Upmarket retailer Waitrose has today (5 October) pulled its advertising from a Fox News slot shown on the Sky television network in the UK.

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The withdrawal follows complaints by customers about presenter Glenn Beck’s remarks about US president Barack Obama.


Beck caused controversy back in July when he alleged Obama was being a “racist”.


Describing the arrest of a black academic, Henry Louis Gates, Beck reportedly said the president’s actions had shown him to be a “guy who has a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture”.


His remarks prompted US retailers such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy to pull their advertising and now Waitrose has followed suit.

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A spokesperson for the retailer told just-food: “The decision was taken in response to views expressed by our customers and was not politically motivated.” 


Both Fox News and Sky are owned by media magnate Rupert Murdoch.

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