FOX Aids Airing of "Stealth" Auto Ad

(From The Washington Times -- By Chris Baker)

THE FOX NETWORK helped a sponsor sneak a commercial message into coverage of THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL-STAR GAME, another case of "stealth advertising" infecting BROADCAST JOURNALISM.

A banner bearing a web site address was unfurled in the outfield during the bottom of the game's third inning, according to a report this week by BROADCASTING AND CABLE, an industry trade magazine.

A FOX CAMERA focused on the apparently homemade sign, triggering some banal over-the-air banter between TIM McCARVER and JOE BUCK, the announcers who called the game.

"Tim will have to tell me what that means. I'm not sure, but someone went to a lot of trouble," Mr. Buck said, according to the trade magazine's report.

"I don't know what that sign means, but 'hooray' is the first thing that comes to my mind," Mr. McCarver responded.

Hooray, indeed. It turns out the web site promoted the HHR, a new model CHEVROLET plans to introduce this summer.

CHEVROLET sponsored FOX's coverage of THE ALL-STAR GAME.

Sneaky, huh?

LOU D'ERMILIO, Senior Vice President of Media Relations for FOX SPORTS, declined comment. A CHEVROLET SPOKESWOMAN did not return telephone calls.

A FOX SPORTS SPOKESMAN told BROADCASTING AND CABLE the stunt "was an enhancement as part of a major multiple-unit in game buy" and that the network viewed it "as a clever way for the sponsor to generate curiosity."

In other words -- FOX was complicit in helping a sponsor sneak an advertising message into its live coverage of a sporting event.

"Sports shouldn't get a pass when it comes to ethics. The public wants ethics with their sports journalism like they want it with any other journalism," said PHILIP M. SEIB, A MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY JOURNALISM PROFESSOR.

Viewers who watched the July 12th game "couldn't tell they were seeing was a paid plug. It was deceptive," said GARY RUSKIN, Executive Director of COMMERCIAL ALERT, a nonprofit group that monitors excessive commercialization in the media.

The public generally doesn't mind commercials if they are clearly identified, Mr. Seib said. Unfortunately, such transparency is hard to come by these days.

In April, press reports revealed that some of the consumer specialists who tout products on TODAY and other TV news shows routinely receive undisclosed payments from manufacturers.

Last year, at least 40 TV stations aired video press releases from THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES that pushed THE NEW MEDICARE DRUG BENEFIT. To most viewers, the reports probably looked like a legitimate news stories, but the GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE -- CONGRESS' INVESTIGATIVE ARM -- determined they were unlabeled PROPAGANDA.

JONATHAN S. ADELSTEIN, one of two DEMOCRATS on the five-member FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, has tried to raise the public's awareness of runaway commercialism, but finding a forum to criticize corporate-owned media is tricky.

Don't count on BROADCASTERS to police themselves.

In May, Mr. Buck told a group of advertisers that he would happily hawk their products during FOX's BASEBALL COVERAGE, according to a report in THE LOS ANGELES TIMES.

"Think it up," Mr. Buck said, according to the newspaper. "I'll try it. I have absolutely no pride."