As this article itself mentions, the Washington Post article about Glenn Beck that calls into question whether or not his presence is actually helping or harming the Fox Network is a couple of weeks old, but it’s pretty telling. Apparently, over 200 companies are boycotting Fox because of Beck’s vitriolic show. Sure, the guy’s rants are good car crash viewing for an audience more interested in bombast than reason, but according to the article, Beck’s rhetoric is the reason that a lot of influential companies refuse to advertise with Fox.
“The time has instead been sold to smaller firms offering such products as Kaopectate, Carbonite, 1-800-PetMeds and Goldline International,” says the Post. And that should have been everyone’s wake up call moment, right there: Carbonite. Remember when Darth Vader used it to freeze Han Solo and send him off with Boba Fett? If you’re endorsed by the Empire, shouldn’t that send up a red flag of some sort?
Anyway, Apple’s boycott of Fox means that its iPad product, due to launch in April, won’t be given any advertising time on the network. Considering how big that network’s audience is, that could conceivably affect sales, at least at launch, though it does make me wonder exactly what the Venn diagram looks like for Apple enthusiasts who are also Fox watchers. It’s probably not that much of a crossover, but still, it’s a risk for Apple to manage. At the same time, as a staunch Apple guy myself (I still bleed in six colors), I’m not terribly interested in an iPad at all. I’ll just keep my eyes peeled for Glenn Beck’s anti-Apple rant, which is sure to come sooner or later.
Comments
Ryan
March 29th, 2010 - 1:46:58 PM
Speaking of bombast over reason...
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Chris
March 29th, 2010 - 2:53:05 PM
If there is absolute proof of this, it would be nice to have it for everyone to see. Anyone can make this stuff up to make someone a select few may disagree with and even if it is true, so what. I mean the guy has a right to his views and many of them seem reasonable, especially someone who sees things the way America should be, instead of the non-sense we have in office today which is spend and tax us into oblivion and implement a type of quasi-socialist system of government. Don't believe me, well don't think too hard and look around.
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Michael
March 29th, 2010 - 3:20:31 PM
Fox's audience is NOT that big. If Apple decides to advertise everywhere else, they'll have 97% of TV viewers covered - and that's if Fox News viewers never watch another channel for entertainment. (And they may not. They're scary.) Plus, aren't Fox viewers already boycotting Apple because of that Al Gore guy who made it so Hummer would go out of business and claims he invented everything? (Conservatives always get a big kick out of joking that Al Gore says he invented everything.)
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Barry Jones
March 29th, 2010 - 6:56:32 PM
"Fox news Fair and balanced" One needs to be an idiot to believe that slogan.
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m wilson
March 30th, 2010 - 3:27:34 PM
I do not understand the silly characterization of FOX News viewers as uneducated bumpkins. I have a JD. My hubby has a PH.D.--in nuclear chemistry. Clearly, we are educated. We always watch Fox News because we like the coverage. It is the only network that covers news from a different viewpoint. Advertisers who avoid our favorite shows are missing our dollars because we have funds to spend. And, yes, we do target our dollars. If you threaten our shows, we do avoid your businesses. Bottom line: it "ain't" smart to insult your potential customer. Best advice: focus on marketing your products without making political and cultural statements.
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Mkwoolley
March 7th, 2011 - 2:57:09 PM
I myself have a JD from an "elitist Boston law school"and my wife had a phd from the same university. Just give me the list of companies attempting to chill free speech through a boycott of fox news so I know where to not spend my money.
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