OFF THE AIR

Supporters of a bill that would allow marijuana use for medical
purposes had a bad week.

A House committee recommended (12-7) that the full House reject the
bill. Also, WKXL in Concord refused to run an advertisement designed
to drum up support for the bill, which the full House will debate
this week. The advertisement was planned by the Marijuana Policy
Project, a Washington-based advocacy group.

WKXL's owner, former U.S. senator Gordon Humphrey, said he was
concerned that the message - that people suffering from painful
diseases should be able to use marijuana to allay their pain - could
be misconstrued by young people. "At various times, we have young
people listening, so that's no lottery ads, no beer ads," said
Humphrey, who has refused to run advertisements for the state lottery
and a beer distributor before.

Humphrey, a Republican, said the station is otherwise apolitical. "We
decline very few ads," he said. "I'm not in the business of saying no
to the business."

Local supporters of the bill cried foul. "Clearly, Mr. Humphrey is
using his position as a media gatekeeper to manipulate the will of
New Hampshire voters," said Stuart Cooper of the New Hampshire
Marijuana Policy Initiative in a press release. The spot, titled,
"Trying to Stay Alive Shouldn't be a Crime," is running on Manchester
and Portsmouth stations, he said.