disorderlyvision
08-14-2009, 10:01 AM
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/810a4ad4-8874-11de-82e4-00144feabdc0.html
Advertisers have been caught in the crossfire over Barack Obama's healthcare plan after Glenn Beck, a television presenter and radio host, accused the president on Fox News of being "a racist", writes Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson .
At least 10 advertisers, including Geico, the Berkshire Hathaway insurance company, and Procter & Gamble, the household products group, pulled advertising from Mr Beck's show after a July 28 broadcast in which he described the president as having "a deep-seated hatred for white people".
The advertisers' exodus was prompted by liberal activist groups such as ColorOfChange.org , which highlighted their financial support for the programme and called on supporters to boycott their products.
However, they have been greeted by similar boycott calls from conservative bloggers and Twitter users for pulling their advertising.
To date, the controversy has had no impact on Fox News, News Corp's most successful division. In the year to June 30 it reported a 50 per cent jump in operating income.
Advertisers have been caught in the crossfire over Barack Obama's healthcare plan after Glenn Beck, a television presenter and radio host, accused the president on Fox News of being "a racist", writes Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson .
At least 10 advertisers, including Geico, the Berkshire Hathaway insurance company, and Procter & Gamble, the household products group, pulled advertising from Mr Beck's show after a July 28 broadcast in which he described the president as having "a deep-seated hatred for white people".
The advertisers' exodus was prompted by liberal activist groups such as ColorOfChange.org , which highlighted their financial support for the programme and called on supporters to boycott their products.
However, they have been greeted by similar boycott calls from conservative bloggers and Twitter users for pulling their advertising.
To date, the controversy has had no impact on Fox News, News Corp's most successful division. In the year to June 30 it reported a 50 per cent jump in operating income.