2o advertisers quit Rush Limbaugh show over sex slur on woman
At least 20 advertisers have now pulled their spots from a controversial American radio show after the host Rush Limbaugh last week called a young woman student a "slut" and a "prostitute" . Two radio stations said they were taking the show off the air.
The woman, 30-year-old law student Sandra Fluke, in evidence to a Congressional committee, had called for a health care policy requiring all employers and other organisations — including her Catholic university — to cover the cost of contraceptives for women.
Limbaugh urged her to post sex videos online "so we can all watch."
As outrage grew, seven companies - makeup brand Bare Escentuals, Sensa Weight Loss , vitamin retailer Vitacost, AccuQuote Life Insurance, telecom firm Polycom, Hadeed Carpet and Thompson Creek Windows - quit.
At least ten other companies, including Internet giant AOL, also said they were pulling their support from the conservative shock jock’s show .
Three others, Sears, Allstate and home improvement website ServiceMagic, said their ads were on the show by mistake, and were making sure they didn't run again.
Limbaugh made his remarks last week and the row has been growing since then. President Obama even personally called the Fluke to thank her for speaking up for women.
Limbaugh has now twice apologised to Fluke saying he "chose the wrong words in his analogy" and "did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke." But some commentators doubted his sincerity.
The radio stations who are pulling the plug on the show are in Massachusetts and Hawaii .
Limbaugh told listeners that the advertisers, who quit "have profited handsomely from reaching you," he said. "Now they have decided they don't want to reach you anymore and we will replace them with advertisers who do."
The Clear Channel network which hosts Limbaugh's programme , said it was standing behind him.
"The contraception debate is one that sparks strong emotion and opinions on both sides of the issue," spokeswoman Rachel Nelson said.
"We respect the right of Mr. Limbaugh, as well as the rights of those who disagree with him, to express those opinions."
Fluke told the Daily Beast she she hadn’t ruled out suing Limbaugh. "I've certainly been told I might have a case," she said.