Marijuana ads on broadcast, parallels to lottery ads in the day

[joebtsflk1]

Surprised this was even debated...Denver TV turns down marijuana ad, after all:

http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/nope-pot-ad-not-airing-on-kmgh/152246

With marijuana still illegal per federal law, how does the current situation compare to the early days of state lotteries, where the broadcast of lottery information was against FCC statutes?

 

[TheBigA]

The statement from the station is pretty clear: They're looking for guidance from the government on what to do. Most licensees would rather err on the cautious side, rather than run an ad and get fined. But the FCC hasn't been proactive in this kind of matter, so it will probably take a complaint to bring it to the attention of the media bureau.

To me it's similar to tobacco advertising. It may be legal to use, but not to advertise.

 

[joebtsflk1]

I wouldn't have needed any guidance...it would have been no, precisely because we're dealing with the feds and being in a federally regulated industry. The FCC could have easily turned a blind eye to it during this administration only to bite broadcasters in the butt in a different administration.

Now, if it was the newspaper, no problem. Amazing with our local newspapers, both Pueblo and Cañon City are quite conservative and both editorialized against legal marijuana. And they both have no problem running the pot shop ads and taking the money.

This world is just too strange. I need some Swisher Sweets and bottle rockets!

 

[TheBigA]

The FCC could have easily turned a blind eye to it during this administration only to bite broadcasters in the butt in a different administration. +

First of all, the Commissioners are from both parties, and none of them, to my knowledge, have addressed this.

But the people who would impose the fines are civil servants, not political appointees, and they are the same regardless of administration.