LEAKED!! Air America Advertiser Blacklist!! From ABC Radio!

[Gold Metal Flake]

http://mediamatters.org/items/200610310008?src=item200610310008

ABC memo reveals Air America advertiser blacklist
An internal ABC Radio Networks memo obtained by Media Matters for America, originally from a listener to The Peter B. Collins Show, indicates that nearly 100 ABC advertisers insist that their commercials be blacked out on Air America Radio affiliates. According to the memo, the adverstisers insist that "NONE of their commercials air during AIR AMERICA programming." Among the advertisers listed are Bank of America, Exxon Mobil, Federal Express, General Electric, McDonald's, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, and the U.S. Navy.


Large version at mediamatters.org/static/images/item/hp-aa-20061031-lg.jpg (copy and paste it).

Below I have tried to transcribe all of the companies that are witholding their ads from Air America broadcasts. Some names I can not make out. Perhaps other DUers can fill in the question marks.

(First column)
Allstate
American Heart Association
Avon
Bank of America
Bayer
BMW Motorcycles
Chattem, Inc. Gold Bond Products
Cigna
???
Clorox
???
???
???
???
Denny's
Discovery Channel
(next column)
Epson
Expedia?
ExxonMobile
Fermer's Insurance
Fedex
Foot Action?
Frito-Lay
GE
Gillete
Goodyear
???
Hershey's
Hewlett Packard
Home Depot
Hormel
Hyatt
Interstate Batteries
JC Penney
Johnson & Johnson Laboratories
???
Kraft Foods
???
(third column)
Masterfoods LSA (all brands)
McDonalds'
???
MGM
Michelin
Microsoft
Morningstar
? Cattelman's Beef
Nestle
NYSE
Office Depot
Outdoor Life ???
Proctor & Gamble various brands
???
Pepsi
???
Pier 1 Imports
Red Lobster
(fourth column)
???
??? Sporting Goods
???
Robert Hall
Schering Plough
Sherwin Williams
Sony
State Farm
Toys R Us
Travelocity.com
True Value
United Healthcare
US Navy
USPS
Visa
Wallgreens
Wal-Mart
Welch's
Wrigley
Wyeth


Edit: Link and additions

[gully]

1. This list will come in handy when I decide where to shop for the holidays.

I hope others will take note?

[Kierkegaard]

3. You betcha.

I'm researching a new bank this very moment.

[NYCGirl]

9. Hope you're not planning on mailing any Christmas cards. The USPS is

on the list.

[gully]

10. Nope, I'll send E-Cards.

And use UPS when possible.

[derby378]

2. American Heart Association?!? WTF?!?

Democrats have just as much right to decent cardiovascular care as anyone else...

[elehhhhna]

5. LOL Cheney's personal charity

[Ezlivin]

4. Where is the corresponding list for advertisers on Limbaugh?

I'd like to see the (insert horrible invective here) companies and corporations who still insist on supporting that drug-addled mound of useless flesh.

[bloom]

11. here are a couple websites:

(most of the companies I haven't heard of - I don't know how he makes his $20m a year or whatever)

http://www.takebackthemedia.com/rushbusted.html

http://www.topplebush.com/boycott_rush.shtml

http://www.rushlimbaughonline.com/advertisers.htm

(I don't know when this list is from )

AutoZone [phone]
Bose Wave Radio 508-766-7781
Mission Pharmacal
(makers of Citracal) [phone]
General Steel Metal Buildings 1-888-98-STEEL
Hotwire Discount Travel 415-343-8444
Lending Tree [phone]
Life Quotes 1-800-670-5433
Select Comfort 763-551-7460
Mission Pharmacal
(makers of Thera-gesic) [phone]
Overstock.com [phone]

_________________________

For a larger list -

"The following companies advertise on KTTH radio, home of Rush Limbaugh, Michael Medved et al...probably worth making sure you're not a customer of these":

http://www.evergreenpolitics.com/ep/2005/09/advertisers_to_.html

[Patiod]

54. Most of these are advertisers on AirAmerica as well

I definitely remember hearing ads for Gen'l Steel Metal Buildings, Lending Tree, Life Quotes and Overstock.com on AAR.

These are probably folks who decided that the folks who listen to political radio of either stripe are a good buy for them.

[Broken Top]

70. Advertisers on Limbaugh

Yes, please can someone post the names of companies that support that flabby mound of toxic waste. I want to quit buying their products and services.

[stop the bleeding]

6. would this had an outcome on AAR claiming Chapter 11???

just asking

and thanks in advance

[Sammy Pepys]

7. Interesting list...n/t

....

[Ioo]

8. Here is my list (Filled in some ????)

Allstate
American Heart Association
<unknown>
Avon
Bank of America
Bayer (All Products)
BMW Motorcycles
Chattem – Gold Bond Foot Powder
Chattem - Capzasin-HP
Chattem - Phisoderm
Chattem - Selsun Salon Shampoo
Cigna
Cingular
Clorox
<unknown> (Coke)
Coly
Dear’s Morningstar Foods
<unknown> (Dell)
Denny’s
Discovery Channel
e-harmony.com
Epson
Expedia.com
Exxon Mobil
Farmers Insurance
FedEx
Foot Action
Frito-Lay
GE
Gillette Venus Razor
Good Year
Heinekin / Amstel Light
Hershey’s
Hewlett Packard
Home Depot
Hormel
Interstate Batteries
JC Penney
Johnson & Johnson
Kohl’s
Kraft Foods
Levi’s
Masterfood USA
McDonald’s
Merial – Frontline
MGM
Michelin
Microsoft
Morningstar LSA
National Cattlemen's Beef
Nestle
Nissan
NYSE
Office Depot
Outdoor Life Network
P&G – Bounty
P&G – Charmin
P&G – Forbreeze
P&G – Ima’s Dog and Cat Food
P&G – Pepto Bismol
<unknown>
Pepsi
<unknown> (Phillip Morris (maybe))
Pier 1 Imports
Red Lobster
ReMax
REX Sporting Goods
Rent-way
Robert Haft
Schering-Plough
Sherman Williams
Sony
State Farm
Toys R’ Us
Travelocity.com
True Value
United Healthcare
US Navy
USPS
Visa
Waigmans
Wal-mart
Welch’s
Wrigley
<unknown> (Wyeth)

[sazemisery]

12. Here are some you couldn't decypher

Coke
Dell
Phillip Morris (maybe)
Wyeth

I think maybe Coly is Coty

[Ioo]

13. Thanks, added

[Liberal In Texas]

15. Fillin' in the blanks...(mostly)...

Allstate
American Heart Association
Ave??s
Avon
Bank of America
Bayer (All Products)
BMW Motorcycles
Chattem – Gold Bond Foot Powder
Chattem - Capzasin-HP
Chattem - Phisoderm
Chattem - Selsun Salon Shampoo
Cigna
Cingular
Clorox
Coke
Coly
Dear’s Morningstar Foods
De?? (Dell?)
Denny’s
Discovery Channel
e-harmony.com
Epson
Expedia.com
Exxon Mobil
Farmers Insurance
FedEx
Foot Action
Frito-Lay
GE
Gillette Venus Razor
Good Year
Heinekin / Amstel Light
Hershey’s
Hewlett Packard
Home Depot
Hormel
Interstate Batteries
JC Penney
Johnson & Johnson
Kohl’s
Kraft Foods
Levi’s
Masterfood USA
McDonald’s
Merial – Frontline
MGM
Michelin
Microsoft
Morningstar LSA
National Cattlemen's Beef
Nestle
Nissan
NYSE
Office Depot
Outdoor Life Network
P&G – Bounty
P&G – Charmin
P&G – Forbreeze
P&G – Ima’s Dog and Cat Food
P&G – Pepto Bismol
Paramount
Pepsi
Phillip Morris
Pier 1 Imports
Red Lobster
ReMax
REI Sporting Goods
Rent-way
Robert Haft
Schering-Plough
Sherman Williams
Sony
State Farm
Toys R’ Us
Travelocity.com
True Value
United Healthcare
US Navy
USPS
Visa
Waigmans
Wal-mart
Welch’s
Wrigley
Wyeth

[nicknameless]

18. #3 looks like "Avents"

Not sure of the company though. "Avent" makes baby products.

:shrug:

[AZBlue]

23. It's Aventis

[machka]

14. I can make out...

First column: Cingular, Coke?, Coty, Dean's Morningstar Foods, Dell

Second column: (Fermer's insurance should be Farmers Insurance), Heineken/Amstel Light, Kohl's, Levi's

Third column: Merial/Frontline, Nissan, and (Outdoor Life Network)

Fourth column: Re/Max, Rentway


*sigh* Remind me to find a new auto insurance firm, kthnx, and to ask my Merial rep "WTF, chuck??" the next time he drops by...

Edited because one of the other suggestions made nore sense.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

16. K&R

[Vinca]

17. Well, fine. If they don't want my money, I don't want to give it to them. nt

[K8-EEE]

21. EXACTAMUNDO!!!

I wouldn't spend a dime at any of these places!

[K8-EEE]

19. Looks like I need a new Home Ins. carrier

Buh-bye State Farm! I sure as hell don't want to give BushCo's special fascist corporations one red dime...I'd boycott Red Lobster except it's so gross I wouldn't eat there anyhow!

Pier One is a 100% GOP an their donations, do Cost Plus instead for the import shop fans...

[Robeysays]

34. woot woot!

cost plus rocks

[Clark2008]

35. Need a quote: my hubby works for Traveler's

and used to work for Progressive.

He's a pretty liberal guy. :)

[K8-EEE]

44. Do they insure old houses in CA?

I'm having trouble with that, some are saying, if it's pre-1930 they won't do it!

[K8-EEE]

20. Kraft, McDonalds, Dennys, Red Lobster -- YUCK!!

Put those under "things you're so much better without anyhow!"

[AZBlue]

22. Here's all the ???:

The company after Cigna is Cingular.

The 4 after Clorox are: Coke, Coty, Dean's Morningstar Foods and Dell.

Between Discovery Channel and Epson is eHarmony.com.

Yes, it is Expedia.com.

Between Goodyear and Hersheys is Heineken/Amstel Light.

Between Johnson & Johnson and Kraft is Kohl's

After Kraft is Levi's.

Between McDonald's and MGM is Merial Frontline.

Between Morningstar and Nestle is National Cattleman's Beef.

It's Outdoor Life Network.

Between P&G and Pepsi is Paramount (all)

Between Pepsi and Pier 1 is Philip Morris

The first three in the fourth column are: Re/Max, REI Sporting Goods and Rent-way.




I smell a boycott or two.....

[KharmaTrain]

24. Do These Companies Advertise On Right Wing Radio?

From one whose worked with radio advertising, there are companies that specify they don't advertise on what they consider "controversial" programming...right, left, up or down. Also, many of these companies don't advertise on radio at all.

One more major factor is major advertisers go where the listeners are. These companies hire advertising agencies to handle virtually all their radio advertising...from the producing of the commercial to the placement on stations and networks. Their criteria isn't politics, it's ratings. Sadly AAR stations don't have the numbers of the bigger talkers and that hurts them with getting the bigger advertiser.

The question that begs asking, and MMFA needs to do some due diligence on is the track record of these companies with RADIO advertising...if any are currently spending only on right wing hate shows. Now if I were to see a large number of these companies advertising on the Salem network, then I'd say Mr. Collins has something here.

[Zodiak]

26. Red Lobster is one example

They sponsor Rush Limbaugh, according to Take back the media.com.

The rest I do not see on other right wing radio lists, except for ABC itself.

[KharmaTrain]

28. There's Many Ways You Hear A Radio Ad

First...I couldn't help note the American Cancer Society was on Mr. Collins' list. Unfortunately, this organization is a non-profit, they don't pay for air time and many times when a station airs one of their PSA, it's in lieu of a paying advertiser. When I hear a station run a lot of PSAs and promos, it says loud and clear like a billboard along the highway "This space for rent".

Also, there's many types of sources of advertising that airs...especially during the mid day hours. Rushbo, for example, provides only about 45 minutes of actual programing...minus network news, local news, weather reports and local commercials. Within Rushbo's show are some commercials that are specifically for his show, but others are inserted by the network on a larger ad agency buy...not just buying Rushbo but a wide array of shows...some aren't even talk programs.

In the past I've advocated that if people want to support or protest a program, its always best done locally. Small stations fight hard to get advertising dollars and a work of saying you heard a their commercial on an AAR station can mean the difference between that company staying with them one more month or buying the local cable television channel. Or, a number of complaints from listeners to a local advertiser on Rushbo's show can create more headaches than any national boycott could ever achieve.

These lists are no new. I've seen them based on certain format. For example, many companies won't want to advertise on an Urban station or, if they cater to women, will not want money spent on Sports Talk stations.

Also, remember that Rushbo is on some of the most powerful stations in the country. While Franken is creaking out of the 1,000 watt AAR station, Rushbo's down the dial on the 50,000 flame thrower. Most ad buyers just see ratings and markets...and they look at their target demo. If they see a station or show that is #1 with the audience their client wants them to reach, be it Rushbo or Carrottop, they'll buy.

Progressive Talk radio is a decade behind right wing hate radio and AAR's problems were of their own creation rather than some "boycott". From experience, most stations and formats fail due to a poorly operated Sales or Marketing Department.

[Joanne98]

51. Red Lobster and The Olive Garden owned by the Darden Company

Everybody should boycott them anyway. They're EVIL!

Sea Shepherd News
http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_051022_1.html

The Lobster is Red from Embarrassment

By Captain Paul Watson

The Red Lobster chain is thrashing about in murky waters with the release by the Center for Public Integrity and the American Public Media’s Marketplace of information that links the company to a private foundation that is being investigated for illegal activities.

According to the report, ultra Right wing Republican Congressman Richard Pombo allegedly received $23,000 worth of foreign trips paid for by the International Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources. (ICNR)

Talk about your Orwellian monikers. This organization has nothing to do with conservation of natural resources and should be named the International Foundation for the Exploitation of Natural Resources.

The International Foundation for the “Conservation” of Natural Resources is funded primarily by the Orlando based Darden Restaurant chain which owns Red Lobster and Olive Garden restaurants

From 2000 to 2004, Darden has contributed $574,000 to IFCNR which amounts to more than a third of its support.

The IFCNR has no staff and its headquarters are located at a home address.

The IRS precludes private, non-profit foundations like the IFCNR from funding international travel by government officials and has potentially stiff penalties if trip costs are not reimbursed. The report, a joint effort of the Center for Public Integrity (www.publicintegrity.org) and Marketplace's "Power Trips" series with American RadioWorks, examines the highly unusual organizational structure and business activities of IFCNR.

The IFCNR, whose Web site features numerous articles that attack animal rights and conservation groups, paid for a November 2000 trip to New Zealand and a May 2002 trip to Japan for California Republican Rep. Richard Pombo. Since then, Pombo pushed legislation that critics claim will gut the Endangered Species Act. His staffers have also drafted a working document that suggests some national parks be sold off for development to close the budget gap.


The Center for Public Integrity report includes:

A chart listing IFCNR's donors and how much they donated
Links to PDF documents showing IRS rules on paying taxes for foreign trips and copies of the IFCNR's tax filings.
Links to the text of Pombo's bill to amend the Endangered Species Act recently passed by the House.
An audio file of Steve Henn's interview with IFCNR President Emeritus Stephen Boynton.
To find local times and stations to hear this report on Marketplace, go here.

To listen to the streaming audio, visit the Marketplace home page,


California rancher Congressman Richard Pombo is a leading advocate in Congress for supporting Japanese whaling. Congressman Pombo was the guest speaker a few years ago at a meeting in Iceland of the World Council for Whalers where he spoke in favor of reviving whaling in the United States and his support for whaling worldwide. He is the leader of the move to gut the Endangered Species Act. He is also in bed with the Fur Commission USA.

What is emerging here is a wide-spread network linking Darden and thus Red Lobster with Congressman Pombo, the Fur Commission USA, the seal slaughter in Canada, illegal Japanese whaling, and the gutting of the Endangered Species Act.

It is no longer just simply that Red Lobster supports the annual Canadian seal slaughter by continuing to purchase Canadian Seafood products, it appears that Red Lobster a.k.a. Darden Foods is also directly involved in efforts to support the killing of whales, the killing of seals and destruction of Endangered Species.

In other words, Red Lobster is no longer just an unwilling accomplice, it appears that they are full members of the anti-nature gang and their hands are smeared with the blood of the whales and the seals in addition to their contribution to the destruction of sealife.

Living lobsters are greenish brown. Red lobsters are dead lobsters and now it appears they are also embarrassed lobsters caught with their claw in the political influence cookie jar, handing out salty pork to allegedly corrupt politicians
http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_051022_1.html

[mhatrw]

25. BOYCOTT!!!

I don't advocate many boycotts, but in this case boycotting all of these corporations is 100% appropriate.

[AlamoDemoc]

27. I'm kicking this b/c its very important

:kick:

[grateful581]

29. this is upsetting

Alot of big companies are against Air America Radio and the progressive message.
thanks for the list. I now have more companies to avoid.

[DFLer4edu]

30. Has Air America said anything in response?

[AZBlue]

31. I have all but two on the list:

I'm not sure about #8 (Carter? Cartier?) and #52 - I don't think it's Microsoft.

Allstate
American Heart Association
Aventis
Avon (all brands)
Bank of America
Bayer (all products)
BMW Motorcycles
Carter? Cartier?
Chattem, Inc. Gold Bond (misc. brands)
Cigna
Cingular
Clorox
Coke
Coty
Dean Morningstar Foods
Dell
Denny's
Discovery Channel
eHarmony.com
Epson
Expedia.com
Exxon Mobil
Farmer's Insurance
FedEx
Foot Action
Frito-Lay
GE
Gillete Venus
Goodyear
Heineken/Amstel Light
Hershey's
Hewlett Packard
Home Depot
Hormel
Hyatt
Interstate Batteries
JC Penney
Johnson & Johnson (all brands)
Kohl’s
Kraft Foods (all brands)
Levi’s
Masterfoods USA (all brands)
McDonalds
Merial Frontline
MGM
Michelin
Microsun? Microson?
Morningstar
National Cattleman's Beef
Nestle
Nissan
NYSE
Office Depot
Outdoor Life Network
Proctor & Gamble (misc. brands)
Paramount (all)
Pepsi
Philip Morris
Pier 1 Imports
Red Lobster
Re/Max
REI Sporting Goods
Rent-way
Robert Hall
Schering Plough (ESPYs & Tinactin)
Sherwin Williams
Sony
State Farm
Toys R Us
Travelocity.com
True Value
United Healthcare
US Navy
USPS
Visa
Walgreens
Wal-Mart
Welch's
Wrigley
Wyeth

[Qutzupalotl]

32. Note that this doesn't mean they all advertise on Rush.

Most are just trying to avoid being associated with anything controversial, whether that controversy is deserved or not. So a boycott of all these may be a little harsh under the circumstances.

It would be prudent to compare this list with a list of Rush advertisers to look for matches of hypocritical companies, such as Welch's.

[pacalo]

38. Good point! I'm taking your advice.

Here's a list of Limpball's advertisers, courtesy of Take Back the Media:

Overstock.com
eharmony
Inverness Medical (maker of stresstabs)
Onstar
Geico
Hotwire Corporate Headquarters
Sleep Number Bed
The Neptune Society of Northern California
Oreck Upright Vacuum Cleaners
Smart & Final
Mid-West Life Insurance Company of Tennessee
AutoZone Inc.
Citracal - Mission Pharmacal
Blue-Emu
Red Lobster
Lumber Liquidators
Avacor (hair loss treatment)
Lazerguide® (golf instruction tool)
Mission Pharmacal Company
General Steel Metal Buildings
Life Quotes, Inc.
Select Comfort Corporation
Scottrade Inc
RegionalHelpWanted.com, Inc.
The Swap Shop
Pfizer Inc

[pstokely]

45. I hear Avacor ads everywhere (including AAR)

[symbolman]

50. Our list is old on TBTM

but we DID get a LOT of companies to dump Rush.

As far as I know since then, GEICO, and RED LOBSTER folded and left him, but I think that was because of the Drugs he was ingesting at the time.

OverStock, Lumber Liquidators, Oreck, Avacor are complete bastards and will NEVER quit Limbaugh..

It would be better to have folks listen in all over the country and report back to update the list, I don't have time to update and crossreference it all now, but like I said Geico and Red Lobster dumped him not more than a year ago..

It scared the shit out of them, I was on O'reilly and Scarborough within days of starting the boycott, my question was, if our boycott was no problem, then WHY INVITE ME ON THE SHOW?

Personally, I would boycott any one of these companies since what they are doing is Boycotting AAR, tit for tat :)

[Patiod]

55. A lot of these advertise on AAR as well

I don't listen to anything but NPR and AAR during the day, so I know if I've heard a commercial, it's been on AAR, and I hear a lot of ads on AAR for:

Overstock.com
eharmony
Oreck Upright Vacuum Cleaners
Avacor
General Steel
Life Quotes

[Gold Metal Flake]

57. Good point. This leads me to another question...

Did all of those companies specifically request that they be placed on that list (or made known use restrictions that would warrant their inclusion on that list) or perhaps were some included by ABC without knowledge or direction of the companies? I guess some inquisitive letters to the advertisers would be a good first step. Get them on the record.

[mom cat]

33. Thanks for providing such a good copy of the list!

:hug:

[buddysmellgood]

36. I'm switching my insurance.

[pacalo]

37. What do these companies gain by boycotting AirAmerica?

Are they getting kickbacks in exchange for support?

Are they afraid that the petulant boy king will punish them in some way? Or are the kickbacks so substantial that they don't want to risk being cut off?

Bush's approval ratings have been consistently low since the election; why would these companies choose to curry favor from a very unpopular president over consumer preferences?

This is just too weird & crazy. I'm going to keep a copy of this list & shop accordingly. I'm just one consumer, but even piggy banks can accumulate sizeable sums of coins before you know it.

[immoderate]

40. Maybe it's extortion.

If they advertise on AAR, then Rush (or whoever) won't take their ads. Does that make sense?

--IMM

[pacalo]

41. Look at post #32 by Qutzupalotl. Makes sense to me.

However, Red Lobster sponsors Limpballs but will not sponsor Air America.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

39. Bank of America?

If every progressive who listens to Air America and has a BofA account moved their savings account to a different bank, it could have a more telling effect than just stating in a letter that someone will boycott a product.

[Hepburn]

61. Bank of America...

...unmitigated bastards.

I switched over from them YEARS ago.

[Hidden Stillness]

42. Fascist Capitalist Bastards

This explains why Air America went bankrupt and was unable to stay on the air: they were not incompetant at managing their enterprise, they were frozen out of the system by conspiracy, and murdered. What laws does this violate?

[upi402]

43. oh christ, this sucks

we need PBS and NPR back, clearly.
Advertising gains in profit are nothing compared to the obscene profits from corporate welfare, looting the treasury, cartel price gouging, and corporatist abuses of every kind.

We're in deep shit and need a government subsidized media that is 100% liberal, and as such - THE balance. PBS eliminated progressive programming because it wasn't balanced, but IT *WAS* THE BALANCE to the myriad Pnac media.

The Panama Deception is an example.

[CitizenLeft]

46. *whew*

I've heard both Oreck and Geico ads on Air America, a lot. While they're listed as Limbaugh sponsors, they are not on that blacklist. Thank goodness - I love my Oreck, and Geico saves me $75 a month - I couldn't switch insurance companies if I wanted to!

As for the blacklist... I'm printing it out. No more Red Lobster for me.

[pstokely]

47. Big loss, same people also own Olive Garden

[mogster]

48. Hmm.. and they say it isn't a conspiracy?

This proves capitalism has gone political, and that it forms clusters of 'resistance' - and that it is media aware.

[B Calm]

49. No more True Value for me. Screw Travelocity too!

[Patiod]

56. TrueValue is usually a family-owned local hardware store

And I buy local and family before chain of any color, blue or red. I don't care if the local family is active in local Republican politics, I still value local entrepreneurs and believe in local ownership.

I'll continue to patronize my local (TrueValue) hardware store, where I can park right front, and the same great old guy will be there to help me find exactly the part to fix my toilet or repair my light switch. This local store doesn't have much influence in the TrueValue co-op that they joined, certainly not enough power to decide where they should advertise. They're not a chain, just a member of a co-op. And support local kids sports and local civic organizations, so more power to them.

Now some of those other big chains that are owned by right-wingers who donate BIG to the Republican party - screw them. I've switched a lot of my purchasing to Bed Bath & Beyond, since I know they donate Blue. I've moved a lot of my hotel business (about 45 nights a year) to Hyatt and Hilton (Blue) from Marriott (pure Red). Starwood donates either to both equally or neither (I forget which), so that's cool as well -- thank God, because I love Westins and Ws (the hotel, that is).

[Joanne98]

52. State Farm should be easy to wage war on......

All we have to do is post the scandal they're having right now. Post it everyday on DU!



OUTSIDE THE BOX
'Sweet are the uses of adversity'
Commentary: Are insurers reeling from disaster or reeling in the profits?
PrintE-mailDisable live quotesRSSDigg itDel.icio.usBy Eugene R. Anderson & William G. Passannante
Last Update: 5:01 AM ET Oct 17, 2006


Eugene R. Anderson is founding partner and William G. Passannante is co-chair of the insurance recovery practice of Anderson Kill & Olick, P.C., a national law firm headquartered in New York City.
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- In the wake of last year's devastating hurricanes, no one can accuse the insurance industry of message indiscipline.
According to media reports, the industry is "reeling from an estimated $56 billion of hurricane-related losses" (Wall Street Journal); "still reeling from the aftermath of 2005's record setting storms" (Best's Review); "reeling from the scale of the disaster (Washington Post), etc., etc.
Yet in calm sessions of sweet silent thought, insurance executives might agree with Shakespeare: "Sweet are the uses of adversity, which like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head." From the venomous head of the hurricanes, the insurance industry has reaped the "precious jewel" of outsized profits.
The Insurance Information Institute (III) reports that property-casualty insurance carriers in 2005 earned a record $48.8 billion and increased their surplus to over $427 billion. Industry experts are forecasting a $60 billion industry profit in 2006, and the III boasts that current underwriting performance -- the profit derived from premiums minus claims payouts, excluding investment income -- is "the best in a generation (or two)." See Industry Financials and Outlook here.
If anyone's reeling, it's policyholders.
Following every major disaster or scandal, a simple formula protects insurance industry profits: raise rates, reduce coverage and deny claims.
Raise rates
In Florida, homeowners are up in arms as homeowners' insurance providers obtain approvals for rate increases generally in excess of 50%. Rates are rising nationwide in any area that might potentially be hit by a storm -- if insurance is available at all. As far north as Massachusetts, homeowners have seen increases of up to 75%. In New York, Allstate reportedly will pull out of eight costal counties and raise rates 8.5% on the remaining policyholders. The American insurance Association justifies increases on account of "horrific" forecasts for upcoming storm seasons -- based on dubious new risk modeling formulae that J. Robert Hunter of the Consumer Federation of America has called "collusive."
Reduce coverage
According to the III, while insurance companies have historically absorbed over 60% of post-disaster losses, the percentage shrank to less than 50% after the 2004 Florida hurricanes and to about 30% after Katrina (though it will be for the courts decide whether the post-Katrina calculation stands). Over the past ten years, the insurance industry has sought relentlessly to reduce the scope of homeowners' coverage -- through mold exclusions, ever-more expansive "anti-concurrent causation" clauses, new special deductibles for windstorm damage, and new caps on what used to be called "replacement value."
Deny claims
As reported by the AP, Cori and Kerri Rigsby, two sisters who had long performed claims work for State Farm on a contract basis, have provided homeowners' attorneys and regulators with 15,000 pages of evidence suggesting that while processing Katrina claims, State Farm had its claims managers memorize language to avoid acknowledging wind damage when water contributed to the loss. Further, these brave whistleblowers allege that when State Farm disliked the results of an engineer's report, the company regularly substituted a second "cookie-cutter" report concluding that the bulk of damage was caused by rising water (as opposed to wind) and therefore excluded. The Rigsby sisters state simply:, "We believe State Farm has committed fraud, and we have turned it over to be investigated."
The insurance industry's response to last year's hurricanes follows a tried-and-true script. After every disaster or scandal, the industry asserts a 'crisis', which is then invoked to justify a new round of premium increases and policy exclusions. When September 11 claims hit, the insurance industry "reeled." Terrorism exclusions and the TRIA "backstop" followed. Insurance companies survived and thrived. When the product liability "crisis" hit, insurance companies "reeled" -- then recovered to write specific product liability "laser" exclusions. The industry survived and thrived. When asbestos suits emerged, the stricken industry wrote asbestos exclusions -- and survived and thrived. When environmental suits and Superfund had their heyday, the "reeling" industry wrote pollution exclusions -- then survived and thrived. Each of these "crises" led to narrowing coverage terms and justified higher premiums.
Insurance has been called the quadruple "D" business: Death, Disease, Disaster and Destruction. The industry needs the four "D's" to create a demand for its product. And the Katrina and Rita calamities show the how much the rest of us need for the industry to deliver honest, real-life, risk-transfer insurance. Instead, policyholders receive miserly claims service, increasing premiums and narrowing coverage.
Some portion of the "precious jewel" so jealously guarded by insurance companies should be delivered to premium-paying customers in the form of full and complete payment when they submit covered claims. Somehow, we think it will always be necessary to pry the "jewel" loose.

[Brazenly Liberal]

53. FULL LIST HERE

I will be compiling a list of contacts for these. If anyone wants to help, pm me. It's worth contacting them because 1. Advertisers DO pay attention to consumer complaints; and 2. A cash infusion, such as advertising dollars, is just what progressive radio needs to be on the dial in every market.

Look, let's be honest. Expressing ourselves here at DU is a great way to share information, let off steam, and feel part of a community. But if you want change, you need to do outreach. The GOP is extraordinarily well organized for letter campaigns. We need to get better at it.

Without further ado, the list

Allstate
American Heart Association
Aventis
Avon
Bank of America
Bayer
BMW Motorcycles
Carrier
Chattem, Inc. Capzacin (sp?)
Chattem, Inc. Gold Bond Products
Cigna
Cingular
Clorox
Coke
Coty
Dean’s Morningstar Foods
Dell
Denny’s
Discovery Channel
eharmony.com
Epson
Expedia.com
Exxon Mobil
Farmers Insurance
Fedex
Foot Action
Frito-Lay
GE
Gillette Venus
Goodyear
Heinekin-Amstel
Hershey’s
Hewlett-Packard
Home Depot
Hormel
Hyatt
Interstate Batteries
JC Penney’s
Johnson&Johnson
Kohl’s
Kraft
Levis
Masterfoods
McDonald’s
Merial Frontline
MGM
Michelin
Microsoft
Morningstar (same as Dean’s Morningstar above?)
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Nestle
Nissan
NYSE
Office Depot
Outdoor Life Network
P&G Bounty
P&G Charmin
P&G Febreze
P&G Iams dog/cat food
P&G Pepto Bismol
Paramount
Pepsi
Philip Morris
Pier 1
Red Lobster
Re/Max
REI Sporting Goods
Rentway
Robert Hall
Schering Plough
Sherwin Williams
Sony
State Farm
Toys R Us
Travelocity
True Value Hardware
United Healthcare
US Navy
USPS
Visa
Walgreens
WalMart
Welch’s
Wrigley
Wyeth

[chill_wind]

67. Excellent. Thank you! nt

[Ellis Wyatt]

58. can't companies contact AAR directly?

It's not uncommon for companies to tailor ads to a specific market. For such a distinctly homogenous client base like AAR or Rush, it makes sense for companies to use keywords and messages that will resonate more with that group specifically, rather than the broader (general) population.

Using those politically charged undertones in their messaging, they will get a much higher success rate.

So, it would be logical for them to say to ABC "don't play any of our ads on AAR" and then go to AAR directly and play specific ads targeted for that specific group, which may not play as well with the broader ABC audience.

I have no idea if this is the case, just thinking why this may be. Some of these companies (VISA, Discovery Channel, American Heart Association) just make no sense as to why they'd refuse to advertise on AAR

[LTR]

59. Ed Shultz appears in Office Depot radio ads

He also promotes them heavily during his show.

Ironic, since Office Depot is on the blacklist, yet Schultz is on a lot of AAR affiliates. Could there be some kind of connection between Office Depot's involvement with Schultz and AAR.

Oh, and please no Eddie bashing. I like his show and he's good for our cause.

[Scriptor Ignotus]

60. these advertisers may not want to place ads

on ANY political airwaves. Please keep that in mind.

[oc2002]

62. I knew Bank of America was run by a bunch of bastards, but Denny's?

WTF?

[JimDandy]

65. Yes, we'd never expect such behavior from

a company that has had many racial discrimination cases filed against it, by both customers and employees. Hey, aren't minorities large supporters of the Democratic Party? The discrimination contiues...

[patricia92243]

63. Standard procedure. I worked in radio for over 20 years. We were alway getting memos telling us th

this or that advertiser did not want their ads placed in or next to Imus, Howard Stern, etc. There would be a list of several programs for each advertiser.

This is nothing personal to AAR - just the way advertising has always worked.

[a la izquierda]

64. Morningstar? WTF?

They make vegetarian food for fuck's sake! Ugh, that pisses me off.

[chill_wind]

66. Bookmarking and recommending. Blacklist the blacklisters. nt

[byronius]

68. REI is on this list -- one of the ??? -- and has denied it. See my post.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2539555&mesg_id=2539555

[LTR]

69. Many of these advertisers sponsor FOX News Channel programming

Some even advertise on RW talk radio. I posted about this in a seperate thread that could use some kicking and recommending:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2540051&mesg_id=2540051

[upi402]

71. Hilary was right, even if Bill was wrong

Looks like it really IS a vast rightwing conspiracy.

[yurbud]

72. Has anybody started a list of address for contacting board members & CEOs?