NBC has refused to air a TV commercial for the new Dixie Chicks’ documentary, Shut Up & Sing due to the subject of the film. NBC’s policy is to prohibit ads that show “public controversy.” The film looks at the slide from the top the Dixie Chicks experienced after they criticized President George W. Bush during a London concert in March 2003. If you recall the incident, lead singer Natalie Maines told the audience that they were “ashamed” to come from the same state as Bush. Following that, some radio stations refused to play the bands’ records and boycotted ads for their “Accidents & Accusations” tour.

The documentary opened on Friday in New York and Los Angeles, and local affiliates of the big five broadcasters did run promos for the movie in those cities. The Weinstein Co., who is distributing the film, said of the rejection that they are “exploring taking legal action.” Harvey Weinstein made a statement saying, “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.”

Following suit, the CW network also refused to air the ads, saying they had “concerns we do not have appropriate programing in which to schedule this spot.”