My (apparent) little victory over Fox "News"!

[MarianJack]

Hi. I work in Community support for a small mental health agency here in Maine. A few mornings every week, several of us bring our clients to a local McDonald's for some peer interaction/unpaid support time. One of the things that consistently annoyed me was the fact that Fox "News" was ALWAYS on their TV.

While I never included my co-workers, and certainly not my clients, in this, I always made a point of complaining about my breakfast being served up with lies and hateful bile on the side. I was told by more than one shift leader that the owner of that particular franchise had left instructions that Fox must be the only station for the dining room tv.

I pointed out to the shift leaders that their boss is an idiot because Maine is a blue state, we voted for President Obama twice with percentages in the high 50s, I was sure that I wasn't the only patron who felt the same way and that their owner was not going to have everyone in the restaurant stand up, link arms and march out to join the hourly teabagger rally.

My wife and I have never been reticent people. Even in the immediate post 9/11 era where Democrats were supposed to cringe like beaten puppies whenever a right winger snarled as a sign that we didn't count because of George W Moron's illusory 92% poll approval, WE spoke our minds. The shift leaders are all very nice people. I told them that I was sorry that they were receiving all of the grief from me, but at least my big mouth never cost anyone 24 Billion dollars!

I also pointed out that my family comes to the city where they are located quite frequently and when we did, we would certainly NOT come there to be subjected to Fox "News" BS. I didn't point out that our family wouldn't eat at McDonald's under any circumstances.

Last week, a regional manager from corporate was in the restaurant and I stopped by her table and stated my case. After I joined my party, she got up, went to the shift leader, who immediately came out and changed the channel to NECN (kind of a New England version of CNN. Overall,they're not too bad).

They haven't had Fox "News" on since. YAY!

Thanks for reading about my effort to improve my little corner of the world. That's my 2 cents, and quite possibly overpriced at that!

PEACE!

[kydo]

1. Good for you!

[MarianJack]

2. Thanx!

PEACE!

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

3. GREAT job. I have done the same thing in "business" hotels

The majority of smaller business "suite" hotels with continental breakfast seem to have Faux Noise on every morning.

I have made the same expressions to managers on duty. Often I've been told, "Please switch to whichever news you like."

However I have also often been told "That's the channel the management wants to have on." When that happens I just smile and politely say, "Well the bed was nice, but I assure you that since I have a choice of hotels near the airport, neither I nor any of my company employees will ever stay here again. Please let your owners know."

Most of the hotels I frequent now have expanded cable/satellite. In the early days of cable/satellite Faux pushed hard to have its "news" included on the basic tier of channels. Even in the rooms I couldn't see MSNBC because it was on a higher tier of service they were purchasing. News always seems to be on during the morning. I do think a lot of small hotel staffs got into the habit of putting on Faux because it was what they had.

We should all continue to follow your fine example every time we walk into a hotel or restaurant playing Faux Noise.

[MarianJack]

10. Thanks for sharing.

I NEVER stay quiet when I se Faux!

PEACE!

[freshwest]

4. Never been in Maine, but sending you a hearty thank you! Whenever I hear FNN on a store TV, I fuss.

[MarianJack]

11. C'mon up for a week or so in the Summer.

You'll love it!

PEACE!

[liberal N proud]

5. I have been complaining to a local Wendy's and Burger King to no avail

A manager at BK told me he didn't have a remote to switch it.

A Wendy's employee told me they had to keep it on FOX, but wouldn't elude to why.

I told both that my business hinged on their programming choice. I have not been back to Burger King for several months.

[MarianJack]

12. Vote with your wallet!

Bravo!

PEACE!

[Maynar]

30. You're definitely better off

without BK. Ugh.

[blogslut]

6. I've always wondered...

Is there an ASCAP for businesses that play television stations? I know that if a public business plays recorded music they have to pay for an ASCAP licence. Does the same thing apply for television? If so, is Fox's license cheaper than other news stations?

[MarianJack]

13. That's a thought

PEACE!

[bigbrother05]

45. That applies to canned music, not broadcast programming. The stations pay those fees.

[blogslut]

53. Thanks

I've always wondered.

[Scuba]

7. Supah!

[MarianJack]

15. Thanx!

PEACE!

[hog]

8. Same as me at my former bank.

I was having a bad day when the people at my bank seemed to be having a hard time finding $5,000 in big bills to cash a check. Two TVs over the counter were on Fux News. I asked if they could change channels. No, rules from headquarters. I withdrew my checking and CD along with my mother's checking and life savings and moved to the bank down the street. Got a little better interest rate as a result. I'm sure it didn't "break the bank" but if more people did what I did, maybe we wouldn't have to put up with Fox.

[MarianJack]

16. Good for you!

PEACE!

[bananas]

55. "rules from headquarters" - does fox pay companies to do this? Serious question.

It would be good to document where these rules come from.
Do they have a contract with fox news to keep that channel on?
In exchange for what - money, a share of advertising revenue, or what?
We could guess at the reasons, but has anyone documented it?
Are these "rules from headquarters" written down, or are they oral orders only, to establish deniability?

[Curmudgeoness]

9. I love that you took it over the franchise owner's head.

I hope that he gets an earful from corporate too. I hope that they stick with a policy of listening to the customers from now on.

[MarianJack]

17. Thank you, Curmudgeoness.

I saw the opportunity and ook it...and I never give up!

PEACE!

[question everything]

14. Wonderful! Congratulations! (nt)

[MarianJack]

18. Thanks!

PEACE!

[tavernier]

19. Good on you!!

My dear friend had a heart attack and while in ICU (and unconscious) they tuned his tv to Faux. His son came in and shouted, "are you TRYING to kill my father???"

We explained that Jon was a Democrat and Never would tolerate this propaganda in his home.

Unfortunately he did pass, but I think they got the message not to play just any garbage channels without the consent of the patient or family.

RIP, Jon. I know that the fall of Rush has a great deal to do with your work on the other side, and we appreciate it.

[MarianJack]

59. WERE they trying to kill the gentleman?

Good for his son!

PEACE!

[Fuddnik]

20. I quit my gym because Fox was on in front of the treadmills and elipticals constantly.

The place was full of old tea-baggers anyway.

The local Moose Club was next.

Fuck Fox with Sean Hannitys fat head.

[pangaia]

40. Teabaggers go to the gym?

[Pakid]

21. I know the feeling

I will only eat in a place one time if Fox is on. When I get home I make it a point to send them a nice letter telling them why I will not be back. So far only one restaurant has written back to me saying that they have change over to an all sport channel. So that one now has a lot of my business!

[The Wielding Truth]

22. Thank you. I did the same once at Red Lobster. They changed to sports.

[NastyRiffraff]

23. Nice job!

Individual victories like this may not seem like much, but they all add up. Thanks for speaking up! And thanks for your work in the mental health agency. The country needs more like you.

[CaliGal]

24. Thank you for not giving up

I'm not sure I would have had the patience to sit there and listen to that crap. I would have never set foot inside that place if that is all they had on the TV. That is my burden to bear. I wish I had a tougher stomach to listen to that swill while I ate, but there is just now way. I can't even have it on in hearing distance without swearing at the TV.

I thank you.

[brooklynite]

25. McDonalds has TV sets?

Apparently its been a while.

[libodem]

26. Yeah, baby

That's what I'm talkin' about! Booya!

[Zambero]

27. Good work!

Hopefully, in this regard, as goes Maine so goes the nation!

[xfundy]

28. Public tvs set to faux are how they claim ratings superiority

Get them to change the channel or leave. I've done it dozens of times.

[Hulk]

29. Hotels, motels and every foreign nation in the world...

OK, not so certain about EVERY nation in the world, but MOST. Mexico has fox-nonsense piped in on the cable networks. But we've driven across this country several times, from east to west, north to south; and nearly EVERY motel, hotel, b&b has fox-nonsense on the TV menu, and at least half the joints have fox-nonsense piping their BS at the breakfast table. It's really disgusting.

You can't find MSNBC on about half of the menus or more, and NEVER for breakfast; not that I care that much for MSNBC. I do dabble in a bit of MSNBC, but fox is really the "entertainment for lunatics" in this media frenzy. With bimbos like the three idiots in the morning, the five idiots in the afternoon, sean vannity's bat-sheet crazy seditious hour, and bill-o macho crap spewing off his chest; you have to admit, it's entertaining?!

Well, we may have "the lame-stream media", but they have a monopoly on ALL the travelers in the country and around the world. How sad is that!

[TexasTowelie]

31. And now their lineup has Megyn Kelly on the evening.

All the sickening hatred wrapped up in a pretty package.

[charlives]

32. Good for you!

I've told establishments that as long as they fly their teabag flag I won't visit. I've made banks and restaurants change fox lies too. Keep it up!

[TxDemChem]

33. Good for you.

Sometimes it's all about getting the message to the right person. Your spunk and perseverance prompted change.

[Enthusiast]

34. K&R...You handled that well.......nt

[YarnAddict]

35. Why didn't you try hiding the remote?

I've heard that works real well.

[reflection]

36. Bravo!

I've gotten a few TVs changed as well. Isn't it the greatest feeling? Congratulations!

[marble falls]

37. We got most of the waiting room TVs the VA hospital switched from Fox to CNN.

[dgibby]

38. Excellent!

I fired a Dr. for the same reason. Figured if he was watching Faux Snooze, he was too stupid to treat me.

[pangaia]

39. Did you ever think of taking you clients to a restaurant

that serves healthy food? One that maybe is family owned and not a chain?

[ashling]

41. Could you visit my little corner of the world?

[MarianJack]

60. What a cute doggie!

She reminds me of my little Daisy, who went to doggie heaven 9/02.

PEACE!

[ashling]

61. My daughters cat Patches

has kidney problems. Dr. says she may have 18 months left.

We've had her since February 1999. She is about 16 years old now.

[randr]

42. Faux donated TV's a number of years ago

I read an article a while back that was about Faux donating TV's to McD's and other establishments with a public areas. The article was mostly praising Murdocks generosity but I had a different view. I am convinced they use the projected numbers of possible watchers into their viewing rating numbers. It would make for an interesting research topic.

[duhneece]

43. McD is the ONE place I have had no success

You've given me an option to pursue...will let you know how it turns out.
I, too, have complained many times about F 'news' always being on in our Alamogordo, NM McD's...was told the same thing as you were told...owner 'loves' F 'news'....

[sinkingfeeling]

44. I thought it was a corporate policy since I don't think I've ever been

in a McDonald's that didn't have the TVs on Fox.

[niyad]

46. k and r--kudos to you for speaking up. whenever I am someplace where faux is on, I do something

similar.

when a very dear friend was in a coma, I went to visit her, and faux was on. I told the staff that if anything were going to bring her out of that coma, listening to that bs would be it. I then told them to find anything else--it remained on a gardening channel until the end.

[Whisp]

47. This is how things get done!

Thanks, you have made a huge difference. Only one tv but important baby steps. We can't teleport to perfection, it's small progress that is the way it will get done and yours is the perfect example.

Bravo.

[arthritisR_US]

48. Good job! I think it's important to fight against

the propoganda.

[JEFF9K]

49. "Slaveholders," like McDonalds owners, have a friend in Fox "News." ...

... And I think putting the word "News" in quotes is important.

[totodeinhere]

50. Good for you. That's one down and many more to go. I see Fox News on all over the place

in the community where I live. It's hard to boycott a business that has it on because the next one probably will too. I did request that they turn it off at my fitness club and they complied. But the next time I came back it was back on again and when I inquired about it I was told that other customers complained when they turned it off. I don't know whether to believe that or not.

Edit - I don't patronize McDonald's in the first place so I will never see Fox there.

[AndyA]

51. Thank you! You should feel great about what you did!!

I too find it very irritating when Faux News is on, but if no one ever says anything, it's assumed people are OK with it. All it takes is a few complaints, but too few take the time to do what you did.

You are a true patriot!

[ReRe]

52. K&R

You did good! You did not go along to get along anymore. Every single one of us need to do this when we find FOX in our face!

[dlwickham]

54. good for you for speaking out

more people need to follow your example

[bananas]

56. Thanks for speaking out and persisting on it.

You aren't doing it just for yourself, you're making all of our lives better.
Congratulations, and thank you!

[Taitertots]

57. I've started just turning off and/or unplugging the TV when Fox is playing

No one has tried to stop me yet.

[calimary]

58. SUPERB work, MarianJack!

Another tiny bit of the world saved! I did that at my neighborhood bank. Complained and complained again when I'd go in there and see that damn channel on their monitor. Finally, one day - CNBC! I commented on that, too - thanked them for changing the channel. They said they'd had complaints. I don't know if there were any other complaints than mine, but I DO know, it got changed. Who cares how? All I know is, I'm as Machiavellian as the next guy, and I'll always try to do what I can. ANYWHERE I am that I can, if I see Pox Noise on somewhere, I will try to get the channel changed.