TLC's Duggar family saga 'Counting On' may be in for more trouble this season. New reports suggest more advertisers are unhappy being aired alongside the show.
Latest reports suggest at least four advertisers are unhappy with TLC for airing their products during second season of Counting On, which premiered August 23. The first season too had its share of groused advertisers with nearly a dozen expressing reservations. Though it has not had the success of 19 Kids & Counting, Counting On was renewed for a second season, advertiser concerns notwithstanding.
Trouble for Duggars began last year after reports emerged alleging their eldest son Josh Duggar sexually molested minors as a teenager. His victims included four of his sisters. Sisters Jill and Jessa, who were among the victims, inspired Counting On but aren't the focus of the second season which is expected to feature Jinger's marriage alongside Jessa's pregnancy. It is also rumored that Josh Duggar may make an appearance on the show to boost its ratings as Duggar loyalists are keen to hear from him. Such concerns could have prompted reactions from advertisers including Gerber Life.
"The Gerber Life ad was inadvertently shown during the premiere of Counting On. We have been assured that Gerber Life ads will no longer be shown during this program," a representative of the company reportedly said.
"Hotwire's ads appear on many cable networks including AMC, Bravo, HGTV, TNT, TBS, USA as well as TLC Network. While we are able to select which cable networks air our ads, we do not select the specific shows. After further consideration we have decided to remove this network from our plan," Hotwire representative told In Touch. Trivago and Thumbstack.com also responded similarly when asked if airing their ads during the Duggars show was intentional.
