Fox’s KCOP-TV Continues Censorship of AHF Condom Ad

Before it Will Air Paid Commercial Spot, FOX’s KCOP-TV Demands AIDS Group Edit Out Shot of Actress/Activist Sheryl Lee Ralph Holding Up a Wrapped Condom in HIV Testing Public Service Message

By: AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Los Angeles, CA - April 2, 2009

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), which operates the largest community-based alternative HIV and sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing program in California, conducting more that 15,000 free tests annually, today blasted FOX Television for its ongoing censorship of a paid public health message promoting free HIV testing and condom use.  In late March, station executives from FOX Television’s KCOP-TV 13 (branded by FOX as 'MY13') advised officials from AIDS Healthcare Foundation that KCOP would be unable to air AHF’s public health message as a paid commercial spot unless AHF edit out a crucial component of the spot: actress and AIDS activist Sheryl Lee Ralph holding up a foil-wrapped condom as she urged viewers to get tested for HIV. In February, KTTV-TV 11, the FOX Television network affiliate in Los Angeles, refused outright to broadcast the same straightforward, fact-based 30 second television spot in AHF’s desired time slot during FOX’s popular animated series ‘Family Guy,’ a show known for its raunchy and racy content.

In this most recent incident of FOX’s censorship, AHF sought to purchase paid commercial time from KCOP-TV to run its 30 second public health message during what is known as ‘Early Fringe’ programming with the specific intention of reaching the African American market, a population at high-risk for HIV exposure and infection.  The Early Fringe time block—4pm to 6pm Monday through Friday—includes several programs, such as Tyler Perry’s ‘House of Payne’ that are highly watched by AHF’s intended target audience.  In its demand for edits to AHF’s public health commercial, program executives from KCOP-TV (which is run by FOX) advised AHF’s marketing representatives, ”There are a lot of kids watching during the 4pm-6pm timeframe…so showing the actual condom is where the red flag is drawn. If they [AHF] can redo the spot without showing the condom using the original footage, or have another spot, KCOP can accept it.”

“Given the profoundly disproportionate impact HIV/AIDS is having on the African American community, it is very unfortunate that KCOP has chosen to continue FOX’s censorship of this important public health message that promotes HIV testing and condom use,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “This television spot is a straightforward plea from Sheryl Lee Ralph asking viewers to get tested for HIV and to use condoms to prevent HIV infection. For two seconds toward the end of the spot, she holds up a foil wrapped condom to emphasize the urgency of the issue and the simplicity of a possible solution. We are extremely disappointed that KCOP executives and FOX management are cowed by the image of a two inch square of foil, particularly seeing how often their very own programming content far exceed the bounds of  taste and is often far racier than this public health message. We strongly urge FOX to reconsider their misguided and needless censorship of this commercial.”

In the February incident with FOX affiliate KTTV-11, AHF tried to purchase commercial time during the Sunday evening prime time broadcast of FOX’s popular animated series ‘Family Guy,’ a show known for its raunchy and racy content. The station refused outright to broadcast AHF’s paid public health message at all during the targeted program.

At the time, AHF President Weinstein stated, “On any given day or night, Viagra and other erectile dysfunction ads run regularly on FOX—there seems to be no squeamishness about FOX airing shows like ‘Family Guy’ or selling commercial time to promote sex. However, FOX now draws the line when we try to promote condoms as a means toward HIV prevention.”

AHF also submitted the television spot to The Los Angeles Time Warner Cable group to review the spot for the following networks: MSNBC, CNN, MTV, Lifetime, BET and TBS. They approved the spot for airing in any day part on all stations.

The script for AHF’s rejected HIV prevention commercial reads, “Hello, this is Sheryl Lee Ralph.  Let’s talk. Let's talk about ...HIV. We have 56,000 new HIV infections every year in our country.  Half of these are among African-Americans. That is too many.  We don't like to talk about unsafe sex, but we can't afford not to. Sisters tell him to MAN UP. Use a condom and get tested together. Visit getfreecondoms.org to find out more.” 
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About AHF: AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the nation’s largest non-profit HIV/AIDS organization. AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 98,000 individuals in 21 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia. Additional information is available at www.aidshealth.org