I guess now’s as good a time as any to come clean.

Though it was never very carefully veiled, I’d always been careful to not mention by name the TV station at which I used to work. I was in management (director of community affairs) and didn’t think it was smart to talk shit about an employer, even many months after the fact. After all, I may very well end up working in the TV industry again (though I can guarantee not there).

But now here we are, 18 months later, and an unexpected news story is suddenly more than enough impetus to throw caution to the wind and say, “See - the motherfuckers running the place ARE ignorant asses!”

I’m talking about the Cindy Sheehan ad that Salt Lake City ABC affiliate KTVX (yes, my old home-away-from-home) has refused to air because its content is “controversial.”

Station general manager David D’Antuono reasons that Sheehan’s request for answers is potentially offensive to Utahns since Utah “has contributed more than its fair share of fighting soldiers and suffered significant loss of life in this Iraq War.”

I’m going to restrain myself from discussing my personal dealings with Mr. D’Antuono, who became my immediate supervisor a few weeks before my resignation (which occurred without pressure from management, I must point out, so you can forget about this post being from a bitter, terminated ex-employee), but I will say that the station’s reasoning is ass-backwards. This community’s strong support of the war effort is exactly why KTVX should air Sheehan’s plea for honesty. A community that’s selflessly given so many of its sons and daughters deserves, especially, to know why.

And the claim that Republican-loving Clear Channel, big bad corporate owner of KTVX, had nothing to do with the decision? Please. That’s sure not how things worked when I was there, particularly when the government was “investigating” Clear Channel on antitrust charges. Plus, Clear Channel is among Bush’s biggest corporate supporters. I won’t re-hash the proof - BuzzFlash has a great, if dated, analysis.

This is the company, you’ll recall, that issued a secret memo of songs that should not be played following 9/11. The company that owns, nationwide, over 1,200 radio stations, nearly 40 television stations, and the concert tours of some of the nation’s most popular acts, including Madonna, Cher and most Broadway shows.

Do the future of free-speech media a favor and boycott the Clear Channel stations in your area. I guarantee there’s a CC influence in your state, and likely in your city. I’ve avoided them for nearly two years and haven’t missed anything I regret. There’s more info at Clear Channel Sucks (which is back after CC seized the domain in arbitration last year) or you can look up your state here.