DUBLIN, OH (April 26, 2007) – While at the annual Wendy’s shareholder meeting today the Parents Television Council™ praised the company for its recent commitment to responsible advertising.

According to Melissa Henson, Senior Director of Programs for the PTC, “Our analysts have been monitoring Wendy’s media buys and we are pleased to report that as of today, Wendy’s is among the most responsible corporate citizens in the quick-service restaurant category.”  Ms. Caldwell thanked Wendy’s on behalf of the PTC’s 1.1 million members for showing a high level of corporate responsibility through careful advertising placements and encouraged the company to continue this trend.

Ms. Caldwell said, “Television is a powerful medium that can appeal to our highest or our basest instincts.  All too often, it does the latter, and advertisers share complicity for that.  Research has proven conclusively what we all instinctively know to be true:  children are strongly influenced by what they see on television.  Programs that glorify violence teach our children that violence is an appropriate way to resolve conflict.  Programs that depict promiscuous sexuality as glamorous and consequence-free encourage children to become sexually active long before they are ready. 

“Advertisers have a role to play in keeping these harmful messages away from children.  As long as advertisers are willing to support with their advertising dollars programs containing graphic sex, gory violence, and explicit language – TV producers will continue to push the envelope just as far and as fast as they possibly can. 

“The programs you choose to sponsor are a direct reflection on your corporation’s core values and beliefs.  Wendy’s founder, Dave Thomas, lived by the motto: ‘Do the Right Thing.’  It is our belief that Wendy’s has not always done the right thing with respect to its advertising policies.  We have contacted you in the past with our concerns about Wendy’s ads appearing on an episode of Rescue Me which depicted spousal rape as enjoyable for the victim, as well as on a host of other programs that contain graphic sex and violence.  But we are encouraged by our recent conversations with Wendy’s and look forward to the day when we can return to this forum to praise Wendy’s for leading this industry with its responsible advertising practices.

“The Parents Television Council monitors television content from all the major broadcast networks as well as original basic cable programming.  Our analysts have been monitoring Wendy’s media buys and we are pleased to report that as of today, Wendy’s is among the most responsible corporate citizens in the QSR category advertising in such family friendly shows as 7^th Heaven, Deal or No Deal and American Idol.  We would especially like to thank Wendy’s Ian Rowden and Denny Lynch for working with us on this front.

“We hope Wendy’s recent sponsorship behavior is indicative of a renewed commitment to corporate responsibility and an effort to reclaim its reputation for ‘always trying to do what is right and fair.’  We will continue to monitor Wendy’s ad placements but we hope that this pattern of sponsoring family-friendly programs in favor of the debasing programs it once sponsored will continue.

“On behalf of our membership, I’d like to encourage Wendy’s to keep up the good work and to continue to set an example for this industry by not advertising on programs that contain socially irresponsible, harmful or explicit content.