Cartoon controversy doesn't help ratings--By: Hannah Mikels
An ad campaign gone wrong in Boston last month proved that all publicity, including negative publicity, does not help ratings.
Authorites shut down bridges and highways Jan. 31 because of linking lights replicating characters from the cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force. The authorities feared the lights may have been bombs, according to wcco.com.
Despite the notion that any publicity helps in boosting popularity, ratings of the show remained relatively the same comparing last week and the previous week, with the former coming in at 386,000 viewers and the latter with 380,000, according to wcco.com.
The devices were removed from Boston and nine other affected cities. The Cartoon Network's corporate parent, Time Warner Inc.'s Turner Broadcasting Systems, and an advertising agency agreed to pay $2 million to compensate for the incident, according to wcco.com.
The devices were orignally placed to promote the upcoming Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie, according to msnbc.com.
Many feel a generation gap is to blame for the confusion, while others believe nothing can be taken lightly living after Sept. 11, according The Boston Globe.