Boycott?

An internal ABC Radio Networks memo [...] indicates that nearly 100 ABC advertisers insist that their commercials be blacked out on Air America Radio affiliates. According to the memo, the advertisers insist that "NONE of their commercials air during AIR AMERICA programming."

Josh Silver over at the Huffington Post explains why this is a bad thing:

All or most of these firms advertise on politically conservative talk radio programs and/or stations. And the crime isn't even being "liberal." Some of these advertisers have moderate or liberal executives who donate to Democratic candidates and are far from rabid conservatives.

So what is the problem? While "liberal" Air America clearly favors big D Democrats, unlike virtually all other programming on commercial radio and television, it gives airtime to reports that are critical of corporations and the powerful politicians they keep in Washington.

This is the heart of the problem: Air America commits a crime called journalism. Almost none of the so-called conservative radio shows or networks do any semblance of actual reporting. They merely pontificate -- repeating talking points that seem to be emailed straight from Karl Rove's laptop.

Air America does its share of pontificating as well, and we leave it to others to compare its integrity to that of Limbaugh and Hannity. But we can say that Air America journalism occasionally focuses on corporate malfeasance. It examines closely the deeply corrupt relationship between corporate power and government officials.

This is the list of companies, transcribed by Specious Reasoning. The problem is, how do you even start to boycott when it involves the computer you use every day [Microsoft...okay fine, I can switch], the food you eat every day [Kraft Foods (all brands)], or everything else consumed in the world [GE]. I think it might be more productive to write these companies and express your dissatisfaction. I've highlighted the ones that could affect me:

Allstate
American Heart Association
-unknown-
Avon
Bank of America
Bayer (All Products)
BMW Motorcycles
Chattem – Gold Bond Foot Powder
Chattem - Capzasin-HP
Chattem - Phisoderm
Chattem - Selsun Salon Shampoo
Cigna
Cingular
Clorox
-unknown-
Coly
Dear’s Morningstar Foods
-unknown-
Denny’s
Discovery Channel
e-harmony.com
Epson
Expedia.com
Exxon Mobil
Farmers Insurance
FedEx
Foot Action
Frito-Lay
GE
Gillette Venus Razor
Good Year
Heinekin / Amstel Light
Hershey’s
Hewlett Packard
Home Depot
Hormel
Interstate Batteries
JC Penney
Johnson & Johnson
Kohl’s
Kraft Foods
Levi’s
Masterfood USA
McDonald’s
Merial – Frontline
MGM
Michelin
Microsoft
Morningstar
National Cattlemen's Beef
Nestle
Nissan
NYSE
Office Depot
Outdoor Life Network
P&G – Bounty
P&G – Charmin
P&G – Fabreeze
P&G – Ima’s Dog and Cat Food
P&G – Pepto Bismol
-unknown-
Pepsi
-unknown-
Pier 1 Imports
Red Lobster
ReMax
REX Sporting Goods
Rent-way
Robert Haft
Schering-Plough
Sherman Williams
Sony
State Farm
Toys R’ Us
Travelocity.com
True Value
United Healthcare
US Navy
USPS
Visa
Walgreens
Wal-mart
Welch’s
Wrigley
-unknown-

I realize the Canadian arms of these companies may not share the same values so it'll be interesting to see what their response will be, if any.