Two American television networks — NBC and CW — have rejected advertising for the documentary Shut Up & Sing, a movie about the Dixie Chicks' controversial statement against the U.S. president and the invasion of Iraq, according to the company that is distributing the film.

Officials at NBC say they were in talks about the television ads and were prepared to negotiate what could be included in the ad, when Weinstein Co. decided to send out a press release about it.

Emily Robison, Natalie Maines and Martie Maguire (left to right) of The Dixie Chicks were on hand for the opening of their documentary this week in New York City.
(Shiho Fukada/Associated Press)

"There was no attempt to come back and have a conversation," said Alan Wurtzel, head of standards and practices at NBC. "There are times when some advertisers get more publicity for getting their ad rejected."

Wurtzel said his company has a policy not to accept commercials on issues of public controversy, such as the Iraq war or abortion. 

He said NBC had the same conversation with the distributors of Michael Moore’s film Fahrenheit 9/11.

Paul McGuire of CW said a Weinstein representative was discussing the ad with a low-level network official.

"It was the beginning of a dialogue … and it didn’t get beyond when they decided to go to the media about it.”

The documentary, directed by Barbara Kopple, had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

It chronicles the frustrations and experiences of the three-member country band after singer Natalie Maines commented at a concert in London, England, in 2003 that she was ashamed U.S. President George W. Bush was from Texas.

Her statement sparked a storm of protest from Americans, CDs were burned, radio DJs refused to play their songs and hundreds of people swore they would not attend any Dixie Chicks concerts.

The film opened in various North American cities, including Toronto, this weekend.

'A sad commentary'

The ad includes footage of the Iraq war, a thumbnail sketch of the 2003 comment and a shot of Maines dismissing a 'dumb' comment by Bush.

Weinstein Co. released a statement late Thursday that included quotes it claims were from NBC and CW executives about the ad.

According to the release, NBC said the network "cannot accept these spots as they are disparaging to President Bush," while CW remarked the network "does not have appropriate programming in which to schedule this spot."

"It's a sad commentary about the level of fear in our society that a movie about a group of courageous entertainers who were blacklisted for exercising their right of free speech is now itself being blacklisted by corporate America," Weinstein’s co-chairman, Harvey Weinstein, said in the release.

With files from the Associated Press