TLC's show "Jill and Jessa: Counting On" is in trouble as prominent advertisers have pulled out their ads from the show. They do not want to support the Duggar family because of the eldest son of the family, Josh Duggar, who is embroiled in a molestation scandal.
Some advertisers have issues with the entire family and do not want to be seen associating with the Duggar name, reports Cinema Blend. Four companies namely Trivago, Gerber Life, Thumbtack.com, and Hotwire have pulled out their ads after getting to know that they were aired during commercial breaks on the second season premiere of "Counting On."
Trivago and Gerber have also disclaimed that their ads were not deliberately shown in the breaks and they will no longer feature ads on the show. Earlier, seven companies had distanced themselves from TLC's "Counting On" and the names include Choice Hotels, The UPS Store, Verizon Wireless, Pure Michigan, Mattress Firm, CiCi's Pizza and Whitewave foods.
Now, the situation has turned grim and looks like the show is getting into troubled waters despite managing decent ratings. For the time being, TLC has figured out an alternative to fill the commercial break slot and plans to air promos of other TLC programs during the breaks. However, it does not make for a sustainable strategy.
A television network losing advertisers is definitely not something that augurs well for its future. The only section that would benefit from this plan is the TLC viewers who would like to watch what is coming on the network, instead of going through commercials that eat up their time.
Meanwhile, Josh Duggar, the notorious Duggar clan member, who is responsible for the mess, is slated to make an appearance on TLC's "Counting On," claims iTech Post. The controversial reality star will talk about the scandals that have tarnished the reputation of his famous family. It is being said that his appearance will lift up the ratings of the show as he will shed light on his reformation story, post the scandal.
It may be mentioned here that Josh had admitted to molesting his four sisters and another girl, as a teenager. He also confessed to cheating on his wife and being a porn addict.
