http://www.citizensugar.com/ Breaking News, Together. en http://www.citizensugar.com/1804358 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/30_2008/freeicedcoffeepage_04.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" height="300"></span>Each morning news anchors on Fox's Las Vegas affiliate <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/business/media/22adco.html?_r=1&amp;oref=slogin&amp;ref=business&amp;pagewanted=print" target="_blank">sit in front of very visible McDonald's iced coffee cups</a>, part of a product-placement deal. The fast-food chain sponsors the two-hour morning news-and-lifestyle segment, but instead of commercial breaks, the advertisement happens during the news. </p> <p>Since advertisement dollars already influence networks, I think the product-placement deal raises some old conflict of interest concerns. The producers say they would pull the cups if they had to report a negative story about McDonald's, just as they would pull a regular commercial. Still, the covertness of the promotion could deceive some viewers not aware that McDonald's paid for the cups' placement. </p> <p>To find out how political parties are incorporating product placement, and how the industry sees it, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1804358">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1804358#comment Democratic National Convention Democrats Headline Las Vegas McDonald's Media Product Placement Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:15:00 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1804358