A&E never suspended mr duckerson.

[spanone]

he was on teevee all through the christmas break (marathons)

they were not taping through that period so mr robertson was not denied any salary.

A&E says he will be in all future tapings of the program.

A&E did nothing to separate themselves from the comments.

???

[NYC_SKP]

1. "The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely."

I guess they left out the detail that no filming was scheduled through the remainder of the year.

Clever.

[femmocrat]

2. I can't even stand to look at that a-hole.

I wonder if sane people would boycott their sponsors if it would make a difference? Or are we out-numbered by the numbskulls?

[bigwillq]

7. We're out-numbered (nt)

[gollygee]

3. They're all about making money

They thought his hateful comments would cause a backlash against them so they thought they might do something, but when it became clear that his hateful comments aren't a problem for most people, and in fact doing something might cause a backlash, they changed their minds.

What I'm most sad about is that so many people are OK with what he said.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Publicity stunt. Maybe it didn't start out that way, but that's all it turned out

to be. Nothing will ever get in the way of $$$.

[Marie Marie]

5. I am guessing that A&E heard more from his supporters than from his critics.

I'm sure there was a massive push to contact the station and get Phil The Bigot back on the air. Same with Cracker Barrel. I wish that we on the Left had half the organizational power that the right seems to have - but since they run most of the media, it is understandable. Having said that, I don't think this excuses A&E from making the wrong choice here. They made their decision based on $$. What else is new?

[bigwillq]

6. The network is free to do what it wants

I wish they stood behind their initial decision.

I will never watch A&E again. Not because they are allowing Mr. Robertson back on the air but because they backed down on their decision to suspend him.

[lonestarnot]

8. What is the fucking fuss over this fucking racist dirty hillbilly looking turd?

[Savannahmann]

9. Many here tried to explain that reality to those who celebrated the faux suspension

As for going after the sponsors, why bother? The Sponsors are going to be Redneck hunting gun toting affiliated. How do you promise to boycott a business you aren't going to use? Are we all going to start eating at cracker barrel if they suspend Phil?

It is a question of customer base. This is A&E's most watched, and therefore most profitable show. The reality is that the shows for next season are already done filming. So what does the "suspension" mean? Well Phil who skipped an appointment to be interviewed by Barbara Walters won't attend any A&E organized press junkets. Walmart sold out of the Duck Doofus stuff in response to A&E suspending him. Look at Amazon, the number one best seller in outdoor books? http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/books/290108/ref=sr_bs_1

They are scattered all over the best seller lists in several categories. So why would these business's get rid of the profitable to placate a portion of the population that may or may not use their business in the first place? Everyone knows that Liberals don't like Walmart, so we have another reason to boycott besides Labor, running the local stores out of business, selling crap made in sweat shops, and Sexism. If they drop Duck Doofus are we going to suddenly rush back and ignore the unfair labor and the rest of the reasons we don't like them?

I still maintain this was a publicity stunt. It is the only thing that makes sense. Why else would a bunch of rednecks talk to GQ when fashion for them is camouflage.