Radio and TV Station Refuse to Run Ad Featuring a Trump Impersonator

Tennessee retailer D.T. McCall & Sons told The Tennessee Star on Wednesday that Cumulus Media and Scripps Media, Inc. both refused to broadcast advertisements inspired by former President Donald Trump on Cumulus’ Nashville radio station, SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, and Scripps’ Nashville television station, NewsChannel 5.

The offending ads feature an impersonator of Trump wearing a suit and a “Make America Great Again” hat who performs an impression of the former president while extolling the virtues of D.T. McCall & Sons and excoriating nameless competitors at “the lumber yards.”

“These are sick people at the lumber yards,” said the Trump impersonator in one of the four ads reviewed by the Star. “They charge you for cords, and hoses, and haul offs,” he continued, “they call them hidden charges, it’s the type of surprise that you don’t want to see. It’s like an October Surprise, but it’s worse.”

In another, the impersonator explained, “I was this close, very close to buying from the lumber yards,” until, “I turned my head at the last second, and I saw a big, beautiful ad for D.T. McCall’s.”

A.J. McCall, the owner of the Tennessee appliance company, told the Star on Monday that Cumulus declined to run the commercials on its Nashville radio station even after McCall had the ads modified to include a disclaimer clarifying that Trump did not personally lend his voice to his company for the ads.

“I found a Trump impersonator that sounds really exactly like Trump. He made some ads for us. Cumulus wouldn’t run them,” said McCall. “We put a disclaimer at the end; Cumulus still won’t run them.”

The reported refusal to run ads featuring an impression of Trump’s catchphrases and cadence could prove to be the latest hurdle for the radio network that has sometimes struggled with its conservative hosts and audience.

In 2023, Bob Boccia, who was formerly a morning show co-host on Cumulus’ Memphis station, WKIM News/Talk 98.9, sued Cumulus, until the broadcaster mandated that all employees receive COVID-19 vaccinations. Cumulus was the first national broadcast company to announce a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

National radio personality Dan Bongino formerly announced his intention to leave the company due to the vaccine mandate but later stated that he would remain after Cumulus dropped the mandate in 2023.

According to a 2023 company report published by Cumulus, the broadcasting company is “committed to advancing and cultivating an environment where diversity, equity, and inclusion combine to create a sense of belonging for all,” highlighting the broadcaster’s commitment to the controversial diversity, equity, and inclusion ideology.

The report further reveals Cumulus created a DEI Steering Committee in 2020, joined the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion coalition in 2021, and “engaged a DEI advisory firm to further expand our DEI efforts” in 2022.

McCall told the Star on Wednesday that Scripps raised legal concerns about running the ad on NewsChannel 5.

“Channel 5 says that their lawyers rejected the commercial, but my understanding of trademark law is that it should be obviously a parody of Trump, because there’s the impersonator right there on the screen,” said McCall. “You can tell it’s not Trump.”

Scripps similarly offers a webpage extolling its commitment to DEI, where it explains its commitment to “a diverse and inclusive culture” starts “by looking inward to build and celebrate a diverse and inclusive workplace,” which is reflected through the broadcaster’s “recruiting and hiring practices.”

NewsChannel 5 has faced accusations of partisanship, and in April its reporter Phil Williams acknowledged he was aware of the claim state Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, covered up reports of a 2020 sexual assault by a homeless person against two activists who participated in a 62-day protest Jones led in Nashville’s Legislative Plaza.

Williams claimed he did not pursue the story after he questioned Jones and the lawmaker told Williams he was romantically entangled with the person behind the claim.

Originally published by The Tennessee Star