Fox News faces something of a quandary when it comes to Glenn Beck. On the one hand, his brand of incendiary commentary makes him extremely popular with the news channel's audience. On the other, his controversial rhetoric is driving away a growing number of corporate sponsors. Like many of Fox's on-air personalities, Beck routinely takes issue with President Obama's policies and governing priorities, but the self-described regular guy seemed to cross the line when he labeled the president a "racist" who "has a deep-seated hatred of white people." Watch:
Those remarks have proven too much for many advertisers, and that list is growing. Last week, Geico announced it was pulling its ads from Beck's show. This week, several more companies are following suit, and the list now includes:
ConAgra Foods Procter & Gamble Walmart GMAC Financial Services Best Buy CVS Travelocity State Farm Insurance Broadview Security Progressive Insurance Roche Sanofi-Aventis Radio Shack Men's Wearhouse Lawyers.com Sargento
Several of the companies issued statements explaining their decision regarding Beck's program. Here's what CVS said of the move:
While advertising on Fox is part of our communication plan, we had not requested time on Glenn Beck's show specifically. We have instructed our advertising agency to inform Fox to ensure Glenn Beck's program is not part of our advertising plan.
Fox does not seem likely to lose much money from these actions, as the companies in question have, for the most part, simply shifted their advertising schedules so that their spots do not air during Beck's show. Moreover, a staunchly anti-Obama platform is paying huge financial dividends for the network, with viewership up 11 percent from a year ago. It seems the lesson here is that while there may be a limit to the specific tenor and wording that Fox's television hosts use against the president, the general game plan is still to present Fox as the "voice of the opposition" to the Obama administration.
As long as Glenn is on the radio or television, we will be listening or watching. Won't be going to Walmart or Best Buy in the future.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (98)
dee dee
11:11AM Aug 18th 2009
Give a list of those companies and I'll make sure they get MY business, the man is a disgrace and a poster boy for yellow journalism and I use the term journalism loosely!
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-98)
jrotced02
11:21AM Aug 18th 2009
Sure you won't go to Wal-Mart. And you can bet that Fixed News is watching the bottom line, and looking for an excuse to throw this Bozo under the bus. Tick, tock, tick tock!
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-81)
nnanciejean
11:26AM Aug 18th 2009
Thanks for the list. It makes it much easier to boycott those companies. My insurance company is on that list, and I will be changing companies now. I've been tossing around that idea for awhile and now it just puts it to the top of my "to do" list. How sad that people cannot stand anyone who wants to voice their opinion. But then the dems are trying to supress freedom of speech for all those who don't kiss their butts.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (87)
park457799
11:37AM Aug 18th 2009
dee dee 11:11AM Aug 18th 2009 Give a list of those companies and I'll make sure they get MY business, the man is a disgrace and a poster boy for yellow journalism and I use the term journalism loosely! ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Am I supposed to be impressed?
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-55)
park457799
11:40AM Aug 18th 2009
Here is the reason Walmart caved in regarding White House Pressure to damage Glenn Beck:
Welfare Familes Blow Stimulus On Booze And Smokes
A NY State program to spend US $140 million of stimulus money on school supplies for children on welfare has backfired after families receiving the money spent it on other things including flat screen televisions, cigarettes and beer.
The program, initiated by NY Governor David Patterson, also got US $30 million in seed money from Socialist billionaire George Soros and the backing of New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg. The project broke down to about US $200 per family.
FOX News was tipped off to the mishap after Wal-Mart managers reported throngs of welfare recipients buying flat-screen televisions with their debit cards. Gas station owners from upstate New York also reported beer and cigarette runs with welfare money.
Officials are blaming a lack of communication with recipients on what the extra money was for, which unexpectedly appeared on debit cards last Tuesday. As rumors circulated about what the sudden bonus, lines around the block at Western Union offices in New York City developed with people trying to secure the amounts.
FOX News report
RATE THIS COMMENT: (88)
Jerry
12:01PM Aug 18th 2009
Glen Beck just tells it like it is. I know I will keep watching. Ever hear Obama say much about him being part white? I know I haven't.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (81)
Nancy!
12:51PM Aug 18th 2009
Thanks for the list, David! I now know where not to shop.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (64)
park457799
12:59PM Aug 18th 2009
Each and every time Obama does or states something stupid, the Obama Administration and the DNC go after somebody. Gee, it has been President Bush, Sarah Palin, Dick Cheney, The Cambridge Police Officer, Any Conservative, Citizens questioning Obama's Health Care Plan, and now it is Glenn Beck and next it will be Fox News. Here is the news Obama is trying to divert from today:
The Stimulus Isn’t Working,’ Republican Says -- Six Months Out Monday, August 17, 2009 By Susan Jones, Senior Editor
(CNSNews.com) – Six months have passed since President Barack Obama signed the $787-billion stimulus bill into law, promising that it would “create or save three and a half million jobs over the next two years.”
On Monday, Rep. Mike Pence, chairman of the House Republican Conference, said the results are in – and “the stimulus isn’t working.”
Pence noted that the multi-billion-dollar infusion of taxpayer money has not prevented unemployment from rising above 8 percent. The latest numbers put the nation’s jobless rate at 9.4 percent. More than two million jobs have been lost since the stimulus was signed, Pence said in a news release.
When Obama signed the stimulus in Denver on Feb. 17, he called it “the most sweeping economic recovery package in our history.”
“What makes this recovery plan so important is not just that it will create or save three and a half million jobs over the next two years, including nearly 60,000 in Colorado. It’s that we are putting Americans to work doing the work that America needs done in critical areas that have been neglected for too long – work that will bring real and lasting change for generations to come.”
Obama called it a plan “without earmarks or the usual pork barrel spending.” And he promised “an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability.”
A USA Today/Gallup poll released on Monday shows that 57 percent of adults say the stimulus package is having no impact on the economy -- or is making it worse.
Sixty percent doubt that the stimulus plan will help the economy in the years ahead, and only 18 percent say it has done anything to help improve their personal situation, USA Today reported.
Almost half of the adults polled are "very worried" that stimulus money is being wasted.
“The American people know we can't borrow and spend our way back to a growing economy,” Pence said. “Thousands of Americans are filling town hall meetings expressing outrage and disappointment at the policies of a Congress and an Administration that promised to mend our economy and get people back to work, and that has only offered more spending, more deficits, more bailouts and more unemployment.”
Pence said in the next six months, Democrats should start working with House Republicans “on real solutions” such as fiscal discipline and fast-acting tax relief for working families and small businesses.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (58)
PCL
3:38PM Aug 18th 2009
I am so sure they will miss your nickels and dimes. Glenn Beck is a plague on the American psyche, he is contributing to the FEAR campaign of the Righties and Big Business--the man should be cancelled, but then there's just too many stupid Americans who buy into this kind of bs.
Listen to all of the hypocrites on the left who rail against corporate America, and government-corporate corruption. All of a sudden it's OK for Wal-mart to be in bed with Obama, or one of the favorite targets of the left, Big Pharma, to cut back room deals with Obama.
Wal-Mart has been making deals with Obama.
Progressive is run by Peter Lewis, a drug using leftist who is a co-conspirator with Obama and George Soros in the coup now underway.
ConAgra stands to make billions by sucking up to the Kremlin. What are the first three letters in Con-Agra?
GMAC has an Obama Czar for an overlord. GMAC is using tax dollars, controlled by Obama, to advertise, or in this case not advertise. Beck has criticized Obama's fascist takeove of GM, and Obama's corrupt and inept Car Czar appointees. Gee, I wonder if there is any connection.
Lawyer.com? They're lawyers. What did you expect?
If the government can control the media by pressuring advertisers through racist, radical leftist political action groups, that were founded by government officials to begin with, we have lost all freedom in this country. Obama Green Jobs Czar, Van Jones, convicted felon, Communist, and founder of ColorofChange, is the trigger man on this attack on Beck and the 1st Amendment.
Many, if not all, of the corporations involved have government ties, or are controlled by Progressive/leftist Chairman or CEOs. So much for the left whining about the fat cats all being Republicans. That is pure bullsh*t, and this suppression of free speech irrefutably proves it.
PISS ON THE FOLLOWING:
ConAgra Foods Procter & Gamble Walmart GMAC Financial Services Best Buy CVS Travelocity State Farm Insurance Broadview Security Progressive Insurance Roche Sanofi-Aventis Radio Shack Men's Wearhouse Lawyers.com Sargento
RATE THIS COMMENT: (66)
ProPalin
5:39PM Aug 18th 2009
That's right!
What's the big deal? "...labeled the president a "racist" who "has a deep-seated hatred of white people." This is true. BO states this plainly in his book. Pull your sponsorship, you weenies. There are a lot of other companies that will gladly take your place.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (56)
Rheinhart Moxon
9:36PM Aug 18th 2009
park457799 11:40AM Aug 18th 2009 Here is the reason Walmart caved in regarding White House Pressure to damage Glenn Beck:
Welfare Familes Blow Stimulus On Booze And Smokes
A NY State program to spend US $140 million of stimulus money on school supplies for children on welfare has backfired after families receiving the money spent it on other things including flat screen televisions, cigarettes and beer.
The program, initiated by NY Governor David Patterson, also got US $30 million in seed money from Socialist billionaire George Soros and the backing of New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg. The project broke down to about US $200 per family.
FOX News was tipped off to the mishap after Wal-Mart managers reported throngs of welfare recipients buying flat-screen televisions with their debit cards. Gas station owners from upstate New York also reported beer and cigarette runs with welfare money.
Officials are blaming a lack of communication with recipients on what the extra money was for, which unexpectedly appeared on debit cards last Tuesday. As rumors circulated about what the sudden bonus, lines around the block at Western Union offices in New York City developed with people trying to secure the amounts.
FOX News report ------------------
Gosh, you posted those LIES before!
Anyone who doesn't actually LINK to the Fox News Report he is quoting is OBVIOUSLY LYING!
WHY DO YOU DO IT?
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-25)
fengbbo001
12:08PM Aug 19th 2009
I found a great dating site_____Wealthyromance .com______where you have the opportunity dreaming about dating a millionaire and make it true! u dont have to be a millionaire.but u can meet one. I thought everyone needed to meet some miracle after all the terrible stuff in the news and the economy___________________ you should check it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-25)
Shirl
2:55PM Aug 19th 2009
Me either! No giving money to WalMart, Best Buy, Progressing, Procter & Gamble, ConAgra, CVS and anyone else that thwarts free speech!
RATE THIS COMMENT: (39)
thayes9217
3:08PM Aug 19th 2009
"To be ignorant of one's ignorance is the malady of the ignorant." Amos B. Alcott
RATE THIS COMMENT: (5)
mdkak4
3:14PM Aug 19th 2009
I'll bet you will be going to WALMART in the future. I almost hope you don't if you support Glenn Beck, I'm afraid you may be armed.