Many companies have pulled their ads from Glenn Beck’s show, but Rupert Murdoch was not concerned as they had simply moved their ads to other shows on Fox. The Independent reports on companies in Great Britain as well as the United States which are boycotting Beck’s show. Today’s report also notes that one company is pulling its ads from all shows on the deceptively named Fox News Channel:
The presenter became embroiled in controversy by accusing Barack Obama of racism and claiming that the US President has a “deep-seated hatred for white people”.
His comments incensed the pressure group Color of Change, which called for advertisers to “exercise corporate responsibility” and boycott his show in Britain as well as in the US. Since his attack on Mr Obama, more than 60 major US companies, including Wal-Mart, Campbell’s soups, Bank of America and Capital One have stopped advertising during Mr Beck’s programme in response to the call.
Waitrose, the John Lewis Partnership-owned grocer, yesterday said it had taken action after receiving complaints from customers, although it declined to say how many.
A Waitrose spokeswoman said: “This is not a politically motivated act. It was simply listening to customers’ views and responding to them.”
Waitrose has withdrawn all advertising from the Fox News Channel with immediate effect and for all future television advertising campaigns.
AP has also reported on this story.
Earlier today Ben Cohen predicted at The Huffington Post that Murdoch will fire Glenn Beck. I’m not terribly optimistic of this, but the chances are greater if advertisers do remove their ads from all Fox shows and not only Beck’s.
