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

[bridgit]

'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.'

http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14213

[devilgrrl]

1. I'm curious as to why the American Heart Association is on the list....

I don't get it?

[bridgit]

2. dunno, i find ABC's behavior very strange of late...

[movonne]

3. Are we a fascist country yet...its sure like it to me...

[bridgit]

4. read the other day that american fascism would raise it's ugly head 1st...

as anti-fasicm...we seem to be right on course :puke:

[still_one]

5. Just to provide some perspective

There are some advertisers who DO NOT want to have their products avertised on political shows. The real question is do the same advertisers that are on the blacklist for AAR, also on the blacklist for limbaugh?

I would bet not

[bridgit]

7. made me wonder if they didn't want liberal/progressives to buy...

their stuff, you know, like our money doesn't spend the same...cause that could be arraigned as well i would think

[still_one]

9. I would love to see the list for limbaugh, and other right wing nuts

I bet it would be MUCH smaller than our list. That in itself would demonstrate the attempt of the corporations to takover our government

[KharmaTrain]

6. This Is "Traffic Instructions"...Disney Has No AAR Affiliates

I've sent this memo to several radio people I know and the response came back the same: Traffic Instruction. This is a memo the traffic deparment that schedules the commercials on the network sends out to their affiliate stations traffic department...done all the time that specifies where and when stations should put their own local commercials in regards to network progrmaming. This is generally done when say a Hewlett Packard doesn't want a Dell computer commercial running near their spot.

This is also done when an advertiser doesn't want their spots aired on a specific format...for example, Women's hygene products on the Sports talk station or penis enhancement on the Classical music station. It's also used in emergencies...one I remember a memo like this from the airlines that cancelled their advertising if there was a bad plane crash. It's generally for "sponsor protection" and explains a few other questions I had.

The American Heart Association is a NON-PROFIT organization that doesn't have to pay for commercial time, but is used by the Network as a prime filler when they can't sell their ad time...this instruction is to advise stations to prevent airing a competiting non-profit or even an advertiser like a fast food restaurant. Again...these are advisories and the worst that comes of this is the station loses some of its compensation money (if it's lucky to collect that) or might not get other considerations.

A poster yesterday mentioned this memo pertains to ABC Newscasts that are run on maybe a handful of AAR affiliates (most I hear use CNN or AP Radio) are ABC affiliates and this only pertains to the 6 minutes at the top of the hour for their network news. It has nothing to do with ABC/Disney stations (none are AAR affiliates) or an "ABC boycott".

Virtually all network advertising doesn't come from the advertiser directly, it's done through an ad agency. They're the ones who make the buys and if there was a "blacklist" it would be from the company (say HP) to its agency and there'd be a corresponding memo from the agency to the network. In many cases, Now if we see a memo from the company or the ad agency specifically saying they don't want to advertise on AAR then there's more smoke to this story.

Again, I'm curious if any of these advertisers spend money on right wing hate radio. Sorry, I don't have the stomache to listen to their bile, but I would imagine a similar set of instructions go for many of their shows as well.

[Eric J in MN]

12. I don't understand. Why does ABC need instructions

...about AAR if it doesn't own any AAR stations?

[KharmaTrain]

15. It's About Newscasts...

When I first saw that memo I asked the same question as I know there are no ABC/Disney O & O stations that carry AAR programming. When I first queried here, someone brought up the notion that some station may carry ABC News at the top of the hour and I did a little bit of digging.

I sent the memo to several Program and Ops managers I know and my suspicions were confirmed...it's what they call Traffic Instructions. I explain, I hope, how this works in the post above. There are many reasons such instructions are sent out...primarily to alert stations to what commercial are airing so an affiliate can avoid putting a competitors spot near the network program...per se, running an HP Spot on the network, then the local running a Dell spot. It also is used when the advertising agency (who generally the one who originates these orders) specifies what format it wants it commercials on or what formats it wants to avoid.

This is instructions someone saw on the desk of an affiliate...saw the Air America and the sponsors and jumped to the conclusion this was a black list.

[Octafish]

8. How about We the Liberals SHUN those sponsors?

I won't be buying a darn thing from any of them. Ever again.

[bridgit]

10. i'm say'n friend, you know the only thing that gives capitalists the heebie...

jeebies is when people don't buy their shit...then they got REAL problems cause it takes all of us to float their boat :hi:

[Octafish]

11. Money talks for minds like theirs.

It's all they hear. It's all they know. It's all they love.

What a kick to their cash flow it'll be when 60-percent of their customers stop buying.



Numbers like that would even affect the little turd from Crawford sitting at the top of the pile's take.

[WCGreen]

13. FYI, Market place did a little piece on this and said that it

wasn't unusual for many of these same companies to avoid advertising on Rush, Hannity and any show that might be percieved as controversial....

[bridgit]

17. if i were an advertiser of a wholesome product, say, Country Baby...

Applesauce, or some such; i wouldn't much care for people shooting & stabbing each other over a jar of my product nor the pictures that would generate; so that makes the most sense to me WC :hi:

[Zorra]

14. If I wasn't already boycotting these fascist corporations, I'd start

boycotting them tomorrow.

[GreenTea]

16. Yet liberals, progressives buy their products, own stock in many of their companies...

and even sell & promote their products...yet they don't want to be fair and offer liberals, progressives any sponsorship...What corporate pigs!

[BoneDaddy]

18. Corporatocracy

that uses both parties to rip apart America. A divided America is easier to control, manipulate, deceive.