Anheuser-Busch was all set to televise an upbeat program about the history of beer on the Learning Channel. Then the head of the cable channel pulled the plug.
Johnathan Rodgers, the president of Discovery Networks, which oversees the Learning Channel, has decided not to air the 30-minute "An American History of Beer," The Wall Street Journal reported. A company spokeswoman said he made the decision as soon as he learned the show was planned.The beer history was created by Omnicom Group's DDB Needham, the advertising agency that also created the Budweiser frogs. It was to be aired without charge to the brewer, the Journal reported.
The show, which was scheduled to air July 11 and 12, would have opened with a message from Anheuser-Busch chairman and chief executive officer August Busch III. A Budweiser logo over a black-and-white photo of men posing next to barrels of beer also would have appeared.
Anheuser-Busch issued a statement saying it was "in discussions with the Learning Channel" to ensure that the show airs with a clear notice that it was produced and paid for by the St. Louis-based brewer.