Subliminal Messages

Subliminal messages from the government mixed into your network
television viewing? That's what we may be coming to, if reports of
collaboration between the networks and the White House Office of
National Drug Control Policy are true. According to Salon, an Internet
publication, the ONDCP has been buying advertising time on the
networks, but has been giving credits to the networks if anti-drug
messages -- cleared by ONDCP representatives are written into
entertainment show scripts.

The motives are good, but the potential dangers are obvious -- and
frightening. Think of it: For money, the networks are signing over a
portion of their control over programming to the government for
whatever messages the government wants to deliver. And the public gets
no "caveat emptor" notification.

Most of us can sympathize with the anti-drug message. But what if some
future government agency wants to deliver messages about, say,
abortion? Pro or con? Gun control? Taxes? Religion?

Better to chop the head off this demon now, before it gets out of
control. If the government wants to run public-service messages on
television -- a debatable point in itself -- let there be an
impenetrable wall between the ads and the programming. And always let
the buyer beware.