Glenn Beck Has Lost over 50% of His Ad Dollars

Our campaign to hold Glenn Beck accountable for his race-baiting and fear-mongering has been a great success, with 62 advertisers making it clear that they don't want their brands linked to Beck's vile rhetoric. Up until now, however, there's been a question of what the real consequences are for Beck and for Fox, especially as Beck's ratings have soared. It's starting to become clear.

Today, we're announcing that Glenn Beck's show has lost over 50% of its advertising dollars since just before our campaign started. From our press release about the news:

The advertising boycott of Glenn Beck has cost the controversial host over half of his estimated advertising revenue since it was launched by ColorOfChange.org a month ago. This according to data analyzed from industry sources.

Estimated advertising revenue [the total amount of advertising money being spent during a block of commercial time for a program] was collected on a week-by-week basis for a period of two months. According to the data collected, the amount of money spent by national advertisers on Beck's program per week was at its highest at approximately $1,060,000, for the week ending August 2, 2009. ColorOfChange.org launched their campaign at the end of that week and since then, 62 advertisers have distanced themselves from Beck. Data collected for the week ending September 6, 2009 shows Beck's estimated ad revenue at $492,000, equal to a loss of $568,000.

"Fox News Channel has consistently claimed they haven't lost revenue as advertisers abandon Glenn Beck, but the numbers prove otherwise," said James Rucker, Executive Director of ColorOfChange.org. "Fox News Channel has a limited amount of ad positions. If 62 companies refuse to run ads on two of their 24 hours of programming, they are losing inventory. No matter how high Beck's ratings have been lately, advertisers still see Beck as toxic and don't want him associated with their brands. There is no way that Fox News Channel is making the money they should be making with Glenn Beck."

Our campaign is working. Respectable companies don't want to be associated with Beck or support his show with their dollars. It's resulting in a major loss of funding for his show, and at the same time making it clear that Beck's race-baiting and fear-mongering are far outside the mainstream.

The longer Beck stays isolated, the more of a problem he'll be for Fox, and the less he'll be able to spread his lies and distortions. If we can keep the pressure on, Fox will have to make a choice: 1) drop Beck because it doesn't make business sense to keep him; or 2) communicate to the world that they're so intent on providing a platform for race-baiting and fear-mongering that they don't care if they lose money (a serious problem for a public company like News Corporation, the owner of Fox).

Thanks for everything you've done to make this effort a success -- none of it could have happened without the more than 200,000 of you who have stepped to be a part of this campaign. More than ever, it's time to keep the pressure on. You can help by joining us in thanking the advertisers that have stopped supporting Glenn Beck, and calling on those whose ads are still running on his show to follow suit.

Comments

[NHactivist]

Boycotts of any kind rarely, if ever work and this action is proof of the adage. Far better to argue with facts, than to argue with (title of Beck's new Best Seller). Consider the following:
UPDATED: As boycott continues, Glenn Beck's audience swells
August 27, 2009 | 11:17 am
consider the posts at: http://www.tvratingz.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=493
or: http://www.ihatethemedia.com/fox-news-kills-competition-glenn-beck-ratings-make-mockery-of-boycott

Fox News kills competition, Glenn Beck’s ratings make mockery of boycott

August 25, 2009, 5:05 pm · 13 comments

If President Obama’s henchmen are organizing a boycott of Glenn Beck, the ratings show that no one’s paying attention.

[reformerr]

Instead of taking the time to boycott, wouldn't be easier to have the networks just show video of Van Jones and Acorn and we could see for ourselves? oops, Beck already did that.

[geriak]

Boycott away but I think Glenn Beck is winning! Advertiser will be back once they realize they are missing over 3 million viewers per day. Ironic. Huh?

[cobaltbluedog]

Glenn is riding this $30mil a year pony for as long as it's legs hold out. He doesn't care who he slanders or the pain that he causes. But, like his role model Joe McCarthy, he'll leave this earth a broken and lonely man.
A life devoid of charity is never rewarded. Glenn comes up short in that department.

[cobaltbluedog]

Let's all raise a glass,

"to the next 50".

[Scott1560]

Anyone know which day that ACORN files their suit against FOX & the filmmaker for their obvious lies? From their statement it should be a slam dunk so I'm thinking they file by Friday at the latest.

I'll assume that the fired employees will then be able to file a suit against ACORN for being wrongfully discharged. Any lawyers in here?

[daultman463]

soon

[daultman463]

Yeah nothing like showing people on video telling people to break the law and then blaming the people videotaping.

[Tim303]

"Ratings are the only thing that matters! The news is a popularity contest!"

[BabblingBrooks]

He who laughs last, laughs best.

[Tim303]

Depends who's timing the laughs. I might laugh a few months after you thought you had the last one. Then you might laugh but I might not know of your laughing. If there is no referee for the laughing we might have to go our separate ways on this one. Would that be the same as turning an opportunity into a crisis?

[lagumbo]

I say let's boycott all the sponsors of fox news, ALL THEY DO IS PROMOTE HATE. Let's start the boycott.

[BabblingBrooks]

People who boycott NEWS programs because they don't like the news are haters--and eventually losers because they reman ignorant. Don't burn books.

[prog]

Fox is not a news channel. It is a 24 hour endorsement of the right wing.

[Scott1560]

Amazing, isn't it?

Are there that many weak-minded individuals, folks incapable of being exposed to various opinons or news stories, afraid that the knowledge of will somehow alter their thinking or ideology?

Staunch conservatives & liberals do share this blinders-on belief and I've yet to understand it...........How can one possibly learn or understand?

[EmmaJ76]

Sorry BabblingBrooks but when a 'news' organisation has a one sided mandate, and goes to court to get the right to lie, you have to understand people will look elsewhere:

http://www.relfe.com/media_can_legally_lie.html


The Media Can Legally Lie

By Mike Gaddy
Writer for lewrockwell.com.

In February 2003, a Florida Court of Appeals unanimously agreed with an assertion by FOX News that there is no rule against distorting or falsifying the news in the United States....Akre was wrongfully fired by Fox Television when she refused to broadcast (in the jury's words) “a false, distorted or slanted story” about the widespread use of BGH in dairy cows....FOX appealed the case....In a stunningly narrow interpretation of FCC rules, the Florida Appeals court claimed that the FCC policy against falsification of the news does not rise to the level of a "law, rule, or regulation," it was simply a "policy." Therefore, it is up to the station whether or not it wants to report honestly....During their appeal, FOX asserted that there are no written rules against distorting news in the media. They argued that, under the First Amendment, broadcasters have the right to lie or deliberately distort news reports on public airwaves.

[jules23]

Its not the news, its the "Howard Beale show".

[cobaltbluedog]

Funny you should call it a news program, guess you didn't get the memo.

[jazzifay]

I'm gonna help him loose some more $$$.

[gs-425]

Interesting, I just saw G. Gorden Liddy do the gold thing....I thought he left? Hmm, maybe things aren't what they seem.

[rmct]

Beck loses 50% of advertisers. But Acorn is losing millions in federal funding

[Subversive]

"Glenn Beck Has Lost 50% of His Ad Dollars"

. . . . and 100% of his mind.

[Ricardo01]

There is nothing anyone can do to get fired from Fox. Its like trying to make GWBush admit to a mistake.

[jennylynn]

Like BO to admit he cannot Change anything for the better?

[farmgirl10]

At least progressives gave Bush the benefit of the doubt at first.

[EmmaJ76]

How long did you give him a chance? He has not been in office that long, he has a ton of Bush's rhetoric to go through and it will take time - patience is a virtue you guys really need to learn.

[edwarvir]

Now if only we could get all of his
advertisers to do the same. That would
really make my day.