CBS has rejected to air an ad for gay
dating site ManCrunch.com during the Super Bowl, CNBC reported.
The exclusion drew a sharp protest from
the companies executives, who immediately leveled a charge of
discrimination against the network.
“We're calling on every same-sex
advocacy group to petition CBS and let them know this … behavior
will not be tolerated,” the Toronto-based dating site said in a
statement.
In the 30-second spot, two men, each
rooting for the opposite team, share a passionate kiss after their
hands brush each other in the potato chip bowl. The ad can be seen
at ManCrunch.com's website and has racked up more than 15,000 views
on YouTube, the video sharing website owned by Google.
CBS has reportedly told media outlets
that it turned down the ad partly out of financial reasons.
But Elissa Buchter, a spokeswoman for
the website, said CBS called the ad “not within the network's
broadcast standards for Super Bowl Sunday” in its rejection letter.
Earlier in the week, CBS stirred up
controversy when it agreed to air an advocacy ad featuring football
star Tim Tebow by the Christian group Focus on the Family. While the
ad is not anti-gay, the group does oppose gay rights.
Super Bowl XLIV, between the
Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints, will take place in
Miami on February 7.