALL (reasonable) political speech should be
accepted, without exception.  (I have not seen the ads in question,
but they apparently simply recite simple facts, such as the date of
criminialization of marijuana -- 1937).

(BTW, the ads TCI sells are on network channels such as MTV and CNN).

Hopefully the local TCI outlet will behave responsibly, if the situation
arises, and air pro-hemp ads without a fuss.  Just in case, however, does
anyone know the details of TCI's franchise in Boulder?

Meanwhile, I have John Malone's (CEO of TCI) address if anyone
wishes to join me in urging Mr. Malone to firmly state a corporate
anti-censorship position.

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Bear Giles				The menu is not the meal.
bear@fsl.noaa.gov				   -- Alan Watts