Defenders of Wildlife Launches Ad Campaign Directed at Discovery Communications Inc

• Ads plastering the Silver Spring Metro Station unveiled today in second phase of campaign urging Discovery Communications Inc. to drop plans to broadcast "Sarah Palin's Alaska."
• Americans wonder how the company that brings us Animal Planet, Pet Finder.com and Treehugger can justify promoting "Sarah Palin's Alaska".
• Ads follow email campaign generating more than 520,000 messages to Discovery Communications Inc., calling for the show to be dropped.

WASHINGTON (May 4, 2010) – Today Defenders of Wildlife unveiled the next phase in the organization's campaign urging Discovery Communications Inc. to drop plans to broadcast "Sarah Palin's Alaska" – a nature-based TV show hosted by the former Alaska governor. Starting today, large ads will adorn the walls of Silver Spring Metro Station in a push to expose Sarah Palin's extreme anti-conservation record to Discovery Communications staff, as well as shareholders, advertisers and partners, going to the company's headquarters in Silver Spring, MD. The ad buy includes a giant outdoor banner visible from Discovery's headquarters and has been timed to coincide with Discovery's annual shareholders' meeting, scheduled for May 5.

"Sarah Palin's extreme anti-wildlife record should raise serious doubts about whether she is someone whom Discovery Communications should elevate on television," commented Defenders of Wildlife President Rodger Schlickeisen. "As Alaska's governor, Palin opposed protections for polar bears and beluga whales and supported a bounty on wolves and she continues to adamantly deny the causes of global warming. Discovery Communications made a big mistake when they agreed to air this show. It's time for them to recognize this mistake and pull the plug on ‘Sarah Palin's Alaska'."

The ad buy in the Silver Spring Metro Station lasts through this month and accompanies bus shelter ads in the area. The ad campaign follows a record-breaking response to an email campaign targeting Discovery Communications, led by Defenders of Wildlife and supported by CREDO Action, Care2.com, Change.org and Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, already totaling over 520,000 respondents. This week the coalition also encouraged members to call Discovery Communications and register their opposition to the show, generating over a thousand calls so far. Messages of opposition to Discovery's decision to broadcast "Sarah Palin's Alaska" have also been voiced through the many hundreds of comments posted to the Facebook pages of Discovery, TLC and Animal Planet.

"It is so disappointing that Discovery is willing to risk its reputation as an environmental leader and educator for eight hours of TV featuring a political punch-line," continued Schlickeisen. "If Discovery airs this show as they have promoted it, they will either give Palin the opportunity to espouse her anti-conservation views or green wash her reputation. Neither of these options is acceptable."

See our metro ads around Discovery Communication's headquarters.

Read more about the Palin-Discovery campaign.