U.S. REWARDED NETWORKS FOR ANTIDRUG TV SCRIPTS

WASHINGTON -- The White House, in quiet collaboration with the major
broadcast television networks, has reviewed 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 antidrug
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, allow them to sell
the lucrative time to corporate advertisers.

Alan Levitt, who runs the program the White House drug czar's office, said
his office reviews television scripts "to, if they're on strategy or not"
by portraying youth drug use in a negative 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 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 a 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 the nonprofit 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, spokesman for the drug control office, said the advertising
of 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."

The unusual financial arrangement stems from a 1997 law in which Congress
approved $1 billion for antidrug 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 nonprofit groups working
with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

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.

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.

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

An NBC spokeswoman would not confirm or deny Salon's report that NBC
redeemed $1.4 million worth of ad time in exchange for several "ER"
episodes that dealt with drug abuse.

A CBS spokesman said the network had been able to recoup advertising time
for antidrug plot lines on such hit shows as "Touched by an Angel," "Cosby"
and "Chicago Hope."

Producers at one CBS program, "Chicago Hope," resuscitated a script with a
strong antidrug theme because of a suggestion from a television executive.

WB said in a statement that the network redeemed advertising credits after
consulting with the White House on scripts for "Smart Guy" and "Wayans
Brothers," but 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," " Home Improvement," "Sabrina the Teenage
'Witch," "Boy Meets World," "Sports Night" and "General Hospital" on
ABC; "Trinity" and "Providence" on NBC; and WB's "7th Heaven."