Promoting Ignorance

Dominic Holden takes KOMO to task for their bullshit excuses for not airing the Rick Steves' infomercial on our marijuana laws:

"It supported that people smoke marijuana," says Jim Clayton, KOMO's vice president and general manager, about the drug-policy-reform infomercial. "Smoking marijuana is illegal and we don't promote things that are illegal on our television station," he says. "We don't tell people to go rob banks, either."

Of course, the video doesn't do that in any way. You can watch it below:



Dominic pressed him on the issue:

Clayton went on to claim that he rejected the program, Marijuana: It's Time for a Conversation, because the station is "federally licensed, and we have to protect the license at all costs." Under Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules, he says, the station can't air shows that advise breaking the law. But when repeatedly pressed for an example of how the show advocated marijuana use, Clayton said, "I don't know. I watched it a few weeks ago, and I don't remember anything specific."

Of course he doesn't remember anything specific, because there wasn't anything specific. Not to mention that promoting marijuana use is far from disallowed on KOMO (Seattle's ABC affiliate) anyway:

For example, YouTube clips show that ABC's nationally syndicated Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which broadcasts locally via KOMO, has aired segments about a stoned cop, a stoned firefighter, and a dramatization of an entire office's staff smoking pot, laughing, and having a good time at work.