BDOT Statement On Limbaugh Ads

An American watchdog organisation today [Mar. 14] apologised to the local company Media House — owners of the “Bermuda Sun” and the Bermuda.com website — after inadvertently including the firm in a list of sponsors of controversial US talk show host Rush Limbaugh [pictured].

Washington DC-based Media Matters mistakenly claimed the company was running promotional spots on Mr. Limbaugh’s show in the wake of his misogynistic attacks on law student Sandra Fluke following her testimony before the US Congress on birth control.

“In yesterday’s list of Rush Limbaugh advertisers, we inadvertently included Bermuda.com [MediaHouse] as an advertiser during hour two, commercial break four,” said a Media Matters spokesman. ”The correct advertiser is GoToBermuda.com, which is owned and operated by the Bermuda state tourism board.

“Bermuda.com is not and has not ever been an advertiser on Rush Limbaugh’s programme. Media Matters regrets the error.”

And yesterday Department of Tourism officials ordered the island’s US media agency to immediately pull all Bermuda advertising from Mr. Limbaugh’s programme.

The Bermuda Department of Tourism [BDOT] also issued a public statement at its Facebook page last night [Mar.13] conerning its advertising on Mr. Limbaugh’s show: “To clarify, as part of an overall advertising effort, the Bermuda Department of Tourism did place digital streaming network ads online and one of those stations within that network buy does indeed carry the Rush Limbaugh show, amongst others. We have instructed our media partners to discontinue all our advertisements to avoid them inadvertently running on the show.

“Thank you again for your support and we hope you continue to enjoy the beauty of Bermuda on Facebook and our other social spaces!”

At least 51 advertisers have reportedly dropped their ads from Rush Limbaugh’s radio show in the wake of his February 29 comments on Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke, who had testified before the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee in support of mandated health coverage for contraceptives.

On his radio show, Mr. Limbaugh called Ms Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute” while questioning whether her parents were proud of her for supporting the government’s ruling that religiously affiliated institutions should provide health insurance plans that include contraception.

Rush Limbaugh ‘Slut’ Attack On Georgetown Student Sandra Fluke

He repeated his claims the following day and further suggested that Ms Fluke, “and the rest of you feminazis,” make a sex tape in exchange for contraceptive funding, along with offering to buy the women of Georgetown University “as much aspirin to put between their knees as they want.”

The comments caused a continuing controversy for Mr. Limbaugh forming a public backlash, organised by social media, that pressured companies to stop advertising on his show.

On March 3, Mr. Limbaugh apologized, saying, “I chose the wrong words in my analogy … I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke”, in response to criticism from across the political spectrum including US President Barack Obama.

On March 5, Mr. Limbaugh responded to the reaction he’d received stating: “I acted too much like the leftists who despise me. I descended to their level, using names and exaggerations. It’s what we’ve come to expect from them, but it’s way beneath me.”

By March 6, ten of Limbaugh’s radio sponsors, including AOL, The Sleep Train [which had been with him for 25 years] and Citrix had withdrawn their commercials, and two radio stations declined to continue broadcasting the show.

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