CNN purportedly refuses ad critical of insurance industry
 

CNN purportedly refuses ad critical of insurance industry
By John Byrne
Published: August 5, 2009
Updated 2 hours ago

At least they don’t call themselves “Fair and Balanced.”

Days off refusing to run an ad spot criticizing its evening host Lou Dobbs, the cable network has now refused to run an ad criticizing a top health insurance executive who recently retired with a package worth some $70 million and was paid $12.2 million in total compensation last year (More details of Hanway’s salary and compensation package are available at Forbes).

Why?

The ad “unnecessarily” “singles” out an individual company and person by name.

According to Washington Post Company blogger Greg Sargent, CNN wrote the labor-backed group Americans United for Change that, “This ad does not comply with our clearance guidelines because it unnecessarily singles out an individual company and person.”

The ad claims that, on average, Cigna CEO H. Edward Hanway makes $5,883 an hour.

MSNBC, meanwhile, has said they’ll run the ad. The spot follows below.

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Raw Story

I'm not sure what this writer is criticizing. Since CNN is generally perceived as supporting the health bill reform, wouldn't it behoove them to run this ad? Doesn't fair and balanced essentially mean airing things contrary to your own perspective?