On boycotting advertisers ...

Sargento Cheese, Laywers.com, SC Johnson Companies, GEICO, Progressive.com and Procter & Gamble have all moved all of their advertising out of the Glenn Beck show to other avails on the Fox News Channel.

FNC is not losing any ad dollars.

Let's discuss what an ad boycott means and whether or not it's effective.

Procter & Gamble should know better. Years ago, their long-used logo, which included moon and stars, was considered to be Satanic. To defend this ridiculous accusation cost the company millions.

In the mid-1980's, a competing STL morning show started a snail mail campaign against the Frank O. Pinion show on KIX104. They used a postal letter campaign, sent to advertisers, suggesting that the FOP show was profane and obscene. Letters were sent to advertisers at their home, at their business addresses and to their agencies.

Their intent was to get the advertisers to drop their ads on our station.

The letters were sent over the name of an Hispanic woman who, of course, did not exist in any way except to make the complaint racist as well as a complaint about content.

I know who sent the letters. And they know I know.

It doesn't matter anymore.

Advertiser boycotts are bullshit.

Discuss on the STLMedia Message Board. (Registration required)