Press Release: Media Coalition Calls for Chicago Transit Authority to Repeal Unconstitutional Advertisement Policy

 

For further information, contact:

David Horowitz, Media Coalition (212) 587-4025 x 11, or (917) 701-5552

 

                                                                                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

MEDIA COALITION CALLS FOR CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY TO REPEAL UNCONSTITUTIONAL POLICY ON ADVERTISEMENTS

 

New York, NY, July 22, 2009 --- Media Coalition, an association that defends the First Amendment rights of producers and consumers of First Amendment protected material, is calling for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to repeal its unconstitutional policy which bars advertisements for video games carrying a “Mature” (M) or “Adults Only” (AO) rating regardless of the content of the ad rather than spending limited funds to fight this case in the courts. 

 

A lawsuit was filed today by the Entertainment Software Association in federal court in Chicago challenging CTA ordinance 008-147.  The ordinance prohibits advertisements for video games that have been rated “Mature” or “Adults Only” on CTA vehicles and in CTA facilities.  By singling out and restricting the advertising speech for video games in a public forum based on its content, this policy infringes upon the First Amendment rights of video game producers as well as their consumers.  The ordinance also unconstitutionally gives legal effect to a private voluntary rating system in determining which speakers may advertise with CTA.

 

“Ex-Governor Blagojevich spent hundreds of thousands of dollars unsuccessfully to defend a law that barred minors from buy or renting similar video games before it was struck down as unconstitutional,” said David Horowitz, Executive Director of Media Coalition.  “The Chicago Transit Authority should repeal this ill-conceived ordinance rather than using scarce resources to fight this in court and get the same result.” 

 

In the last 10 years numerous courts have ruled that computer and video games are a form of artistic expression, and, like movies, books, and music, are protected by the First Amendment.  They have struck down laws that ban computer and video games for minors based on their content or their rating.  And, similar ordinances limiting advertisements in public forums based on content have been found unconstitutional.

 

About Media Coalition

 

Media Coalition is an association that defends the First Amendment right to produce and sell books, movies, magazines, recordings, DVD’s, video tapes, and video games, and defends the American public’s First Amendment right to have access to the broadest possible range of opinion and entertainment in Illinois and the rest of the United States.