The Dixie Chicks [ tickets ] are finding themselves a lightning rod for controversy again, this time without even saying anything new.

The distributor of the group's new film, "Shut Up & Sing," documenting the backlash against singer Natalie Maines after she made critical remarks about President George W. Bush, alleged on Thursday (10/26) that the NBC and CW networks had refused to air commercials for the movie.

The Weinstein Company released a statement Thursday alleging that NBC had told the firm that it "cannot accept these spots as they are disparaging to President Bush," and the CW network had rejected them as well, stating that it did "not have the 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," Harvey Weinstein said in the statement. Weinstein runs the company with his brother, Bob.

NBC declined to comment on the statement, according to the industry observer Hollywood Reporter, while CW deemed the accusation inaccurate, telling the publication that there had been discussions about taking the spot but those talks never went beyond where the commercial would run.

The Dixie Chicks themselves have not commented on the matter.

The film's distributor has set up a message board, Shut Up and Post, on a special website, where fans and detractors alike may comment on issues surrounding the film and the band.

The Dixie Chicks are preparing to set out on the next leg of their "Accidents and Accusations Tour," which supports the platinum-certified "Taking the Long Way," their first release since Maines' now-infamous statement regarding Bush prompted a firestorm of controversy surrounding the band.

On previous tours, the Dixie Chicks consistently sold out venues throughout North America. That changed on the band's current tour, when planned shows in several Southern and Midwestern cities were canceled due to soft ticket sales. The group later reshuffled its schedule to focus on areas where sales were still strong, including Canada and the Northeastern US.

The group's North American tour is scheduled to resume Friday (10/27), kicking off in Ottawa, Ontario.