Several TV stations in Alabama owned by Montgomery-based Raycom Media have pulled an ad in favor of a bill that would legalize and regulate BINGO. The ad was sponsored by the group called the "Sweet Home Alabama Coalition", and it repeats allegations raised during both of Bob Riley's campaigns for governor that he had received election donations from Mississippi Native American Tribes. Riley denies the allegations. But there's no question that gambling interests in Mississippi would like to quash any additional Alabama gambling.
The ad is part of an increasingly harsh campaign for and against the BINGO legislation. Take a look:
Sweet Home Alabama: Riley took Gambling Money commercial.
Anti BINGO commercial: Do you want Alabama to be like Nevada?
And Governor Riley has his own YouTube statement about BINGO.
Neither side in the fight is willing to say who's funding who...reports Dana Beyerle the Florence Times-Daily.
The Montgomery Advertiser offers the story too, including a quote from Riley's spokesman calling the other side "not only liars but also cowards". Now those are fighting words! Imagine: The Governor of Alabama calling Alabama lead singer Randy Owen a liar and a coward!
Interestingly, TV stations are not allowed to edit or refuse commercials from candidates during election campaigns. That's to preserve the right of freedom of political speech. But that same regulation doesn't extend to issue ads. The Raycom stations rejected the ad despite a real shortage of advertising dollars. I don't know if any other Alabama stations are running it.
[UPDATE: The CBS station in Montgomery, WAKA, is still running the ad as of this evening.
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