Days off refusing to run an ad spot criticizing its evening host Lou Dobbs, the cable network has now refused to run an ad criticizing a top health insurance executive who recently retired with a package worth some $70 million and was paid $12.2 million in total compensation last year (More details of Hanway's salary and compensation package are available at Forbes).
Why?
The ad "unnecessarily" "singles" out an individual company and person by name.
According to Washington Post Company blogger Greg Sargent, CNN wrote the labor-backed group Americans United for Change that, "This ad does not comply with our clearance guidelines because it unnecessarily singles out an individual company and person."
The ad claims that, on average, Cigna CEO H. Edward Hanway makes $5,883 an hour.
MSNBC, meanwhile, has said they'll run the ad.
UPDATE
Health insurer Cigna is now fighting back against the Americans United for Change ad. In an article published at TradingMarkets.com, spokesperson Chris Curran said: "The debate on health care reform is not about how industry executives are paid; rather, it's about what kind of health care reform can be passed for the greatest benefit of the American people."
Curran said that Cigna "agrees" with Americans United For Change that "health care reform is needed. In fact, we also support the president's goal of expanding access, controlling costs, and improving the quality of care. However, we do not see how a government-sponsored plan accomplishes that."
The following ad, produced by Americans United for Change, was posted to YouTube August 2, 2009:
http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/08/05/cnn-refuses-ad-critical-of-insurance-industry/
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