CBS Can't Handle the Truth
Sony Pictures has a new film out about the 60 Minutes fiasco that cost Dan Rather his job (whether he admits it or not) but CBS won’t accept the Truth—or its multi-million dollar advertising budget.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the network has banned ads for the film, which opened Friday and stars Robert Redford as Dan Rather and Cate Blanchett as producer Mary Mapes. Via THR:
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,” CBS spokesman Gil Schwartz, who is played by Steve Bastoni in the film, tells THR. “There are, in fact, too many distortions, evasions and baseless conspiracy theories to enumerate them all.”
And you know what—I haven’t seen the movie, but I’m sort of inclined to agree. For one thing, Robert Redford is MUCH hotter than Dan Rather—no offense.
