For those who don't know the PTC is, they're a group going around trying to "regulate" TV from all the bad things out there, and their number 1 target is the WWF. Here's their latest release:
<< PTC Lays the Smackdown on the WWF and Scores Another Victory for American
Families
ConAgra Drops Ads from WWF Smackdown! Just One Day After the WWF Blames the PTC
for Revenue Losses
The World Wrestling Federation was dealt a major blow on Thursday when food
giant ConAgra announced it would stop advertising on WWF Smackdown!, a violent
and sexually explicit television program viewed by over three million children
each week. ConAgra's decision came just a day after World Wrestling Federation
Entertainment (WWFE) stock dropped 35% because of the expected revenue losses
resulting from advertiser defections.
On Thursday, PTC executive director Mark Honig addressed those assembled at
ConAgra's shareholders' meeting and illustrated exactly what kind of trash the
company was supporting with its ad dollars. Before the meeting was finished,
Tim McMahon, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications, announced
that ConAgra would immediately cease buying ad time on the program. Ads for
ConAgra products such as Slim Jim have appeared more than 80 times during WWF
Smackdown! since it debuted in August 1999.
"I am pleased that ConAgra has responded favorably to our request -- joining the
ranks of over thirty seven corporate giants who refuse to sponsor WWF
Smackdown!," said Honig in a statement. "This decision by ConAgra defines the
essence of corporate responsibility."
The setback came just a day after the WWFE share price dropped "35 percent in
after hours trading Wednesday after the pro wrestling troupe said its revenue
from core businesses for the remainder of its fiscal year would be about 3
percent below previous expectations," according to Reuters. Online financial
source BridgeNews reports that WWF CEO Linda McMahon blamed the Parents
Television Council for the company's financial woes. In a conference call with
investors and analysts Wednesday, McMahon cited the PTC's on-going letter-
writing campaign to the CEOs of companies that advertise on Smackdown! as the
reason for the anticipated loss of ad revenue. McMahon also called the PTC "a
self-appointed TV watchdog group that's really a right-wing political activist
organization," and said the WWF was considering legal action against the PTC.
In a statement released Friday morning, PTC chairman L. Brent Bozell III said,
"As the chairman of the PTC, I claim full responsibility for an educational
campaign that tells the truth about Smackdown!'s raw sexual content and violent
programming that is marketed directly to the children of our nation. Vince and
Linda McMahon can malign the PTC and me personally all they want. They can make
all the legal threats against our organization they wish. And their supporters
can continue their death threats against us .The fact that yesterday we
convinced [ConAgra] to pull [its] ad dollars from Smackdown! shows that we are
not going to let the McMahons intimidate us with threats." >>
They're actually taking credit for the WWF's stock going down the last few days (of which they should be proud of) and saying that their chasing sponsors away is what's causing the WWF to lower their expected earnings. Where the hell are they getting THAT from? Unbelievable. If the WWF was serious about legal action due to the PTC's lying a few days ago, I can only imagine what this will do.
BTW, this latest thing is already suspect. ConAgra includes Chef Boyardee and Slim Jim, and both have used wrestlers in their ads for years. It's being said that the PTC was simply patted on the head and shown the door.
<< PTC Lays the Smackdown on the WWF and Scores Another Victory for American
Families
ConAgra Drops Ads from WWF Smackdown! Just One Day After the WWF Blames the PTC
for Revenue Losses
The World Wrestling Federation was dealt a major blow on Thursday when food
giant ConAgra announced it would stop advertising on WWF Smackdown!, a violent
and sexually explicit television program viewed by over three million children
each week. ConAgra's decision came just a day after World Wrestling Federation
Entertainment (WWFE) stock dropped 35% because of the expected revenue losses
resulting from advertiser defections.
On Thursday, PTC executive director Mark Honig addressed those assembled at
ConAgra's shareholders' meeting and illustrated exactly what kind of trash the
company was supporting with its ad dollars. Before the meeting was finished,
Tim McMahon, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications, announced
that ConAgra would immediately cease buying ad time on the program. Ads for
ConAgra products such as Slim Jim have appeared more than 80 times during WWF
Smackdown! since it debuted in August 1999.
"I am pleased that ConAgra has responded favorably to our request -- joining the
ranks of over thirty seven corporate giants who refuse to sponsor WWF
Smackdown!," said Honig in a statement. "This decision by ConAgra defines the
essence of corporate responsibility."
The setback came just a day after the WWFE share price dropped "35 percent in
after hours trading Wednesday after the pro wrestling troupe said its revenue
from core businesses for the remainder of its fiscal year would be about 3
percent below previous expectations," according to Reuters. Online financial
source BridgeNews reports that WWF CEO Linda McMahon blamed the Parents
Television Council for the company's financial woes. In a conference call with
investors and analysts Wednesday, McMahon cited the PTC's on-going letter-
writing campaign to the CEOs of companies that advertise on Smackdown! as the
reason for the anticipated loss of ad revenue. McMahon also called the PTC "a
self-appointed TV watchdog group that's really a right-wing political activist
organization," and said the WWF was considering legal action against the PTC.
In a statement released Friday morning, PTC chairman L. Brent Bozell III said,
"As the chairman of the PTC, I claim full responsibility for an educational
campaign that tells the truth about Smackdown!'s raw sexual content and violent
programming that is marketed directly to the children of our nation. Vince and
Linda McMahon can malign the PTC and me personally all they want. They can make
all the legal threats against our organization they wish. And their supporters
can continue their death threats against us .The fact that yesterday we
convinced [ConAgra] to pull [its] ad dollars from Smackdown! shows that we are
not going to let the McMahons intimidate us with threats." >>
They're actually taking credit for the WWF's stock going down the last few days (of which they should be proud of) and saying that their chasing sponsors away is what's causing the WWF to lower their expected earnings. Where the hell are they getting THAT from? Unbelievable. If the WWF was serious about legal action due to the PTC's lying a few days ago, I can only imagine what this will do.
BTW, this latest thing is already suspect. ConAgra includes Chef Boyardee and Slim Jim, and both have used wrestlers in their ads for years. It's being said that the PTC was simply patted on the head and shown the door.
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