Did U.S. Senators Impact Village Voice Advertisers?

On April 12, 2012; U.S. Senators Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D- Conn.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and John Cornyn (R-Tex.) wrote to the below 40 companies urging them to use their  economic influence to end the adult section of Backpage.com - Village Voice Media's online child sex trafficking advertising business.

What happened?

 We soon shall see.  A request for the responses from these companies has been submitted to the office of each of these Senators.

 When the responses from these advertisers are obtained we will add them here.

Regardless of the results of the good work of these Senators, Phil Cenedella of the National Association of Human Trafficking Victim Advocates says he is confident his concept of flash picketing will catch on nationwide and influence Village Voice advertisers to do the right thing.

The Senators' letter was sent to the below companies: 

Mr. David Peacock, President, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.

Mr. Dov Charney, Chairman and CEO, American Apparel, Inc.

Mr. Robert Darbelnet, President and CEO, American Automobile Association

Mr. Bob Lander, President and CEO, Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau

Mr. Robert Furniss-Roe, President, Bacardi USA, Inc.

Mr. William J. Lynch, Jr., CEO, Barnes and Noble, Inc.

Mr. Willy Burkhardt, President, Blue Man Productions, Inc.

Mr. James T. Reynolds, President, Cancer Fund of America, Inc.

Mr. Sanford I. Weill, Chairman, Carnegie Hall Corporation

Ms. Linda Dozoretz, Executive Director, Children’s Wish Foundation International

Mr. Bob Pittman, CEO, Clear Channel Communications, Inc.

Mr. Frank Day, Chairman, CraftWorks Restaurants and Breweries, Inc. 

Mr. Bill Hackett, President, Crown Imports LLC 

Mr. Brian Vogt, CEO, Denver Botanic Gardens, Inc.

Mr. Larry Schwartz, President, North America, Diageo PLC

Mr. George Bodenheimer, Executive Chairman, ESPN, Inc.

Mr. Jim Gibbons, President and CEO, Goodwill Industries International, Inc.

Mr. Thomas Pritzker, Executive Chairman, Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Mr. Kenneth Hicks, Chairman, President and CEO, Foot Locker, Inc.

Mr. Ted Mundorff, CEO, Landmark Theatres 

Mr. Jon Feltheimer, Co-Chairman and CEO, Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation

Mr. Michael Rapino, President and CEO, Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. 

Mr. Todd Wagner, Co-Founder and CEO, 2929 Entertainment

Mr. John Willard Marriott, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International, Inc.

John H. Noseworthy, M.D., President and CEO, Mayo Clinic 

Mr. James J. Murren, Chairman and CEO, MGM Resorts International

Mr. Philip W. O’Neil, President, Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co. 

Mr. Peter Coors, Chairman, MillerCoors LLC

Ms. Kim Jordan, CEO, New Belgium Brewing Company, Inc.

Mr. Richard Federico, Chairman and Co-CEO, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Inc.

Mr. Ryan Kavanaugh, CEO, Relativity Media LLC

Commissioner William A. Roberts, National Commander, The Salvation Army

Mr. Charles Wright, Chairman, Seattle Art Museum

Mr. Michael Lynton, Co-Chairman and CEO, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc.

Mr. Philipp Humm, President and CEO, T-Mobile USA, Inc.

Mr. Yoshimi Inaba, Chairman, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Toyota Motor Corporation

Chancellor Gene D. Block, University of California, Los Angeles

Mr. Brian Gallagher, President and CEO, United Way Worldwide

Chancellor Robert Coombe, University of Denver

Mr. Barry M. Meyer, Chairman and CEO, Warner Brothers Entertainment