Advertainment Reigns

Advertainment Reigns: "Product placements on television shows are booming, with this year's market expected to total $4.2 billion. 'Advertisers pay as much as $2 million an episode to get their products featured on NBC's 'The Apprentice,'' reports the Los Angeles Times. At the TV industry's annual sales drive, actor Amanda Bynes of WB's 'What I Like About You' said of her show's characters, 'This season we found out, like, they eat Pringles and use Herbal Essence shampoo. Next season, we hope to find out what cellphones they're using and what cars they drive.' Other recent product placements include a couple on Fox's 'The O.C.' looking at AmericanAirlines.com, a character on ABC's 'Desperate Housewives' working for Buick LaCrosse, and contestants on CBS' 'Survivor:Palau' using Home Depot tools.
Main source:
Los Angeles Times, May 26, 2005
Main URL:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-payola26may26.story"

(Via PR Watch's Spin of the Day.)

Pay-for-Praise Comes Under Scrutiny

Pay-for-Praise Comes Under Scrutiny

Jonathan Adelstein of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission called 'for an investigation of experts who tout products on television without disclosing payments from the manufacturers.' The Wall Street Journal and Washington Post have reported on 'technology and other experts who are paid tens of thousands of dollars by such companies as Sony, Apple and Hewlett-Packard' and who have praised those companies' products 'on NBC's 'Today' show, other network programs and during 'satellite tours' of local TV stations.' Such payola violates federal law and could result in fines of up to $10,000 for repeat offenders.

Washington Post, May 25, 2005

(Via PR Watch's Spin of the Day.)

Middle East Propaganda TV: 'Cheaper than an Invasion'

Good Morning Iraq: US Sponsored Television: "US Sponsored Television in the Middle East is 'Cheaper than an Invasion'
he violence -- and casualties -- in Iraq continue to mount and many in the Arab world continue to view America as an imperialist power. But the US-based television station Al-Hurra is trying to change that. After all, there is some good news in Iraq, isn't there?")

Soundtrack for Torture

Soundtrack for Torture: "In November 2003, one of our DJs received this e-mail from a WFMU listener stationed in Iraq:

Hi, I'm currently deployed to Iraq and recently discovered your program. Since then My tank crew and I listen whenever we get the chance. The reason I'm writing is that we have been looking for anything we can find by happy flowers, not just because I think My Skin Covers My Body is the greatest record of all time, but also It's perfect for Psychological Warfare. Well, the only song we have here is Charlie Got a Haircut and we've used it so much, we can't stand it. Basically I wanted to check if you know somewhere we can score some Happy Flowers we can then load onto an Ipod to use on the Iraqis. Any suggestions would be appreciated."

(Via WFMU's Beware of the Blog.)

Personal Data for the Taking

NYT > Personal Data for the Taking: "Personal Data for the Taking
Senator Ted Stevens wanted to know just how much the Internet had turned private lives into open books. So the senator, a Republican from Alaska and the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, instructed his staff to steal his identity.
'I regret to say they were successful,' the senator reported at a hearing he held last week on data theft.
His staff, Mr. Stevens reported, had come back not just with digital breadcrumbs on the senator, but also with insights on his daughter's rental property and some of the comings and goings of his son, a student in California. 'For $65 they were told they could get my Social Security number,' he said.

More about Subliminal Persuasion

USDA pays for articles

USDA pays for articles: From Washington Post:

The Natural Resources Conservation Service hired freelancer Dave Smith in September 2003 to ‘research and write articles for hunting and fishing magazines describing the benefits of NRCS Farm Bill programs to wildlife habitat and the environment,’ according to agency procurement documents obtained by The Washington Post through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Smith, contracted to craft five stories for $1,875 each, also was to ‘contact and work magazine editors to place the articles in targeted publications,’ the records show.

From Real Propaganda

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Subliminal Persuasion

Disney 'reporter' appears in local news

Disney 'reporter' appears in local news: "I'm hearing that some local TV stations are doing live shots from a Disney 'reporter' -- complete with a Disney logo on the microphone -- promoting Disneyland's 50th Anniversary. Doesn't this fit squarely in the VNR category?"