ANTI-DRUG SHOWS PAY OFF FOR TV

White House Rewards 'Positive' Broadcasts

WASHINGTON -- The White House, in quiet collaboration with the major
broadcast television networks, has reviewed the scripts of such popular
shows as ``ER,'' ``Chicago Hope'' and ``Beverly Hills, 90210'' and made
suggestions on at least two dozen programs to help them convey an
aggressively anti-drug message.

In exchange for their cooperation, a White House official confirmed
Thursday, the networks were freed from obligations to provide $22 million in
public-service advertising over the past two years, allowing them to sell
the lucrative time to corporate advertisers.

Alan Levitt, who runs the program in the White House drug czar's office,
said his office reviews television scripts ``to see if they're on strategy
or not'' by portraying youth drug use in an unfavorable light. If so, the
networks are given credits that enable them to sell more air time to
commercial advertisers rather than donating it for anti-drug and other
messages.

The arrangement, first reported by the online magazine Salon, drew swift
criticism.

``If the public begins to believe that a message is only being put forward
because of financial remuneration, there's strong chance of undermining the
value of all our messages,'' said John Wells, executive producer of ``ER.''

Wells, who said he had been unaware of the cooperation with the White House,
said the effort ``implies that the programs you're watching can be
influenced by those kinds of financial incentives, and that's simply not the
case.''

Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the non-profit Media Access Project,
said: ``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. And it's monstrously selfish and irresponsible on the part of
the broadcasters.''

Some network executives said their companies submitted scripts for review in
advance, while others said the White House examined shows after they aired.
But all those interviewed Thursday said they never allowed the government to
dictate the programs' content.

Robert Weiner, a representative of the drug-control office, said the
advertising credits are granted for a prime-time program ``which is a very
positive statement and has the proper message on drugs and is accurate.
There's nothing wrong with that. They've given us positive programs. If
you've got a good `ER,' that's certainly as important as an ad.''

How it works

The unusual financial arrangement stems from a 1997 law in which Congress
approved $1 billion for anti-drug advertising over five years; this year's
allotment is $185 million. Networks that agree to participate are legally
required to provide a dollar-for-dollar match for each spot purchased by the
government by carrying public-service ads by non-profit groups working with
the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, or ONDCP.

After some networks balked, drug-control officials worked out a compromise.
They said they would credit the networks for each entertainment program with
what they viewed as the proper message -- up to three 30-second spots per
show -- enabling network executives to sell that time to corporate
advertisers instead of using it for public-service ads.

For example, Levitt praised as ``wonderful'' a 1998 episode of ABC's ``Home
Improvement'' in which the parents (played by Tim Allen and Patricia
Richardson) confronted their oldest son about smoking marijuana, despite
their own past drug use, after discovering a bag of pot in the back yard.

The White House has worked with more than 100 shows, which may feature such
themes as ``parents in denial'' or ``peer refusal skills,'' Levitt said. He
said the office's experts reviewed scripts in advance in perhaps 50 cases
and that in two dozen instances a network asked for the administration's
input. The contacts are generally with sales executives, not writers and
producers, Levitt said, and each network can receive credit for up to 15
percent of its commitment for public-service ads.

Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., chair of the House subcommittee that oversees the
White House drug office, said: ``I'm not going to be wringing my hands over
the fact that we're getting some positive messages out.'' He said that ``the
networks were willing to have some consultations on scripts. . . . If they
feel they're being strong-armed by ONDCP, they can walk away at any time.''

Denying changes

Several network executives confirmed the government's financial incentives
but said they knew of no scripts that had been changed as a result.

Julie Hoover, an ABC vice president, said the network aired more
public-service announcements than was required and therefore did not benefit
from the advertising credits. Hoover said ABC had sent the drug czar's
office tapes of shows with anti-drug messages -- including ``The Practice,''
``Home Improvement'' and ``Sports Night'' -- only after the programs had
already aired.

Rosalyn Weinman, NBC's executive vice president of broadcast-content policy,
said the network ``never ceded control to the ONDCP or any department of the
government. At no time did NBC turn over scripts for approval from the
ONDCP.''

A CBS executive said the network had been able to recoup advertising time
for anti-drug plot lines on such hit shows as ``Touched by an Angel,''
``Cosby'' and ``Chicago Hope.'' But, he added, ``the notion that a Hollywood
producer would change a script for the government is ludicrous. All the
shows we've put on were going to go on anyway. So I don't know what the
problem is.''

One producer's lament

But producers at one CBS program, ``Chicago Hope,'' resuscitated a script
with a strong anti-drug theme because of a suggestion from a television
executive. John Tinker, executive producer of ``Chicago Hope,'' said he
reworked a script that had been put aside after getting a call from Mark
Stroman, then of Twentieth Century Fox Television, co-owner of the show, who
requested a drug-related script. That show, broadcast last year, featured
young partygoers who suffered a drug-induced death, a rape, a car accident
and a broken nose.

While he didn't revise the plot because of the request, Tinker said, ``I do
feel manipulated. It's not so much this particular instance in which we seem
to have been unwittingly involved. . . . I would have liked to be told. If
the president wants us to talk about drugs -- could I be told? I'd like to
be told.''

46ox executive Tom Tyrer said the network did not redeem advertising
credits for two shows -- a ``Beverly Hills, 90210'' episode in which a
character descends into addiction and an ``America's Most Wanted'' segment
in which White House drug-policy director Barry McCaffrey was interviewed.
Tyrer said the producers were aware of the government program but that no
scripts were changed.

The WB network said in a statement that it redeemed advertising credits
after consulting with the White House on scripts for ``Smart Guy'' and
``Wayans Brothers,'' but it said it often talked to outside organizations in
preparing programs.

Other cooperating programs, the Salon article said, include ``Promised
Land'' on CBS; ``The Drew Carey Show,'' ``Sabrina the Teenage Witch,'' ``Boy
Meets World'' and ``General Hospital'' on ABC; ``Trinity'' and
``Providence'' on NBC; and WB's ``Seventh Heaven.''

``This has all been above-board,'' said Weiner, the White House
representative. ``We're very proud of the accomplishments of the campaign.
2E . . We plead guilty to using every lawful means to save America's
children.''