AFA Journal is a publication of the American Family Association. Published monthly except November/December. AFA is Christian organization promoting the Biblical ethic of decency in American society with primary emphasis on TV and other media. P.O. Drawer 2440 Tupelo, MS 38803 Phone: 662-844-5036 Fax: 662-842-7798 Center For Law & Policy:   662-680-3386 WAFR Radio:   662-844-8888 American Family Online:   662-840-6464 Founding Editor:   Don Wildmon Editor:   Randall Murphree Associate Editor:   Rusty Benson Copy Editor:   Jessica Huckaby News Editor:   Ed Vitagliano Webmaster:   Buddy Smith Please, no unsolicited manuscripts.

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priceline.com defends sponsorship of Stern

   In responding to AFA's call to dump Howard Stern from its schedule of advertising, priceline.com said that the show's daily dose of striptease acts, sex-laden dialogue and occasional verbal attacks demeaning Christians and handicapped people is not offensive enough to warrant breaking ties with the nation's most popular "shock jock."

Priceline.com is an online company that offers name-your-own-price services for items such as airline tickets, cars and groceries.

In January, Stern said that children born with defects should be left to die and that Richard and Dawn Kelso's decision to abandon Steven, their 10-year-old son stricken with cerebral palsy, was "rightly so." Stern went on to describe the young Kelso as a "blob."

"We have seen nothing yet that indicates that we should remove advertising," said Brian Ek, vice president of public relations for the online price-bartering company. "We do not condone, and we do not support anything that is said on any of the stations that we advertise on," Ek said.

Randy Sharp, director of special projects for AFA, said priceline.com's response represented a double standard for the company. "Last December, priceline.com pulled a banner ad from a pornographic web site. Yet today, sexual fetishes, lesbian group sex and advocating infanticide are acceptable criteria for advertising on a program," he said.

Sharp said one particular Stern program sponsored by priceline.com had two men claiming to be Jesus, one of whom was on medication and used frequent profanity. Ek said the offensive nature of such blasphemous content on Stern was "in the eye of the beholder."

Sharp said that since being contacted by AFA and its supporters, the company has increased its advertising presence on Howard Stern by 400%.

"Priceline.com has not only ignored our concerns, but they've actually taken an in-your-face attitude," Sharp said. "We will continue to actively appeal to the conscience of those in charge of priceline.com."

	CONTACT:
	priceline.com, Chairman Richard S. Braddock, 5 High Ridge Park, Stamford, CT 06905, phone: 1-203-705-3000.

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