Air America on Ad Blacklist?

10-31-2006, 08:15 PM

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2983

Media Advisory

Air America on Ad Blacklist?
ABC document: Sponsors shun liberal network

10/31/06

An internal memo from ABC Radio Networks to its affiliates reveals scores of powerful sponsors have a standing order that their commercials never be placed on syndicated Air America programming that airs on ABC affiliates.

The October 25 memo was provided to FAIR by the Peter B. Collins Show, a syndicated radio show originating on the West Coast.

Headlined "Air America Blackout" and addressed "Dear Traffic Director"—referring to the radio station staffer who coordinates programming and advertising—the memo gives the following order to affiliates:

Please be advised that Hewlett Packard has purchased schedules with ABC Radio Networks between October 30th and December 24th, 2006. Please make sure you blackout this advertiser on your station, as they do not wish it to air on any Air America affiliate.

The directive then advises ABC Radio Network affiliates to take note of a list of other sponsors who do not want their programming to run during Air America programming.

Please see below for a complete list of all advertisers requesting that NONE of their commercials air within Air America programming.

The list, totaling 90 advertisers, includes some of largest and most well-known corporations advertising in the U.S.: Wal-Mart, GE, Exxon Mobil, Microsoft, Bank of America, Fed-Ex, Visa, Allstate, McDonald's, Sony and Johnson & Johnson. The U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Navy are also listed as advertisers who don't want their commercials to air on Air America.

The ABC memo is evidence of the potentially censorious effect that advertisers' political preferences can have on the range of views presented in the media. When Al Gore proposed launching a progressive TV network, a Fox News executive told Advertising Age (10/13/03): "The problem with being associated as liberal is that they wouldn't be going in a direction that advertisers are really interested in.... If you go out and say that you are a liberal network, you are cutting your potential audience, and certainly your potential advertising pool, right off the bat." (See Extra!, 11-12/03.)

FAIR's call to the ABC contact person listed on the memo, to ask if similar "blackout" lists exist for other shows, including conservative-leaning programs, has not been returned.

Spexxvet · 10-31-2006, 08:17 PM

Nope. No conservative conspiracy there.

WabUfvot5 · 10-31-2006, 09:12 PM

Liberals are just whiners

Aliantha · 10-31-2006, 09:15 PM

*whines* that's not very nice...

Urbane Guerrilla · 10-31-2006, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spexxvet

Nope. No conservative conspiracy there.

Rather a society-wide rejection of the so-called "values" Air America was founded to broadcast, I should think. No wonder they are in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. And it may yet go to Chapter 7 (@Aliantha: that's the real, permanent, way-gone bankruptcy).

Aliantha · 10-31-2006, 09:46 PM

Sounds like we have the same names for different levels of bankruptcy.

Bullitt · 10-31-2006, 10:11 PM

Time to bring back the real Air America

Aliantha · 10-31-2006, 10:14 PM

lol

10-31-2006, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

Rather a society-wide rejection of the so-called "values" Air America was founded to broadcast, I should think. No wonder they are in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. And it may yet go to Chapter 7 (@Aliantha: that's the real, permanent, way-gone bankruptcy).

WabUfvot5 · 11-01-2006, 02:31 AM

Now now, maybe UG really does believe that Corporations constitute all of society. It would fit with the current administrations thinking which UG seems to agre with.

wolf · 11-01-2006, 08:17 AM

Sounds like the listed advertisers don't want their ads to run duing a program where nobody will hear them and their ad dollars will be wasted.

That's not a conservative conspiracy, that's a capitalist conspiracy.

fargon · 11-01-2006, 08:40 AM

IMHO, Corporations do not want their money wasted on advertising that no one will hear. It is not a question of politics, but of economics. I don't waste my money on unproductive advertising.

glatt · 11-01-2006, 08:48 AM

BS.

Typically, you pay more to air an advertisement the larger an audience is. Superbowl, anyone? So if Air America has a smaller audience, the cost would be lower for the corporations.

Corporations don't care so much about the size of the audience as long as the cost reflects that smaller size. What is happening here is that the corporations don't want to be associated with Air America. They fear that any association with Air America will hurt them more than help them. Look at all the conservatives out there who talked about not buying Heinze ketchup back when Kerry was running for president. It's the same thing. Conservatives can be a very tough crowd.

Undertoad · 11-01-2006, 08:52 AM

This will turn out to be rather innocuous: advertisers don't want any association with anything political, right or left. For example, O'Reilly has the top ratings on cable talking heads but his advertisers are not exactly Coke and Pepsi.

Spexxvet · 11-01-2006, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolf

Sounds like the listed advertisers don't want their ads to run duing a program where nobody will hear them and their ad dollars will be wasted.

That's not a conservative conspiracy, that's a capitalist conspiracy.

Or maybe they don't want this administration to find that they're financially supporting the opposition. Could cut off all the government handouts and looking the other ways. Hey, I guess that's capitalistic, too - at least from the corporate view.

10-31-2006, 08:15 PM	#1
rkzenrage Guest Posts: n/a	Air America on Ad Blacklist? http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2983 Media Advisory Air America on Ad Blacklist? ABC document: Sponsors shun liberal network 10/31/06 An internal memo from ABC Radio Networks to its affiliates reveals scores of powerful sponsors have a standing order that their commercials never be placed on syndicated Air America programming that airs on ABC affiliates. The October 25 memo was provided to FAIR by the Peter B. Collins Show, a syndicated radio show originating on the West Coast. Headlined "Air America Blackout" and addressed "Dear Traffic Director"—referring to the radio station staffer who coordinates programming and advertising—the memo gives the following order to affiliates: Please be advised that Hewlett Packard has purchased schedules with ABC Radio Networks between October 30th and December 24th, 2006. Please make sure you blackout this advertiser on your station, as they do not wish it to air on any Air America affiliate. The directive then advises ABC Radio Network affiliates to take note of a list of other sponsors who do not want their programming to run during Air America programming. Please see below for a complete list of all advertisers requesting that NONE of their commercials air within Air America programming. The list, totaling 90 advertisers, includes some of largest and most well-known corporations advertising in the U.S.: Wal-Mart, GE, Exxon Mobil, Microsoft, Bank of America, Fed-Ex, Visa, Allstate, McDonald's, Sony and Johnson & Johnson. The U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Navy are also listed as advertisers who don't want their commercials to air on Air America. The ABC memo is evidence of the potentially censorious effect that advertisers' political preferences can have on the range of views presented in the media. When Al Gore proposed launching a progressive TV network, a Fox News executive told Advertising Age (10/13/03): "The problem with being associated as liberal is that they wouldn't be going in a direction that advertisers are really interested in.... If you go out and say that you are a liberal network, you are cutting your potential audience, and certainly your potential advertising pool, right off the bat." (See Extra!, 11-12/03.) FAIR's call to the ABC contact person listed on the memo, to ask if similar "blackout" lists exist for other shows, including conservative-leaning programs, has not been returned.

10-31-2006, 08:17 PM	#2
Spexxvet Makes some feel uncomfortable Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 10,346	Nope. No conservative conspiracy there. __________________ "I'm certainly free, nay compelled, to spread the gospel of Spex. " - xoxoxoBruce

10-31-2006, 09:15 PM	#4
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	whines that's not very nice... __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

10-31-2006, 09:46 PM	#6
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	Sounds like we have the same names for different levels of bankruptcy. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

10-31-2006, 10:11 PM	#7
Bullitt This is a fully functional babe lair Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 2,324	Time to bring back the real Air America __________________ Kiss my white Irish ass.

10-31-2006, 09:12 PM	#3
WabUfvot5 Operations Operative Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 634	Liberals are just whiners

10-31-2006, 10:14 PM	#8
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	lol __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

11-01-2006, 02:31 AM	#10
WabUfvot5 Operations Operative Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 634	Now now, maybe UG really does believe that Corporations constitute all of society. It would fit with the current administrations thinking which UG seems to agre with.

11-01-2006, 08:17 AM	#11
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Sounds like the listed advertisers don't want their ads to run duing a program where nobody will hear them and their ad dollars will be wasted. That's not a conservative conspiracy, that's a capitalist conspiracy. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

11-01-2006, 08:40 AM	#12
fargon Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: La Crosse, WI Posts: 8,924	IMHO, Corporations do not want their money wasted on advertising that no one will hear. It is not a question of politics, but of economics. I don't waste my money on unproductive advertising. __________________ Annoy the ones that ignore you!!! I live a blessed life I Love my Country, I Fear the Government!!! Heavily medicated for the good of mankind.

11-01-2006, 08:48 AM	#13
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	BS. Typically, you pay more to air an advertisement the larger an audience is. Superbowl, anyone? So if Air America has a smaller audience, the cost would be lower for the corporations. Corporations don't care so much about the size of the audience as long as the cost reflects that smaller size. What is happening here is that the corporations don't want to be associated with Air America. They fear that any association with Air America will hurt them more than help them. Look at all the conservatives out there who talked about not buying Heinze ketchup back when Kerry was running for president. It's the same thing. Conservatives can be a very tough crowd.

11-01-2006, 08:52 AM	#14
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	This will turn out to be rather innocuous: advertisers don't want any association with anything political, right or left. For example, O'Reilly has the top ratings on cable talking heads but his advertisers are not exactly Coke and Pepsi.

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