Animal-rights ads to air on Comcast

By Cynthia Hubert — Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Saturday, November 12, 2005
Story appeared in Scene section, Page K2

Comcast has agreed to run in Sacramento controversial advertisements that promote vegetarianism and decry the treatment of farm animals.

A national nonprofit group, Compassion Over Killing, said the local Comcast initially rejected the advertisements, which show graphic images of animals in slaughterhouses and "factory" farms, and urge people to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle.

But after a Sacramento woman who underwrote the $2,600 cost of the advertisements protested, the cable company reconsidered its decision, said Erica Meier, executive director of the animal-rights group based in Washington, D.C.

"They absolutely are going to run," said Comcast spokeswoman Erica Smith. "It was a miscommunication."

Smith said the company never rejected the ads outright but was reviewing them to evaluate claims of animal mistreatment. "It was due diligence," she said. "Comcast Spotlight does not choose to air ads based on agreement or disagreement with any views expressed."

Jennifer Fearing, who runs the nonprofit group United Animal Nations based in Sacramento, wrote a check to Compassion Over Killing to fund the advertisements. That group negotiated a deal with Comcast to air the ads for a month on MTV in the Sacramento area. Comcast cashed the check, but the ads never appeared, and Meier said cable company officials told her, without explanation, that they had been rejected.

Fearing wrote letters of protest, contacted the media and took the matter to the Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission. Before she had a chance to take her case to the panel, Comcast officials told her "they wanted to rectify the situation," she said.

Meier and Smith said the 30-second ads could air as early as Sunday.

"I'm very happy that Comcast has recognized its mistake and that people will be able to see this message," said Fearing. "I'm really pleased with the outcome."

To view online the two ads that will air in Sacramento, go to www.cok.net/feat/mtvfall2005.php and click on "previous MTV ads," then "Old MacDonald's Farm" and "Lap of Luxury."