ABC Ends Involvement in U.S. Antidrug Effort After White House Asks to See
Scripts
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASADENA, Calif., Jan. 16 -- ABC says it stopped trying to collect government
financial credits for inserting antidrug messages in its programs after
President Clinton's drug advisers asked to see scripts before they were
aired.

"It wasn't something that we were comfortable doing," Patricia Fili-Krushel,
ABC's president, said.

Her comments indicated that the White House's efforts to advance antidrug
messages were perhaps more aggressive than previously believed. Ms.
Fili-Krushel also acknowledged that ABC's participation in the effort was
more extensive than it had said before.

It was disclosed last week that the Office of National Drug Control Policy,
which had bought millions of dollars worth of commercial time on the
networks, offered broadcasters financial credits if they could prove that
their programs advanced antidrug themes.

White House advisers also said that in some cases they had worked with
networks before shows were broadcast to make sure their messages were being
conveyed properly.

ABC, a unit of Walt Disney said on Saturday that it had received credit for
antidrug themes on "The Practice," "Home Improvement" and "General Hospital."

The credits enabled ABC to sell commercial time that it was otherwise
obligated to give to the government. When the little-known Clinton
administration effort came to light on Thursday, ABC said it had shown some
scripts to the government but received no financial benefit.

Ms. Fili-Krushel said ABC had decided not to participate this season because
the government had asked to see scripts before they were broadcast. The
previous year, government advisers evaluated shows after they were broadcast,
she said.

Instead, ABC is fulfilling its commitment to the government by airing free
public service announcements.

The Office of National Drug Policy issued a statement on Saturday that said
the federal government never suggested changes in scripts.

"Indeed, we have always assumed that any transcripts or programs submitted
for public service value qualification were final products and not subject to
further change," the statement said.

On Friday, Donald Vereen, deputy director of the drug office, said efforts to
work with the networks had not been intrusive.

Ms. Fili-Krushel said ABC had not asked any of the producers and writers of
its shows to do anything to bend to the government's wishes.

She said the government's anti-drug work with the networks had been "blown
out of proportion." ABC conducted its own on-air drug-fighting campaign three
years ago, before the White House office effort, she said.