Caraballo claims victory as Dunkin’ Donuts pulls ‘jersey guys’ advertising

Assemblyman Says Threat of Latino Boycott ‘Too Much’ for Company to Ignore; Hopes Remaining Advertisers Will Follow Lead

NEWARK, april 25, 2007.– Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo today said Dunkin’ Donuts’ decision to cancel its sponsorship of the “Jersey Guys” radio program over a segment which relies on Hispanic stereotyping is another victory in his crusade to force the show’s hosts to end their offensive “Operation Rat a Rat/La Cucha Gotcha” campaign and apologize to the state’s Latino community.

On Friday, Caraballo sent a letter to the head of Dunkin’ Donuts urging the company to pull its advertising or face a call from numerous Latino organizations for a boycott of its franchises.

In a story published today in the Spanish language daily “El Diario/La Prensa,” Dunkin’ Donuts said it was canceling its advertising from the Millennium Radio program, as the Jersey Guy’s campaign “does not reflect the point of view of Dunkin' Donuts and our commitment to the Hispanic community.”

Dunkin’ Donuts now joins AT&T and the State of New Jersey as the first advertisers to pull sponsorship from shock-jocks Craig Carton and Ray Rossi’s “Jersey Guys” radio program that airs on NJ 101.5FM and other Millennium Radio Group stations. The Catholic Health and Human Services agency also reportedly turned down an offer to purchase advertising because of the show’s content.

“Dunkin’ Donuts’ action is a breakthrough,” said Caraballo (D-Essex). “We’re hopeful that other conscientious advertisers will follow suit.”

Beginning in February, the on-air duo urged listeners to report suspected undocumented aliens to law enforcement authorities or the staff of the NJ-101.5 radio station. The campaign targets only Hispanics through a name that is a play on the Spanish word for cockroach – “cucaracha” – and used other promotional devices such as Mexican music and an original reporting deadline of Cinco de Mayo, a revered Mexican holiday.

Caraballo said that he now will turn his attention to the show’s remaining advertisers – including Verizon, CVS, and Acme – urging them to cancel their advertising or face a unified Latino boycott.

“Two leading corporations and the state have now found the Jersey Guys hateful speech too much to ignore any longer,” said Caraballo. “Hopefully, more and more advertisers will reach the same conclusions as Dunkin’ Donuts and realize that Carton and Rossi’s brand of infantile antics are not deserving of their advertising dollars.”