FCC BLASTS TV OVER NON-DISCLOSURE

TV networks should have identified the White House as a sponsor of several
popular prime-time programs with anti-drug messages since 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 television networks did not return calls Wednesday for comment.

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'' which carried such anti-drug messages.

Other shows that received government review included ABC's ''General
Hospital'' and ''Home Improvement,'' Fox's ''Beverly Hills 90210'' and the
CBS shows ''Chicago Hope'' and ''Cosby.''

ABC officials asserted that they submitted plot summaries and cassettes
only after the shows had aired. A CBS representative at the hearing said
his network initially submitted some scripts before they were aired, but
only to get a ''yes'' or ''no'' answer on whether they were eligible for
the credits -- not for the purpose of inviting edits from the White House.

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. A spokesman for the
White House drug office did not return a call for comment.