(August 17, 2009) An organized movement is claiming success in getting advertisers to pull commercials from the Fox News cable network's "Glen Beck" show after the host made on-air assertions that President Barack Obama is a "racist" and has "a deep-seated hatred for white people."Since the advocacy Web site, ColorOfChange.org, created a petition directed to advertisers appearing on "Glen Beck," more than 45,000 have signed on urging advertisers to remove their ads. Among the companies that have agreed to do so are Procter & Gamble, Walmart, Geico Insurance, Men's Wearhouse, Sargento Cheese, Lawyers.com and Progressive Insurance.
"Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention," said John Michaels, Senior Communications Manager at LexisNexis in an email to ColorOfChange.org. "We have suspended further advertising during Mr. Beck's program."
"We have no plans to continue advertising on Mr. Beck's show," Michaels continued in another email.
When executives at Procter & Gamble were contacted by ColorOfChange.org, they said that any ads run during Glenn Beck were run by mistake, and that they would correct the problem going forward.
"No P&G ads should have appeared on this program in the first place," said Martha Depenbrock, Brand Building Stakeholder Relations for Procter & Gamble in an email. "To be clear, if any of our advertising appeared on the Glenn Beck show, it was in error and we appreciate you bringing this matter to our attention. We will do what we can to see that it doesn't happen again."
Progressive Insurance said any ads running during Glenn Beck were a mistake by Fox News Channel -- a mistake they have asked the network to fix immediately.
"Our (advertising) order specifies no Glenn Beck," said Linda J. Harris, Media Director at Progressive Insurance in an email to ColorOfChange.org. "We have confirmed with the network that our spots should not be running there," Harris said in a later email.
At the end of July, ColorOfChange.org called on its 600,000-plus members to sign a petition urging companies who advertise on Glenn Beck's radio and television shows to cut off their advertising on Beck's programs. The mobilization came after Beck called President Obama a "racist" who "has a deep-seated hatred for white people" during an appearance last Tuesday on "Fox and Friends." More than 45,000 members responded to the call by signing a petition directed at advertisers.
"What Beck is doing is race-baiting at its worst, it's dangerous and it's hard to imagine any company wanting their brand associated with it," said James Rucker, executive director of ColorOfChange.org. "Beck has now shown that his extreme views are more appropriate for a street corner than a major media program. He no longer deserves the backing of mainstream advertisers."
The ColorOfChange.org email urged members to go visit http://www.colorofchange.org/beck/, where they could send letters to executives of target companies. Some of the advertisers who are targeted as part of the campaign include GEICO, NutriSystem and United Parcel Service. BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS
