Newspapers and television stations reaped a financial windfall from the BP oil spill — and continue to benefit as the company spends millions on advertising to repair its battered image following the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history.
BP spent $93.4 million on ads between April 1 and July 31, according to Politico. That’s triple the amount from the same period one year ago. The information was included in a letter from House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Fla.) to Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.).
BP began its flurry of ads shortly after the Deepwater Horizon explosion on April 20 and has continued to target national and local outlets seven weeks after the well was capped. Newspapers and TV stations have been the biggest beneficiaries.
Waxman’s letter, which came in response to a request from Castor, provided more details:
BP told the committee that they have increased advertising expenditures for a number of reasons, including to keep Gulf Coast residents informed of issues relating to the oil spill and recovery and to ensure transparency during the recovery process.
For the period covering April 2010 to the end of July 2010, BP spent $93,429,175 on advertising. This is more than three times the amount the company spent on advertising during the same period in 2009. BP’s increased spending was almost entirely targeted at national and local newspapers and magazines and national and local television advertising. A small portion of the increased spending was targeted at Internet advertising.
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31 Comments
BP should be held responsible. But spending a few million on ads and a few million on claims will not take care of the damage they caused, nor the damage still left in need of repair.
But, of course, the dim in charge will let them slide.
Very interesting how we just had another platform explode in the gulf. Guess that will reaffirm Mr. Obama's moritorium on oil drilling? Wonder what gas prices are going to be if another one blows up ………….. accidentally.
Didn't they put up 20 Billion (what was the cap on damages before BP) to Obama for protection and lose half on stock price? Not seeing them sliding on this.
The whole Big System seems to be struggling. Big Government depends on the existence of Big Business, Big Journalism, etc. For Big Government to gain control of society, it can only deal with large collective enterprises which concentrate power and money, so it encourages their creation. Then it puts guns to their heads as the administration did with BP in demanding restoration money in the gulf. Capitalism provides a necessary defence and counterbalance against the inevitable tyrany and dominance of these collectives by government. That's the power of capitalism. It spreads the power amongst the people in the form of private business which pays citizen directly based on the quality of their performance. Sure, government takes as big a cut as it can get away with, but it doesn't run the business (except GM, AIG, etc.). That makes the people's property and power harder to take by force. BP, Big Journalism and Big Gov form a happy aliance. The people must be continually vigilant to dismember the cozy relationships which spring up amongst this closed shop. It is never-ending.
The media is an extortion racket of sorts. There is no reason that an oil company needs to advertise except to avoid bad press assaults. The environmental movement would have no legs if it weren't for the media's need for it in the business of shaking down Big Oil,and ultimately, the consumer.
Guess there really is no such thing as bad publicity, at least not when someone is making money.
I think Waxman is from CA, not FL.
It is a necessity that BP communicate to a vast TV audience to repair their damaged image. Ergo, the vast propaganda splurge to satisfy folks that BP will do what is required to return the Gulf to its previous state. However, this advertising campaign is also a two edged sword. It can bring to light other "accidents" that BP has had in the recent past. It's a calculated balancing act. They are walking a razor blade edge to reestablish faith in their company and raise the value of their stock. Seems about right to me.
"How many off-shore rigs have to explode before we come to terms with the evils of oil? No seriously, how many? I can arrange for a few more if that's what it's gonna take."
~Imam Obama
The BP oil spill reminds me of a bad wreck on the freeway. While it may be have been the worst oil spill we have yet seen, it will be cleaned up, the wreckage hauled away, the injured will be treated, the parties will compensate and be compensated, the lawyers will search for lost treasure, activist on all sides will use it to prove their points. Everyone stops to look, shakes their head, and then continue on their way to their original destination. Nature itself will replace the burned medians with a fresh new crop of grass as the seasons change and the scar dissolves.
It will be cherished by the left as proof that their side is right. The rest of us will wonder how the situation could have ever been resolved in a leftist setting where the only one to file suit against is the government yet the only one you cannot file suit against is the government. The right will move on and get back to work, not mentioning it simply proves that American capitalism works even in the worst of circumstances.
Seems like the only thing keeping the Media afloat are friggin' disasters. How sad is that?
It's the same with political campaigns. Where do the campaigns spend their milllions??
Advertising on news media outlets (newspaper/television/radio).
Who started this whole charade of being "unbiased"????
Coincidence? What are the odds? Kinda like a winning mega bucks lotto ticket.
BP should be in bankruptcy court and the citizens of the Gulf states should be getting ready to become first lien holders of BP assets.
But the only thing citizens in the Gulf states gave to Obama was a vote. If it were the UAW losing their livelihood to the Corexit-laced crude you can be damn sure that is exactly what would have happened.
WAIT! I stand corrected. Bankruptcy court? More like a POTUS executive shotgun wedding.
If BP is spending loads of dough on advertising to help influence their image, I guess we can blame obama since it was he and his administration constantly on the attack. Certainly, they are culpable, but the "O" put gasoline on the fire.
Clearly there is a symbiotic relationship between the media and big oil. The media bashes big oil in order to get an easily outraged and ignorant public to buy their stories and big oil then must counter that bashing with positive advertising and mea culpas to the public. It wouldn't surprise me that they contact the oil companies with a heads up about a coming story and they will leave space for them to counter it with ads. I see similar such activity in magazines where a featured article about a medical condition is surrounded by drug advertising.
Hopefully, with the new media such as this is leveling the playing field and bring rationality back to Americans who understand what's going on and don't fall for the much of the tripe the MSM is feeding us. And, to realize that the MSM is as much a polluter as they claim big oil is once you consider the amount of trees, paper pulp, ink, electricity that is use and amount of trash that is produced in order to get their bashing message across. Unfortunately, they won't tell us that but hopefully Americans are beginning to realize it.
Excellent Dirtt……love the "POTUS executive shotgun wedding".
o seems to have an affinity for shotgun weddings, now that I think about it.
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Great analagy from a grreat american….As we are oft reminded, the progressives will seize any disaster as an 'opportunity' for change! Whereas, we, on the right side of any issue, work with nature and common sense to see the disaster as an opportunity to do better the next time!
How many brand spankin' new PUBLIC RELATIONS COMPANIES were hastily thrown together
in order to reap the benefits of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico?
Betcha' I can tell ya which political party they back.
Folks, the beaches are being destroyed as we speak. Check out this woman, Lorrie Williams who goes down the the beach daily and shoots video of Corexit and oil STILL COMING IN!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZrXpqu82Xc&fe...
Leave her some good feedback, she's putting her life on the line…in more ways than one.
True. He's one of the reasons I left.
Only (+)3 (with my +click)? How sad…
Moochers (welfare) and looters (power of pull through legislation) as Rand so presciently outlined. You give a good synopsis and so few appreciate it. Well, you got my vote(+)…
I just read on Fox that Obama's bunch is getting ready to fork over even more money to assist those whose homes are worth less than they owe for them.
Said that 500,000 to 1.5 MILLION homes will be involved!
Just another way of thumbing their noses at folks who stayed in their old houses or bought what they could afford INSTEAD of buying McMansions on balloon loans.
C'mon Tex, where's your COMPASSION?
THEY NEED the product of your hard work and dedication to your own INDEPENDENCE!
Isn't NEED more important than want? All you want is to enjoy the fruits of your own labor and to pass that along to those you have been RESPONSIBLE for for all of your life. What is money worth in the long-run (probably not much…)
Need a 'hand'? I'm gettin' ready to bail from Illinois, much as I love the possibilities here…
Work hard, learn fast -just need a pretty young lady to call me over…
Won't ever cheer for the Cowboys though…
You Texas folk are breakin' me down…
Boy ,, sure looks Fishy ,, that this Crisis ,, comes at a Time to Rescue the Failing MSM . . Hummmm !
of course other than the fact that it wasn't a drilling rig, and that it was a fire not an explosion, and no oil spilled, yeah your so right.
Other than the fact that you did not read my comment, that the media reported it as an explosion and fire, That I didn't say it was a drilling rig and I didn't say there was an oil spill,
Yeah your so right. And a moron.
We are only as smart as the worst school in Philly. It is absolutely amazing to see how stupid this country has become since the days of Kent State. I don't think we could realize where the radical BS was going to wind up. We really should have nipped this in the bud then. Never again.
you were making the two incidents equivalent. point is the two are not the same.
GF, come on down to the Lone Star State and get started becoming a Texan. It sort of sounds like you've been taking night classes anyway!
I can pretty much promise you that you won't have to regularly endure Chicago-type winters, but I can also promise you that it will take about a year to get used to the heat and humidity. The humidity applies if you settle in the eastern half of the state. If you settle in the western half of the state, then, you're going to get nosebleeds, for a while, from the lack of humidity.
But, you'll get used to it! Let me know when you hit the road, and I'll send you one of those bumper stickers that says: "Not a native Texan, but I got here as quick as I could!"
not only are we becoming the fattest natoin but also the stupidist think about this for a second how did the oil just suddenly spill out from nowhere??? Now think about this the media is always telling us how bp is bad and all that but they also allow bp's advertisements to be aired on thier channels ………………wtf……………. we are greedy for the money that is all
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