
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 24, 1993                   TAG: 9306240251
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Richmond bureau
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

TERRY AIDES CRITICIZE ALLEN TV ADS

The Terry for governor campaign, well ahead of Republican George Allen in early polls, tried Wednesday to stay there by squelching the GOP contender's first television commercials.

An Allen ad that went on the air Tuesday night, the Terry forces charged, was "false and misleading" because it listed "Friends of George Allen" as its sponsor.

"No such committee exists," Terry campaign media consultant Jamie Sterling said in a memorandum faxed to television stations. "The `Friends of George Allen' committee was terminated on Feb. 18. . . . We strongly urge you to pull this spot from future broadcast until a legal disclaimer is reflected on the spot."

Allen spokesman Jay Timmons said the "Friends" committee, a predecessor to the current "George Allen for Governor" committee, was inadvertently used by the commercial's producer. A substitute ad, with the correct disclaimer, will be delivered to stations this morning, he added.

Jay Marlin, Terry's press secretary, defended the Democrats' effort to get the ad off the air. "The rules are very clear and we're sure if we had made a mistake like that they'd point it out," he said.

Timmons said no stations pulled the ad and he laughed off suggestions that anyone could have been misled about who was paying for it. The Democrats' attempt to get it off the air, including phone calls alerting newspaper reporters to the situation, "shows they're desperate," he said.

Keywords:
POLITICS

by CNB