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Letters: Article Ignored AMA’s Position

Dec 19, 2005  •  Post A Comment

Doug Halonen’s “NAB Chief Has Mean Game of Hardball” (TelevisionWeek, Dec. 5) about David Rehr distorts the facts beyond recognition. While Mr. Rehr’s story claims to have had an impact on the American Medical Association’s public health efforts, that’s all it is-a story.

The following AMA statement was provided to Mr. Halonen, yet instead of giving his readers the truth (or at least balanced reporting), he devoted three full paragraphs to Mr. Rehr’s fiction.

“Heavy alcohol drinking is the No. 1 health problem on American colleges. Nearly three-quarters of adults believe American colleges should not use their sports programs and teams to expose students to alcohol advertising and marketing, according to an AMA nationwide poll.

“In April 2005, the AMA sent a letter to NCAA Division I board members calling for a ban on alcohol advertising associated with college sporting events. Two months after the AMA’s actions, David Rehr sent a letter to the AMA outlining the beer industry’s support for beer ads during college sporting events. America’s physicians remain committed to improving the health of our patients-and to that end the AMA continues its work to eradicate the excessive drinking on campuses that contributes to the deaths of 1,700 college students and the sexual assaults on more than 70,000 students every year.”

J. Edward Hill, M.D.

President, American

Medical Association

Chicago






‘Scrubs’ a Success Too

The powers that be at NBC would be well served to take heed of your article “NBC’s ‘Earl’ Opens Door for Sitcoms” (TelevisionWeek, Nov. 28), which proclaimed “single-camera format looking like a winner again” for sitcoms.

Maybe someone will then realize that NBC has already developed and broadcast a superior single-camera comedy, “Scrubs.” Your article reminded me of the very clever “Scrubs” episode last season that sent up the multicamera format. It was a scream.

So is the whole series, but it’s easy to forget about “Scrubs” when it has been demoted to the mid-year replacement minors.

Peacock People: Take another lesson from “Earl” and keep “Scrubs” alive. Otherwise, you’ll have to add the cancellation to your list, and isn’t it long enough just from “Pink Lady and Jeff” alone?

Stefan A.D. Bucek

Production and

programming manager,

South Bay Comcast

San Jose, Calif.