Ads asking for documents and other information harmful to the tax status of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will run on Comcast after all, the ads' producer said Wednesday.
Fred Karger said he has continued negotiating with Philadelphia-based Comcast and it has agreed to broadcast the advertisements in the Salt Lake City market, provided Karger amends the script.
Karger said Comcast is requiring him to reword part of the ad and graphic alleging the LDS Church has more than $1 trillion in assets. Karger said that portion of the ad will say something to the effect that it is thought that the church has that much in assets.
"I'm very excited about it," Karger said Wednesday.
Karger plans to reshoot and edit the 30-second ad on Monday and Tuesday and wants to give it to Comcast the next day.
Comcast issued a statement Wednesday afternoon saying it had wanted substantiation for five claims made in the ad, and Karger had been unwilling to provide those.
Karger provided substantiation for four of those claims last week, the Comcast statement said.
"For the one unsubstantiated claim, they agreed to modify the statement/visual," the statement said. "We are waiting for them to send us a revised 30-second ad to review."
While Comcast had refused to broadcast the ad over what Karger said were concerns over statements about the LDS Church's holdings, Karger said a Provo cable company has been running the ad.
Karger said he has been receiving tips on a phone number and email published in the ads, but has not received any internal church documents yet.
ncarlisle@sltrib.com
Michael Mangum | Special to the Tribune LGBT activist Fred Karger presents a commercial that will air on television this week during a a press conference at the Hilton hotel in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, January 10, 2017. Karger said the ad campaign will encourage Mormons and ex-Mormons to come forward with information about the LDS church's business and political dealings in a forthcoming complaint to the IRS regarding their tax-exempt status.
Michael Mangum | Special to the Tribune LGBT activist Fred Karger speaks during a a press conference at the Hilton hotel in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, January 10, 2017. Karger announced an ad campaign that encourages Mormons and ex-Mormons to come forward with information about the LDS church's business and political dealings in a forthcoming complaint to the IRS regarding their tax-exempt status.
Michael Mangum | Special to the Tribune LGBT activist Fred Karger speaks during a a press conference at the Hilton hotel in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, January 10, 2017. Karger announced an ad campaign that encourages Mormons and ex-Mormons to come forward with information about the LDS church's business and political dealings in a forthcoming complaint to the IRS regarding their tax-exempt status.
Michael Mangum | Special to the Tribune LGBT activist Fred Karger presents a commercial that will air on television this week during a a press conference at the Hilton hotel in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, January 10, 2017. Karger said the ad campaign will encourage Mormons and ex-Mormons to come forward with information about the LDS church's business and political dealings in a forthcoming complaint to the IRS regarding their tax-exempt status.
Michael Mangum | Special to the Tribune LGBT activist Fred Karger speaks during a a press conference at the Hilton hotel in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, January 10, 2017. Karger announced an ad campaign that encourages Mormons and ex-Mormons to come forward with information about the LDS church's business and political dealings in a forthcoming complaint to the IRS regarding their tax-exempt status.
Michael Mangum | Special to the Tribune LGBT activist Fred Karger speaks during a a press conference at the Hilton hotel in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, January 10, 2017. Karger announced an ad campaign that encourages Mormons and ex-Mormons to come forward with information about the LDS church's business and political dealings in a forthcoming complaint to the IRS regarding their tax-exempt status.
