Controversial Group Plans More Ads in Subway Stations
By MATT FLEGENHEIMER
Published: December 13, 2012
The group behind a recent spate of inflammatory advertisements
throughout the transit system said this week that it planned to make its
biggest purchase yet: the space beside each of the roughly 220 clocks
hanging in New York City’s subway stations.
A planned advertisement would be next to clocks that
hang above subway platforms in stations throughout the city.
The advertisements depict the twin towers, engulfed in flames, beside a
quote attributed to the Koran: “Soon shall we cast terror into the
hearts of the unbelievers.”
The clocks are suspended from ceilings above subway platforms in stations across the city.
The group, the American Freedom Defense Initiative, has often stoked
controversy with its messages, including posters placed in 10 subway
stations in September, characterizing Islamist opponents of the Jewish
state as “savage.” Virtually all of the ads were vandalized shortly after they were posted.
But the latest ad buy is unique. It is large enough that, compared with
past campaigns, New Yorkers will be much more likely to see the
displays. And because of the advertisements’ overhead placement,
would-be vandals “would have to get a ladder,” said Pamela Geller, the
group’s executive director.
A spokesman for the transportation authority said it was reviewing the
advertisements. Rejection seems unlikely: the authority recently
approved virtually identical ads from the group, with the same image and
quotation, for display at Metro-North Railroad stations. Ms. Geller,
whose group has also placed ads that say “Support Israel. Defeat Jihad,”
said that campaign would begin next week.
Ms. Geller has long created headaches for officials at the
transportation authority, which initially rejected the campaign that
included the “savage” label, citing its demeaning language. The American
Freedom Defense Initiative sued and in July won a federal court ruling on First Amendment grounds.
In September, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority amended its advertising policy
to require so-called viewpoint advertisements to include a disclaimer
that they do not imply the authority’s endorsement of their views. The
authority’s new guidelines also included prohibitions on ads that the
agency “reasonably foresees would imminently incite or provoke violence
or other immediate breach of the peace.”
Ms. Geller said that the advertisements — intended to be displayed
beside actual clocks, not the countdown clocks that predict train
arrivals — cost roughly $320 each for a four-week placement — about
$70,000 for all the clocks.
The clocks were her latest advertising target, Ms. Geller said, “because
metaphorically it’s so powerful. The clock is ticking, from a
civilizational point of view.”
Claude
Solnik
(631)
913-4244
Long Island Business
News
2150
Smithtown Ave.
Ronkonkoma,
NY 11779-7348
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LI Confidential
> Stop scratching on holidays
Stop scratching on holidays
Published: June 1, 2012
Off Track Betting in New York State has been racing into a crisis called shrinking revenue. Some people have spitballed a solution: Don’t close on holidays.
New York State Racing Law bars racing on Christmas, Easter and Palm Sunday, and the state has ruled OTBs can’t handle action on those days, even though they could easily broadcast races from out of state.
“You should be able to bet whenever you want,” said Jackson Leeds, a Nassau OTB employee who makes an occasional bet. He added some irrefutable logic: “How is the business going to make money if you’re not open to take people’s bets?”
Elias Tsekerides, president of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, said OTB is open on Greek Orthodox Easter and Palm Sunday.
“I don’t want discrimination,” Tsekerides said. “They close for the Catholics, but open for the Greek Orthodox? It’s either open for all or not open.”
OTB officials have said they lose millions by closing on Palm Sunday alone, with tracks such as Gulfstream, Santa Anita, Turf Paradise and Hawthorne running.
One option: OTBs could just stay open and face the consequences. New York City OTB did just that back in 2003. The handle was about $1.5 million – and OTB was fined $5,000.
Easy money.
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