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. The memo appears below, and an enlarged version can be viewed here . Not one for conspiracy theories but this looks exceptionally suspicious. Maybe a reason for Air America's financial woes.
If I understand this correctly (let me know if I'm mistaken on my understanding of the issue), the advertisers wished for their advertisements to not appear during a particular time slot so as not to be associated with those ideas. If that's the case, I don't see a problem with it. Companies should be able to pull their advertisements from any show they wish if the views expressed therein aren't something they want to be associated with. What if it were during a "White Supremacist Power Hour?" Shouldn't they be able to avoid being associated with that? (I'm not equating AA to the KKK, merely pointing out that advertisers should be able to choose whether or not to be associated with certain programs).
Companies advertise for a demographic. To ignore the AA demo is silly , especially if competitors do not. The easiest explanation for the facts is unfortunately a conspiracy: Conservative Radio told its sponsers "you are either with us or against us. Being with us gives you 10x the audience of being with AA.". For AA to fail would be a HUGE feather in Conservative Radio's cap.
This would be a nice conspiracy if Air America had enough listeners to warrant advertising. I tried to listen a few times on XM. It was horrible. The utter lack of any entertaining personalities will be the death of Air America. At least some of the hacks on conservative talk radio are entertaining. All the good liberal radio personalities are on National Progressive Radio.
