GM, Procter & Gamble pull ads on BET

The Chicago Defender reports:

Media watchdogs are declaring it a victory. Black Entertainment Television hasn't said much, and advertisers are mum. What is clear, though, is that at least two top advertisers–-automaking giant General Motors and consumer goods manufacturer Procter & Gamble–-have pulled ads from BET's Rap City and 106 & Park programs.

Rap City features music videos and artist interviews, and 106 & Park is a top 10 music video countdown. They air at 4 and 5 p.m. (CDT) respectively-attracting a large under-18, after-school audience.

An April Parent Television Council study highlighted high levels of sex, violence and profanity in both programs and reported, among other things, that Rap City featured on average 31.6 instances of sex, 25.3 instances of explicit language and 11.7 instances of violence per hour. The study also examined Sucker Free, a music video countdown that airs on MTV.

Armed with the report, leaders of the Enough is Enough campaign--a movement for corporate responsibility in entertainment--began petitioning BET's top advertisers to pull ads from the programs. Rev. Delman Coates, 35, a Harvard graduate and chairman of the campaign, led the charge.

“We let (advertisers) know that the Enough is Enough campaign is seeking to challenge lyrical and visual content, in the hip hop industry in particular, that sexually objectifies Black women, portrays Black men as pimps, gangsters and thugs, glorifies violence, criminal activity, drug use. We made them aware that they're currently running commercials during (programs that feature this content),” Coates said. Procter & Gamble and GM quietly pulled ads from Rap City and 106 & Park. Coates claims that Pepsi and Walmart did so also, although the companies did not confirm this with the Defender.

No word yet from Jesse Jackson on this one.