Controversy continues to surround Dick Smith's Australia Day ad, with Smith again hitting out at Nine, this time for not airing a censored version of his spot and for "not returning" his phone calls.
While widely reported last week that Nine would not be airing his controversial Australia Day ad due to its content and PG rating, it has emerged that Smith then sent a censored version of the ad with a G rating to Nine. That too was rejected by the broadcaster.
Nine has not properly explained why it would not air the censored version, despite repeated demands, Smith told AdNews.
However, Nine has hit back. The network said that while it declined to place the censored ad during the Australia Day news slot, it offered Smith other time slots on Nine, or on the same time slot on Gem. Nine claimed Smith declined the offer and only wanted the news spot.
It is understood the spot was turned down by Nine in the belief it was not appropriate content for a news slot.
The original uncensored version featured numerous “dick” jokes and also parodied asylum seekers. Smith told AdNews he ended up censoring the commercial in order to get it aired on Nine "but they would not run it”.
He said: “They still refused, even though we sent through a censored version with a G rating. It's just unbelievable they would reject a $30,000 ad placement, when it was fully compliant and censored.
“We didn't even need to censor it, because on a Saturday you can show a PG-rated ad in that time slot. Other stations were happy to run the PG version. But we censored it for Nine and Nine still wouldn't run it.”
In response, a Nine spokesperson said: “We decided not to run the ad during the news. We offered to run it elsewhere, such as later that evening during the cricket, and we offered to run it during the same slot on Gem. But he chose not to and we have not billed him for the spot he booked.
“We are also running other ads from his broader campaign, we just didn't run the Australia Day ad.”
Smith complained that Nine has not met repeated requests for an explanation as to why his ad was turned down.
“When Nine refused to run it, we asked 'Why not', and we were referred to the sales manager who made the decision. He has not been returning any of my calls. I'm pretty used to having people call me back.”
Nine claimed it had dealt largely with Smith's advertising agency, Mark McLean Advertising, in relation to the spot, rather than with Smith directly. Smith had been "kept in the loop," via the firm, said Nine.
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