ConAgra, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, RadioShack reportedly halting their Beck ads

ColorOfChange.org reports:

ColorOfChange.org this week received confirmation from four more companies – ConAgra (maker of Healthy Choice products), Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, and RadioShack – pledging to pull their ads from Fox News Channel’s Glenn Beck show. These new defections come on the heels of reports that Men’s Wearhouse, State Farm and Sargento also pulled their ads in recent days. They join LexisNexis-owned Lawyers.com, Procter & Gamble, Progressive Insurance, SC Johnson and GEICO, who all pulled their ads from Glenn Beck after the news host called President Obama a “racist” who “has a deep-seated hatred for white people,” on “Fox and Friends.”

“…Upon review of this particular program, we have discontinued our advertising for all ConAgra Foods products during its airing,” said Stephanie Childs, spokesperson for ConAgra Foods, in an email to ColorOfChange.org. “We share your commitment to diversity in all areas of life and appreciate you sharing your concerns with us.”

“We have specified that our ads will no longer run on Mr. Beck's show,” said Sean Connor, Manager of Media Services and Purchasing for Sanofi-Aventis, in an e-mail to ColorOfChange.org. “We have included this show on a list of programming that should not be utilized within the Fox network buys. Thank you for drawing our attention to this matter.”

“This confirms that there is no advertising we (RadioShack) [are] buying on the Glen Beck Show or anywhere on the Fox News Channel,” said Dave Hamlin, Director of Media Services for RadioShack, in an email to ColorOfChange.org. “What viewers are seeing on FNC and Glen Beck is manufacturer advertising that has tagged their messages with "RadioShack" as the retail destination to purchase their product(s).  In this most recent instance, it is most likely the product called magicJack that has tagged our name throughout their commercial.”

“We've asked magicJack to immediately cease and desist running all commercials with our name tagged in the spot on FNC,” Hamlin continued. “In fact, I just received verification from one our merchants that magicJack has confirmed the commercial will be pulled from the Fox News Channel rotation ASAP.”

A spokesperson for Roche confirmed the company’s decision to pull its ads during a phone conversation with ColorOfChange.org Tuesday, but the company has not issued a written statement.

“We are proud of all the companies who have stepped forward to pull their ads from Glenn Beck,” said James Rucker, executive director of ColorOfChange.org. “It’s becoming clear that many people feel the same outrage we feel and we applaud those companies who are taking a stand against Beck’s hatred. We won’t stop here – we’re going to continue our fight to see that as many of Beck’s advertisers pull their support as possible.”

Two weeks ago, ColorOfChange.org called on its 600,000-plus members to sign a petition urging companies who advertise on Glenn Beck to cut off their advertising support of his work.  Since then, more than 125,000 members have responded to the call by signing a petition directed at advertisers.

The ColorOfChange.org email urged members to go visit http://www.colorofchange.org/beck/, where they could send letters to executives of target companies. With more than 600,000 members, ColorOfChange.org is the largest African-American online political organization in the country.