No more atheist bus ads in South Bend - Policy change

June 23, 11:26 AMAtheism ExaminerTrina Hoaks

Previous Next

13 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Atheism Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Transpo, the public bus line in South Bend, Indiana, held a board meeting yesterday during which board members discussed advertising policy for their buses. This coincided, according to a report, with the last day of the atheist bus ad campaign.

The board voted unanimously to put into place new advertising policy that would exclude certain types of ads from appearing on the sides of their buses. The hubbub over the atheist bus ads apparently made it clear that the previous policy was not nearly stringent enough. Previously, the company reserved the right to deny ad space to for ads that were deemed "controversial."

It seems that now the company has decided to be more specific. Reportedly, they will deny ad space for the promotion of "cigarettes, churches, politicians, guns or porn." The effect of this policy will not make much of a dent to the company financially. Supposedly, "Transpo makes $70,000 a year from advertising, an insubstantial amount of which will be lost under the new policy."

Though some groups who have advertised with Transpo in the past are saying the move is a mistake, the board stands by its decision. Some wonder if the new policy is opening up another, albeit a different variety, can of worms.