Fox Television Joins Movement to Ban Trapping

[MI_Bowhunter]

I know this doesn't apply to trad archery, but I know a lot of our members partake in trapping:

I received this from the USSA today:
 

Fox Television Joins Movement to Ban Trapping

 

(Columbus) - Fox Sports Net, which provides regional sports programming to 85 million households, has refused to cancel a gratis anti-trapping advertisement produced by the nation’s largest animal rights group.

 

News Corporation, the parent company of Fox Sports Net and other Fox Cable Networks, approved a 15-second anti-trapping commercial, produced by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), as a public service announcement. Fox Sports rejected a request by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, the nation’s leading sportsmen’s advocacy organization, to immediately pull the spot. The company will run the ad through the end of December at no cost to the anti's.

 

The advertisement features HSUS leader Wayne Pacelle and a second animal activist urging viewers to support trapping bans. To add to the sensationalism, the spot opens with a loud clank as a foot hold trap with teeth - a trap that has been banned throughout the country for decades - snaps shut.

 

A senior official for Fox told the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance that he and other associates had reviewed the ad and believe the content meets their criteria for public service announcements.

 

“This is not a public service announcement; it is a free political advertisement for a movement that wants to eliminate trapping, hunting and all other forms of animal use,” said U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance President Bud Pidgeon.  “Hunters and anglers must understand that the Humane Society has repeatedly stated that a ban on trapping is merely a means of softening public sentiment to clear the way for a ban on all hunting and fishing. Hunters, trappers and anglers should generate a flood of complaints from friends, family and everyone they can reach out to.”

 

Trapping is recognized by every wildlife agency at the state and federal level as a viable and important conservation tool. It helps keep furbearer populations at healthy levels and is important in stemming the spread of wildlife diseases that threaten animals and humans.

 

The Humane Society of the United States opposes all animal use, including trapping, hunting and fishing.  It has a multi-million dollar budget that it invests in legislative and ballot campaigns to ban trapping and hunting. It also has a legal arm to challenge sportsmen’s rights in court.

 

Sportsmen can make a difference in this fight. In 2002, Jeep raised the ire of sportsmen when it aired a blatantly, anti-hunting commercial called the “Deer Hunter.”  After a flood of sportsmen contacts, Jeep pulled the commercial in three days.

 

Sportsmen nationwide should contact News Corporation and demand that the spot be cancelled. Let the company know that outdoorsmen object to the network acting as a mouthpiece for the animal rights movement. Explain that state wildlife professionals support trapping and see it as a necessary tool for managing furbearers. Inform News Corporation that trapping has proven to be a critical element in the comeback of waterfowl populations, and that managers see it as extremely important in protecting the public from outbreaks of diseases such as rabies.

 

Contact Rupert Murdoch, Chairman/CEO, News Corporation, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, 8th Floor, New York, NY, 10036. Phone (212) 852-7000. Fax (212) 852-7147.

 

Sample letters to News Corporation are available using the Legislative Action Center at  www.ussportsmen.org.

 

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs.  For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website,  www.ussportsmen.org.

[waya]

I called the phone number provided for the CEO of Fox and lo and behold someone answered the phone. Female was very polite until I mentioned why I was calling. She said "Oh" and then transferred me to a recorded message. We need to flood these people with emails and snail mail. I was polite about the whole thing but then when it was mentioned that I'm against the ad because I hunt,fish,and have trapped before-she asked me if I'm for or against the ad-this is when I got cut off.

[Northridge]

I posted a blog on their own sight asking why Fox Sports supports anti-hunting and fishing organizations.  We'll see how long it lasts.

What frosts me is that they qualify it as a PSA - sound like a staffers personal agenda.

[vermonster13]

I've seen the spots, well the stuuf that can be attacked the easiest. The ads(I consider them ads for an anti agenda not announcements) feature large toothed traps that aren't legal for land use anyways and they are shown placed in groups of wild floweres.

[Aram]

Thanks Mi_Bowhunter,
Even if Fox aired it as advertising they should be made aware of misleading content and that it is offensive to so many.
I know to HSUS traping or killing animals or even keeping farm animals or pets is as wrong as trapping, enslaving and killing people (and they dream of a day when this will be everyones reality.) They have the right to their own oppinion. And when they say animals and people have equal rights I say they speak for themselves...   :p  
Think what would happen if most young people thought that way   . The HSUS' propaganda was spreading fast enough without free advertising spots on major media channels.  
Knowing Fox they'll take a lot of pressure before changing anything. Keep calling.

[Aram]

Ad expired on DEC 31 and Fox promissed not to renew it.  
No guarantees as far as new propaganda though... Stay tuned!

[Ray Hammond]

yeah...they won't renew it unless they get paid to and then it will be back up there in a flash.

With 98 million a year in his coffers Pacelle doesn't need too much in the way of free stuff to get his message out.

[vermonster13]

Ray don't sell them short. They were at $114 million last I looked. PETA at 39 million

[MI_Bowhunter]

Followup info.  I received this from the USSA today:
-----------------------------------------------

U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance

801 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus, OH  43229

Ph. 614/888-4868 • Fax 614/888-0326

Website:  www.ussportsmen.org•  E-mail: [email protected]

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           Contact: Beth Ruth (614) 888-4868 ext. 214

January 4, 2007                                      

 

Fox Sports Ends Anti-Trapping Spot

 

(Columbus) - Fox Sports Net, which provides regional sports programming to 85 million households, will no longer run an anti-trapping advertisement produced by the nation’s largest animal rights group, the Humane Society of the United States.

 

Thousands of angry sportsmen nationwide had sounded off to the network in December after the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), the nation’s leading sportsman advocacy organization, exposed the network’s decision to air the political advertisement as a gratis public service announcement.

 

Fox Sports Net told USSA that the 15-second, anti-trapping commercial expired on Dec. 31 and will not run again. The advertisement featured Humane Society of the United States leader Wayne Pacelle and a second animal activist urging viewers to support trapping bans. To add to the sensationalism, the spot opened with a loud clank as a foot hold trap with teeth - a trap that has been banned throughout the country for decades - snapped shut.

 

“Sportsmen delivered a message to Fox Sports that they want the network to scrutinize the public service announcements it receives so that anti-trapping and anti-hunting political advertisements like this HSUS spot do not receive approval in the future,” said Rick Story, USSA senior vice president. “Based on discussions USSA has had with the network, we anticipate that in the future it will pay much closer attention to ads that reflect such political viewpoints.”

 

Trapping is recognized by every wildlife agency at the state and federal level as a viable and important conservation tool. It helps keep furbearer populations at healthy levels and is important in stemming the spread of wildlife diseases that threaten animals and humans.

 

The Humane Society of the United States opposes all animal use, including trapping, hunting and fishing.  It has a multi-million dollar budget that it invests in legislative and ballot campaigns to ban trapping and hunting. It also has a legal arm to challenge sportsmen’s rights in court.

 

Sportsmen can subscribe to the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance E-mail Network at  www.ussportsmen.org  to stay informed about this and other issues that impact the future of America’s outdoor heritage.

 

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs.  For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website,  www.ussportsmen.org.