McDonalds has installed new flat screen TV's in their restaurants....

[FarLeftFist]

and the only channel that they are allowed to show is Fox News.

Link: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/4/205556/7448

I'm trying to verify a report called into CSPAN by a viewer. He reported that McDonalds has installed new flat screen TV's in their resturants in the area where he lives and the only channel that they are allowed to show is Fox News. More below.

As a frequent customer, he noted that the TV was always set to Fox news and he asked that the channel be changed. However, the manager told him that he was sorry he could not change the channel as it is corporate policy that only Fox News could be shown on the store TVs. The caller said he was quite upset over this so-called corporate policy and decided to track down further information.
Subsequently he was able to contact the Regional Director for McDonalds (I think it was the midwest.) He said that the Director told him that McDonalds was in the process of installing wide screen TV's in all of their resturants over the entire 5 state region, and that the "Fox News only policy" was corporate policy for all McDonalds resturants in the region. The Director also stated that the reason for this policy was that McDonalds had determined that there is less violence on Fox News than any other channel. Can anyone validate or expand on this report? Thanks...

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Apparently they are not factoring in psychological violence. You can run but you can't hide.

[Captain Hilts]

1. That makes no sense. They want younger clients, that won't help them. nt

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Just a guess, but I suspect Fox is less likely to do...

stories on obesity and such.

Or anything negative about fast food.

[BeyondGeography]

3. If you look at the comments, a lot of McD's run CNN or ESPN

Seems to depend on the franchisee.

[Toasterlad]

62. According To The OP, It Depends On REGION

He was talking about what was going on in 5 midwestern states. The opening of the OP was very misleading, making it seem like ALL McDonalds were showing nothing but Fox News.

[Iggo]

63. I've only seen it set to CNN in SE L.A. County.

And I've only seen the TV's in about a half dozen McD's.

[greencharlie]

4. 2/3 of all McDonalds are all independently owned and operated...

if the owner of that restaurant wants to show power rangers all day or the travel channel that's pretty much their business. However... :D people have the right NOT to patronize that restaurant.

[Brickbat]

5. I watch so little TV at home, it drives me right up the wall when there's a TV in the restaurant.

GOD FORBID any of us are apart from the warming glow of the glowing warmth for more than 10 minutes. I feel the same way about DVD players in cars.

[Swamp Rat]

31. I HATE TVs in restaurants!!!!!!

:mad:

I refuse to eat anywhere that has a TV.

[eppur_se_muova]

37. +1 what you said.

Trash TV is particularly bad for the digestive process.

And they don't belong in doctors' offices, banks, or credit unions either.

[tsuki]

55. The TV is in a MacDonald's which has nothing to do with a restaurant. IMO. nt

[Lorien]

57. +1. I stopped going to my two favorite local restaurants because they installed TVs

I go to a restaurant to eat and relax with friends, not be assaulted by mindless drivel and screaming ads!

[LiberalFighter]

6. Then it is time for DUers to buy one of these devices.

Micro Spy Remote

TV-B-Gone

[jmowreader]

18. That probably wouldn't work

They probably make special "public place" TVs with a switch on the back to turn off the infrared receiver. It wouldn't be hard to make those. Alternately, just make an opaque film to cover the bezel around the screen--which would protect the phototransistor from unwanted remotes.

[jmowreader]

20. I have a question...

I use Safari under Mac OS X 10.5. It underlines all the words it thinks are misspelled. Whether this is a function of DU or of Safari I don't know, but it happens. If it's a DU function, why is "phototransistor," a word seldom used here, in the dictionary and "Repuke," a word everyone uses, not?

[lbrtbell]

22. To answer your question

It's not a DU function. I'm not being facetious here, but it's just typical Crapple MacIntrash software being stupid, unfortunately. :(

[jmowreader]

24. Or it's written by people who aren't politically active Democrats

I found the "spelling and grammar" panel in Safari and added Repuke and Repukes to it, and now that will trouble me no further.

[Sherman A1]

47. MacinTrash?

Now tell us how you really feel?

BTW nice "mean spirited" comment there.


:thumbsdown:

[petronius]

25. It's a function of your browser - I think Firefox does the same thing

If you don't like it, use IE... ;)

[KittyWampus]

7. DU'ers have said that FOX provides the tv's to some places in exchange for showing their station

exclusively.

I'd think a savvy Burger King would do the same but play something else like MTV.

[dmr]

60. I often think of that when Fox brags about its high ratings

:shrug:

[notadmblnd]

8. I know a corporation can dictate to a franchise what equipment they need to purchase

but I would think that individual franchise owners could determine what is displayed on their televisions. I would also think that while McDonald's caters to kids, they would play some cheesy kid shows on their televisions.

[kctim]

9. Was just at a Kansas City McDonalds

Had one large flat screen and two small flat screens.
CNN on all three.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

10. we used to frequent one on sunday mornings

and their TV's were invariably tuned to Nickelodeon...

sP

[blueworld]

11. The DKos entry is from August 4, 2008...? n/t

[Papagoose]

12. The TVs at my local McDonald's are always on Fox News

but then again, I live deep in the heart of Jesusland. To the management's credit, I asked them to tune one to MSNBC and they did without argument.

In related info, the first dentist I visited after moving to Georgia had individual televisions mounted over his exam chairs - all tuned to Fox News. I asked him to change the channel, he refused. I asked him to turn it off, he refused. I left.

[KillCapitalism]

56. I have the same problem with everyplace I go that has a TV.

Fox News is everywhere here, restaurants, dentists/Dr.'s offices, electronics stores, etc.

I was getting an oil change yesterday & the shop I was at had ESPN on, I was relieved.

[jmowreader]

13. Weird...

There's a McDonalds close to my house. When I go in there, CNN is always on. There's a McDonalds in Spartanburg, SC, that runs CNN too.

A McDonalds close to the store I work at plays Time Warner's "News 14 Carolina."

Perhaps the regional manager in that guy's area is a teabagger, but it doesn't seem to be a home office decision to play Fox only.

[hlthe2b]

14. If they want teens, they should show

Spartacus, Blood and Sand 24/7 :evilgrin:


They can send the kiddies out to the Ronald McDonald playground

[MineralMan]

15. What? Are you saying that McDonalds has INDOOR dining?

Who knew?

[Mother Smuckers]

48. I'm having trouble with the concept of McD's being a 'restaurant'...I just figured they were all

very efficient sugar and fat dispensing stations.

[snooper2]

16. Got to keep the kids happy! TV everywhere!

:evilgrin:

[Romulox]

17. McDonald's has "restaurants" now? nt

[DJ13]

19. The choice of having TV's & what channel probably rests with the franchisee

I doubt its the McDonalds corporation itself doing this, though pressure to the corporate HQ will probably put an end to it.

[4lbs]

21. If violence was truly the main reason, why weren't they all set to the Disney Channel or Cartoon

Network instead of Fox?

Oh yeah, that cartoon violence must be really scary to the kids. :sarcasm:

[Bryn]

23. Reminds me of movie "V for Vendetta" where they have a fixed TV

programmed to brainwash people in UK until V finds a way to get on to send a message.

[SocialistLez]

30. Love that movie! nt

[eppur_se_muova]

38. delete -- wrong location

[TheMightyFavog]

26. Get you one of these...

https://www.tvbgone.com/cfe_tvbg_buy.tvbgpro.php?PHPSESSID=aee33aaafab5daa8d9270c27a6d7990d

I wish I had one when I wnet to my local Subway last time... Their TV had Glenn BecKKK on. :puke:

[dembotoz]

27. couple days ago saw glenn beck on the local mc ds

walked past and stated perhaps a bit too loud
"Oh Jesus Christ that got the fucking lying bastard on again"

They guy directly under the tv who was all wrapped up in it spun his head like the exorcist movie.
A younger couple giggled as i walked past and another patron gave me the thumbs up.

worked for me

[Codeine]

28. Old post is olllllllld. nt

[Greyhound]

29. Please, drop $20 to fight thebastards.

http://www.tvbgone.com/cfe_tvbg_buy.tvbg.php

[goclark]

32. Thanks ~ next time I pass a McD's I'll go in

and tell them that I'll go elsewhere until
FAUX is off.

[onenote]

33. I was in Florida in February and stopped at a McD's with flat screens

There were at least three (its a big McD's in DelRay Beach). One had Fox, one had CNN and one had some sports programming.

[BlueGirlRedState]

34. Fox Noise on at the clinic, too

In Waco, at Scott & White clinic, they have Fox on the waiting room TVs. All of the elderly in the waiting room were glued to the screen. I wrote to S&W and asked them to show something more neutral such as HGTV or the Food Network. They wrote back and told me I should just ask to change the channel.

Sure, like I'm going to get all those teabaggers on Medicare to stop watching Fox!

BTW, I haven't been there in a couple of months, but the McD's here has TVs but they were showing CNN, I think. I wasn't Fox. Maybe the policy has changed now.

[Sebastian Doyle]

35. This is how Murdoch is buying his high Nielsen ratings.

FAUX claims they are the "most watched news network", and they probably have Nielsen numbers to validate the claim. Indeed, there are millions of TV sets tuned to FAUX noise. But how many of them are just like this - in your local McDonalds, at the gas station, your local sports bar, or even small independent businesses (saw a TV tuned to FAUX in a local Korean restaurant, and I haven't been back there since. Damn shame too, because their Bulgogi was excellent.)

So yeah, a lot of TV's are tuned to FAUX. But how many people are actually watching?

[Blue Owl]

36. heavily processed, all of it

and unhealthy.

[eppur_se_muova]

39. If I ever ate at McDonald's, I would stop.

But since I haven't set foot in one for the last decade, my boycott isn't going to have much effect.

Mickey D's sucks for a lot of reasons, but it's crap food that keeps me away.

[elehhhhna]

40. I think Fox buys them the TV. Seriously. They have this in the lobby of

almost any large biz you walk in to -- and have for a few years.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

41. Probably the only skinny thing in a Mcdonald's.

[activa8tr]

42. My McDonalds has CNN on ! I am on the East Coast...

I think this Fox News bullshit is just that.

Most of the time, it should be on the Cartoon channel.

[GrantDem]

43. The Mickey Ds in my hometown has its TV perpetually locked on the Weather Channel.

[Mari333]

44. same thing in Burger King. Only Fox.

[walldude]

45. People actually eat there?

My stomach turns just looking at the sign.

[Dr Morbius]

46. Just one more reason not to eat at McDonald's.

As if the food wasn't reason enough.

I am fortunate. I work in downtown Chicago, and I live in a northwestern suburb. There are literally thousands of places to eat not named McDonald's, or Burger King, or Wendy's, or KFC, or Pizza Hut...

I hate this Panda Express place too. It's like, they have a problem with Chinese immigrants and families making money with Chinese restaurants? Now the corporations have to have a piece of that pie, too? I'll go to Taco Bell once in a while, but that aside, I have pretty much had it with all of these franchise places. And I'm growing weary of the Bell, too.

I admit a soft place in my heart for Culver's, though. Damn good fries, and the burgers are good, too.

[2Design]

49. The one here has had it a long time and yes it is on fox mostly - lots of motels and hotels too the

people from Indian love the republicans and support them with their brainwashing

[Neurotica]

50. I asked this same question several years ago and was told CNN was default

We were in a McDonalds and it was showing FoxNewsChannel, which always enrages me. I asked to speak to the manager. He said actually that that was a mistake and that it was corporate policy to show CNN. He immediately changed the channel.

Not that CNN is much better than Fox these days...

[Penguin31]

51. If they're after the channel that's the "least violent", the clear winner..

...is the Game Show Network.

Seriously, what an asinine and ridiculous amount of garbage from McDonalds corporate.

[nadinbrzezinski]

52. Corporate policy?

Local Mickey Ds has tvs and they have a variety of channels. Take into account these are FRANCHISES.

[arcadian]

53. Here is independent verification.

McDonalds - Dillwyn, Virginia one and a half weeks ago.

[iris27]

54. Um, here in St. Louis, TVs inside McDonald's stores are on a bunch of different 24-hour news

channels.

The one closest to work is always on Headline News. The one closest to my house is always on CNN.

I don't think I've ever seen one on Faux, but it seems to be up to the individual restaurant. Or maybe there is a difference between franchise-owned and corporate-owned stores.

[Juche]

58. That was all they showed at my old job

I seriously thought the reason they were doing it is in the hopes that the workers would start to believe all the pro-supply side, anti-worker propaganda on fox and police themselves.

But those were TVs that the employees got to watch. TVs that your customers watch is different. I've seen CNN at the McDonalds I've been at that had TVs

[DainBramaged]

59. McDonalds and restaurants go together like skunk and flowers

[samplegirl]

61. More Propaganda for the elderly

who meet to have their daily coffee. Thats what they do here. More pois ion along with their food.

[Javaman]

64. Can't wait till they turn the chairs into toilets.

then you can eat shit, watch shit, then...shit.

The circle of life, my friend.

:rofl:

They are a parody of themselves.