Toyota Dealers Pull ABC TV Ads; Anger Over 'Excessive Stories'

[DainBramaged]

Toyota dealers in five southeast states have pulled their commercials off ABC TV local affiliates, complaining about the coverage of Toyota safety problems by ABC News and its chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross.

The ad agency representing the 173 dealers told ABC affiliates last week that the shift was due to "excessive stories on the Toyota issues." The dealers shifted their commercial time buys to non-ABC stations in the same markets, "as punishment for the reporting," according to an ABC station manager.

ABC News and Ross began reporting on the problem of "runaway Toyotas" last November in a series of stories that preceded the large recalls ordered by the company, and apologies for quality shortcomings as well as misstatements about the extent of the defects. Toyota is now expected to add the 2010 Prius to its list of recalled vehicles.

The shift of commercials away from ABC affiliates was ordered last week, according to Marcia Owens-Reder, senior vice-president at 22Squared, the Atlanta advertising agency that handles the account for the dealers, known as Southeast Toyota.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/toyota-dealers-pull-abc-tv-ads-anger-excessive/story?id=9776474


I guess they think they can stifle free speech and the press!!

[NashVegas]

1. It's a Shame Tiger Woods Can't Do the Same

or any other c'leb, for that matter.

[CanonRay]

2. That's corporatism!

They sure can, and will stifle free speech.

[pretzel4gore]

3. free speech? fuxnews and cnn?

:wow:

[Teaser]

7. nah, car dealers can't stifle free speech

they are disorganized and disunited. They have no collective power.

[dipsydoodle]

4. The dealerships did correctly

IMHO.

[AndyA]

5. Really, it's so much better to let the stupid dolts smash themselves into oblivion.

Who needs to worry about a runaway car? No brakes? No biggie!

Cover it up, hush it up, it's bad for business. What are a few lives compared to the profits of a corporation? And it's a FOREIGN CORPORATION--even better!

America sure lays down and spreads 'em for corporations...even foreign ones.

And we wonder why our country no longer works for the people. :eyes:

[Teaser]

8. this isn't a foreign corporation

these are American Dealerships. See the difference?

[dipsydoodle]

11. Yup

and they pay to have their product promoted - not slagged off.

[spanone]

16. that'll teach the networks to report news....how dare them

how stupid

[AndyA]

13. Selling goods for a foreign corporation.

The profits go overseas, just like so many of our jobs have.

See the difference? :eyes:

[Teaser]

17. I don't care.

There was an error of fact in the post I responded to. I corrected it.

Please inform me how you corrected my post. I am not seeing it.

[AndyA]

23. Profits from the sale of those vehicles do go overseas to the foreign company

that made the car.

I don't care if was assembled here, or sold here. Everyone along the way makes a little money, but the ones making the most profits are OVERSEAS CORPORATIONS.

You aren't seeing it because you don't want to see it. Buy American. Support American jobs. :eyes:

[farmout rightarm]

27. You don't think American employees of Toyota and a thousand other "foreign"

companies don't contribute to their local (and the American) economies?

yikes

[wolfgangmo]

28. Not to change the subject

But that is exactly what Walmart does with small towns.

They don't leave a nickel in those towns. At the end of each day they transfer all money back to the bentonville billionaires club.

[Teaser]

29. seeing what?

Again, nothing you say contradicts anything I said.

And I'll buy American when and if I choose to.

[farmout rightarm]

18. The profits the dealers make don't go overseas.

They're distributed among the relatively small businesspersons who own the dealerships and their employees.


You're confusing the parent company with the salesmen.

[DainBramaged]

19. (sigh) who do you think gets the profits from the cars, parts, and franchise fees?

The tooth fairy?

[farmout rightarm]

20. Yes. The tooth fairy. Makes perfect sense.

I just ordered a new Toyota, when I go to pick it up I'll ask them.

[DainBramaged]

21. The UAW thanks you for your support

when the jobs are all gone and you wonder why, look back at your lack of patriotism.


Goodbye.

[farmout rightarm]

22. My son works for them IN the United States and he and I both served in the

armed forces, so I guess your nasty condemnation is a little out of whack there.

[AndyA]

24. The parent company makes a lot of money, too.

Something paid for that building...

[farmout rightarm]

26. So do you think they should not make any money? They sell cars all over the world, too.

I guess I'm too new here to understand how companies that employ people are automatically evil...
maybe somebody will explain it to me. I have run a small business employing a handful of people for
30 years, some of them have been here for 20+ years. Is there some tipping-point or certain size when a corporation changes from useful alnd responsible to evil?

[Teaser]

6. dealers are a finicky bunch.

but they are basically franchises, and they have no clout. so who cares?

[farmout rightarm]

9. Pulling their own ads that they pay for is 'stifling free speech'? Is this like new math?

:eyes:

[gcomeau]

To be fair...

...nobody here should be denying that the MSM is in the habit of ridiculously hyping ANYTHING it thinks it can sensationalize to drive up its ratings. I have very little trouble believing that the stories were exagerated and excessive. It would only fit the standard operating procedures of most news outfits these days after all.

(How long until I see a news teaser telling me all about the deadly thing in a food lots of people eat that might kill be but they won't tell me about unless I tune it at 11 tonight, at which time I'll find out 6 cans of tuna got recalled 500 miles away from where I live (or something along those lines)? I give it a week)

[SoCalDem]

10. Well, that's gonna help their image, now won't it?

:eyes:

They rested on their laurels too much, and thought nothing bad would ever "happen" to them..and then they screwed up..and it did..

deal with it Toyota..

[liberal N proud]

12. Is the ad reporting they are referring to the one with the whistle blower?

The story about the repairs being done on cars without the owners knowledge?

[DainBramaged]

14. all OF THESE DEALERS WERE NOTIFIED BY Toyota AND HAVE BEEN DOING HIDDEN RECALLS

on cars since the 90's. They are simply crying because they can't have it 100% their way now.

[liberal N proud]

15. That is what I thought it was about

It's easy to be number one when you don't play by the same rules.

[MadHound]

25. They've actually got a point,

After all, how many here know about the problems with the brakes on the Ford hybrids?

<http://www.comcast.net/articles/finance/20100204/US.Ford.Hybrids/>

[itsrobert]

30. Most eveyone

I imagine. It was posted on DU.

[PVnRT]

31. Free speech means you're not required to keep ads on a network

Someone intelligent would realize that, but you're too busy wallowing in your hatred of Toyota to apply your brain.