FEDS PAID TO APPROVE ANTI-DRUG TV SCRIPTS

Networks Should Have Disclosed White House's Role, FCC Says

WASHINGTON -- TV networks should have identified the White House as a
sponsor of several popular prime-time programs with anti-drug messages
because the government paid $25 million for the right to approve
scripts, regulators say in a ruling sought by marijuana supporters.

The Federal Communications Commission said ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and the
WB network were obligated to make viewers of the shows aware that they
had received money from the White House Office of National Drug
Control Policy.

"Listeners and viewers are entitled to know by whom they are being
persuaded," the FCC said, citing the 1927 Radio Act. "The language of
the statute is very broad, requiring sponsorship identification if any
type of valuable consideration is directly or indirectly paid or
promised, charged or accepted."

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which
brought the case to the FCC, said Wednesday it was "reasonably happy"
with the decision that the commission issued late last Friday.

"It puts the incoming drug czar on notice," said NORML executive
director Keith Stroup. "At least the next time around, if they're
going to spend taxpayer money to try to influence the content of
programming, that fact is going to have to be included on the
programming."

The arrangement stemmed from Congress' 1997 approval of a program to
buy anti-drug ads on TV. Networks were required to match each dollar
spent by the federal government, either with free ads or in other
ways, such as demonstrating that some of their programs convey
anti-drug messages.

At a hearing on Capitol Hill in February, ABC presented snippets from
programs such as "The Practice," "Sports Night" and "The Drew Carey
Show" that carried such anti-drug messages.

Shortly after the relationship came to light, the Office of National
Drug Control Policy set new guidelines to ensure that the government
will no longer look at scripts before the program is finished.