RJ Reynolds Adjusts Anti-Healthy Kids Ad

As you may recall, an advertisement opposing Healthy Kids and sponsored by RJ Reynolds ran into opposition yesterday when several stations refused to air the ad. Today, the Oregonian reports that the advertisement has now been altered to accurately reflect its big tobacco sponsors.

Under pressure from several television stations, Reynolds American has changed two on-air ads opposing a cigarette tax increase to make it more explicit to voters that the tobacco company is paying for the campaign.

Under federal rules, all political advertising must include a tag line that says who paid for the ad. The tag line on the commercials originally read: "Paid for by Oregonians Against the Blank Check and Reynolds American Inc." The revised commercials, which started airing Tuesday, say they were paid for by Reynolds American, the parent company of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., and authorized by Oregonians Against the Blank Check, the campaign that's funded entirely by the cigarette maker.

At least three stations, in Medford and in Eugene, refused to air the commercials Monday, saying the original tag line was not accurate in light of a 1996 Federal Communications Commission ruling that requires on-air financial disclosure. The broadcasters association agreed.

The change to the deceiving tag line is a win for Healthy Kids supporters:

The tax measure's supporters, who call themselves the "Healthy Kids" coalition, painted the victory as more evidence of tobacco companies' deceitful campaign tactics.

"Big Tobacco is trying to make it sound as if somebody else in Oregon is standing alongside them," said Cathy Kaufmann, spokeswoman for the campaign.

Reynolds American has contributed more than $1.7 million to Oregonians Against the Blank Check, which is headed by Mark Nelson, the tobacco company's chief lobbyist in Salem. The campaign launched a $227,000 statewide ad blitz a week ago.

Read the rest. It's good to see big tobacco's misleading tactics fail.

Discuss.