Below are the corporate responses from ThinkProgress’ Stop Supporting The O’Reilly Harassment Machine:
UPS Announces It Will Stop Advertising On The Factor
Susan Rosenberg, spokeswoman for UPS, previously issued this statement to ThinkProgress (3/30/09):
We are writing to clarify our statement of last Friday because it appears to have been misinterpreted. UPS has not “pulled” any advertising from Fox News nor has the company taken a position on the “Think Progress” campaign. Our intent on Friday simply was to note that UPS does not have any pending advertising plans with the O’Reilly show.
UPS Statement (3/27/09)
Thank you for sending an e-mail expressing concern about UPS advertising during the Bill O’Reilly show on FOX News. We do consider such comments as we review ad placement decisions which involve a variety of news, entertainment and sports programming. At this time, we have no plans to continue advertising during this show.
Susan Rosenberg, spokeswoman for UPS, previously issued this statement (3/26/09):
UPS values and takes seriously the comments from personal emailers and those posted on your site regarding advertising that appeared on Bill O’Reilly’s FOX News show. We are sensitive to the type of television programming where our messages and presence are associated and continually review choices to affect future decisions. Further investigation is underway related to this placement.
Other Announcements From O’Reilly’s Advertisers
Johnson & Johnson
Statement, 4/1/09:
Thank you for contacting Johnson & Johnson. It is always important to hear from our customers and we appreciate the time you have taken to contact us.
Johnson & Johnson takes a firm stand regarding the quality of television programming in which its commercials appear and support the National Council for Families and Television.
With the help of our advertising agencies, a conscientious effort is made to screen all programs prior to broadcast. As a result of our screening, we have frequently withdrawn ads from television shows in the past and we will continue to monitor programming in the same manner in the future.
Your concern will be directed to network personnel. However, the most effective comment on programming is direct action by viewers. Therefore, we would urge you to communicate your feelings directly to the network.
Again, thank you for your interest in Johnson & Johnson.
Proctor & Gamble
Statement, 4/1/09:
Thanks for contacting us about Bill O’Reilly and Fox News. Our ads don’t indicate approval or disapproval. Comments like yours help us determine our future ad placement, and I’m sharing your comments with the appropriate people in the company.
Thanks again for writing
Nicol
P&G; Team
Bayer
Statement, 3/30/09:
Thank you for taking the time to contact Bayer HealthCare. We appreciate your comments about our advertising.
Given the wide diversity of media today and wider range of public opinion on any given issue, it would be an impossible task to find a major television network whose entire programming schedule appeals to all audiences. Bayer, like any advertiser who purchases large packages of advertising time, runs the risk of having an occasional ad run on a network that broadcasts programming that some might find offensive.
In making commercial buying decisions, we evaluate the size and composition of the estimated audience along with program content and our business needs. We also employ a program screening service and media buying service to assist us in making these decisions.
We appreciate the opinions you have expressed and thank you for providing us with an opportunity to respond. While there may always be reasonable differences over what constitutes acceptable programming, we do try to exercise good judgment in selecting networks on which to advertise.
Sincerely,
Faith Kull Consumer Advisor
Chrysler
3/28/09 statement:
We appreciate the diverse audience that television programming allows us to reach.
Chrysler buys network cable as a package but we currently do not have the O’Reilly Factor in our media rotation at this time.
Would you please have the members of ThinkProgress.org discontinue their emails to Chrysler. Sincerely,Carrie McElwee Chrysler LLC
Capital One
3/26/09 statement:
Thank you for contacting Capital One. We regret that you found the BillO’Reilly programming during which one of our ads was aired to beoffensive. Please be assured that this was not our intent. Capital Onein no way endorses the views/opinions portrayed during the newsbroadcasts in which we advertise.
Your comments have been forwarded to the appropriate departments.
We are constantly working to improve every aspect of our products, ourbusiness and our company. We value customer feedback and thank you foryours.
Regards,
Capital One Online Banking Team
AT&T;
AT&T; continually evaluates our advertising efforts to make certain that we are reaching consumers in effective and meaningful ways. We also make every effort to ensure that the content of the programming on the stations and outlets on which we advertise is in keeping with our corporate values and philosophy.
— spokesman Michael Coe, 3/25/09
UPDATE: Mr. Coe from AT&T; called on 3/25/09 to complain about our automated email campaign, saying it is “harassment.” ThinkProgress noted that if he thinks receiving e-mails is harassment, he will surely think that stalking and accosting a person on vacation is outrageous. Hopefully, AT&T; and the other advertisers will use their influence over O’Reilly to urge him to end his practice of “ambush journalism.”
Ford
Thanks for the heads up. And while I agree with you about the rantings of the hopelessly pig-headed Mr. O’Reilly, recognize that I am just an innocent bystander in this email letter silliness. I work at Ford and support Ford, but have no idea how the decisions are made on where we advertise. Frankly, as a mainstream company, we advertise everywhere there are good ratings. That is not an endorsement of the show — that is recognition that people are watching the show. Don’t know why they watch that mindless ranting. But they watch in droves. Welcome to America, I guess. Anyhow, the email campaign is just goofy. The 500 or so notes I am getting an hour are automatically deleted thanks to a simple program in Microsoft Outlook. Form letters are just annoying and easy to get rid of. So no real harm. I saw the tapes of O’Reilly ambushing Hertzberg of the New Yorker a few month back. It demonstrated how moronic O’Reilly really is. I still read Hertzberg weekly in the New Yorker. And I never, ever watch Bill O’Reilly. Don’t know when he is on. Don’t care. And that’s how you get rid of a show, stop watching. When the ratings dive, the advertisers will leave. The network will kill it off. If we pull our advertising, others will simply pick up the empty spots, and happily so. The show will go on. Sadly. I might suggest you consider another tactic though. The silly form letters are just annoying and easy to delete. Best of luck. If I had more time, I’d visit ThinkProgress.org. Too busy trying to get Ford back on its feet though. That is important. What Bill O’Reilly does or says is not important.
— spokesman Mark Schirmer, 3/25/09, speaking for himself and not on behalf of the Ford Motor Company
UPDATE: Mark Truby, Director of Corporate Communications at Ford Motor Company, tells ThinkProgress over the phone on 3/25/09, Shirmer’s “comments don’t represent the view of Ford Motor Company.”