CBS bans ads for critical movie

By David Bauder

AP Television Writer

NEW YORK

CBS has refused to run advertising for “Truth,” the film starring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford that revisits a painful episode in the network’s past involving a discredited 2004 news story on former President George W. Bush’s military service record.

CBS has denounced the movie, which opens Friday, as a disservice to the public and journalists.

Redford plays Dan Rather in “Truth,” with Blanchett as producer Mary Mapes. Together, they were behind a “60 Minutes II” story that questioned Bush’s Vietnam War-era commitment to service in the Texas Air National Guard. But CBS apologized for the story after documents used were called into question and could not be verified. Mapes and three news executives were fired.

Sony Pictures Classics sought a multimillion-dollar ad buy to promote the film on Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show,” the “CBS Evening News,” “CBS This Morning” and “60 Minutes,” but was turned down, said Sherri Callan, president of Callan Advertising, the company that places ads for Sony.

Instead, Sony is advertising on ABC, NBC, Fox and several cable networks. CBS, which confirmed the rejection, told Callan it was not comfortable accepting the ads because of inaccuracies and distortions in the movie, and that it would offend longtime CBS News employees.

“It’s astounding how little truth there is in ‘Truth,’” said Gil Schwartz, longtime chief spokesman for CBS Corp. and a character in the movie. “There are, in fact, too many distortions, evasions and baseless conspiracy theories to enumerate them all. The film tries to turn gross errors of journalism and judgment into acts of heroism and martyrdom.

“That’s a disservice not just to the public but to journalists across the world who go out every day and do everything within their power, sometimes at great risk to themselves, to get the story right,” he said.

“Truth” is told from the points of view of Mapes and Rather, who left CBS News on bitter terms in 2006. He unsuccessfully sued the network and has complained of being “erased” from CBS history.