: Pubdate: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 Source: Los Angeles Daily News (CA) Copyright: 2000 Los Angeles Daily News Address: P.O. Box 4200, Woodland Hills, CA 91365 Contact: http://www.dailynewslosangeles.com/contact/contact.asp Website: http://www.dailynewslosangeles.com/ Author: Marla Matzer Rose DRUG CZAR CLARIFIES POLICY ON TV SHOWS Faced with criticism of its controversial media campaign to put anti-drug messages on network television shows, White House drug czar Barry McCaffrey announced Tuesday that his office would not review scripts or tapes prior to broadcast in the future. Staunchly defending his program that gave advertising dollars to networks that included anti-drug themes in shows, McCaffrey's issued new guidelines late Tuesday, intended to clarify the most controversial element. "(Our office) and our contractors will not review program episodes for pro bono credit until after such program episodes have ai published," he said. The guidelines also include a vow to "keep separate the process of providing scientific and technical assistance from the process of providing post-broadcast valuation decisions," and state that it will remain up to each outlet how to continue to match federal advertising dollars -- in ad time or programming credit. Last week, the Internet magazine Salon.com revealed that the Office of National Drug Control Policy has been offering television networks a financial incentive to put anti-drug messages in their prime-time shows. A host of conflicting accounts quickly emerged from top TV executives about how the drug office's program worked, although there was broad acknowledgment that the White House saw scripts and tapes prior to broadcast and that changes it suggested were included in at least two shows on the WB network. In 1997 the drug office bought $1 billion worth of ad time, with the condition that the networks supply an equal amount of time toward anti-drug messages. Rather than giving the entire amount in free ad time, the networks could submit episodes of series -- which included the highly rated "Home Improvement" and "ER" -- that had anti-drug themes to the drug office. These shows were then assigned a dollar value by the ONDCP and its ad agency, based on the programs' ratings and content. Friday, the White House drug office insisted it had never asked to see scripts in advance as a condition of granting "pro bono credit." President Clinton also weighed in on Friday, saying of the ONDCP program, "There was no attempt to regulate content or tell people what they had to put into it. Of course, I wouldn't support that." The drug office insisted it never asked for scripts, but only gave credit to those shows that were sent voluntarily after completion. That version of events was contradicted, though, by ABC executive Patricia Fili-Krushel on Saturday. She told reporters in Pasadena that the drug office had indeed asked to see scripts of shows before they were aired as a conditio credit. McCaffrey's statement overall was billed as a clarification rather than a change in policy. It reiterated that the ONDCP considers the program a success that has generated hundreds of millions of ad impressions on young people and adults. A spokesman for the drug office could not be reached late Tuesday for further comment. - --- MAP posted-by: Allan Wilkinson