I am afraid that the first reaction by many would be to accuse them of antisemitism
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Yikesā¦97.1 š±
- Thread starter Loverofradio
- Start date
Let's not forget Petros and Money gave up a national show to be on in L.A. Maybe Jim Rome simply made the wrong choice?
Oh, crap. That never even entered my mind. To the point that I was ready to hit "send" on a whole bit explaining K-Yikes when I finally saw it. Apologies for not thinking more deeply before seeing a segue to my Hendrie story.
Considering Rome's national show allowed him to launch his national TV show on ESPN, which he had for several years, probably not.
A company ashamed to call itself RADIO shouldnāt be in the business. Plain and simple.
I used to listen to KKYK, a Little Rock CHR, during my Arkansas years in the late '70s. "K-Kick 104" was its positioner, The "other" pronunciation never entered my mind either. Now here I am nearly 50 years later, listening to country music on "Kixx 100.5" (WXXK) Lebanon, NH. I doubt anyone is offended by either the call or the positioner.
Ashamed? Got anything to back that up? Radio.com was underperforming and seemed tied to one technology. Audacy put it up for auction at a dirt-cheap $2.5 million and didn't get a bid that high for it.
"Audacy" is worse by far---but let's not jump to unfounded conclusions about the reason for the switch.
Pro tip: Unless you're part of the group who would possibly be offended, the phrase "I doubt anyone is offended" is not one you want to use.
I am indeed one of that group, and the slur you reference is offensive. But offended by Kixx, or WXXK, or even KKYK? Nope. I'll grant you that there may be some Jews (There, I said it.) somewhere who'd take offense, or at least make a pubic display of appearing to be offended, but truly offended? Really?
Keep in mind that the slur being referenced was used during and just after WWII, some 80 years ago. Most of the people of that era have passed on, and not all have explained to their own offspring why the word is offensive. That said, I do know some who have, and would take offense today, if they heard the word in question pronounced as it was during WWII. Fortunately, all of the radio stations I know of who have callsigns that could be pronounced as the offending word do not pronounce it that way, and they don't go out of their way to try to offend the group the slur is being aimed at.
They're not in the device business.
Mike, no one owes me any apology, but that particular set of calls jumped out at me the moment I spotted the post.
So THAT'S why WHEB, Portsmouth, NH, had to get off the AM band a few decades back! š
There used to be a station in Orange County here in SoCal called "Kick-FM" at 94.3. Their calls were KIKF which some found questionable.
It might sound trivial to some, but I really wish a certain Dodgers ball player would change the spilling of his nickname to Qui-Que instead of well you know...
It's particularly disturbing when i've seen some fans at the stadium wear a Dodgers jersey or a shirt that just has K..E on the back!
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channelā¢
I don't remember any such sentiment being expressed when those calls were in force (which was for literally a full 20 years, September 1980 until September 2000). Perhaps you can give a verifiable citation for that?
Lufkin, Texas is ~120 miles northeast of Houston, ~100 miles southwest of Shreveport, Louisiana (and, incredibly, ~60 miles from Palestine). Those first two are probably the closest places where you can find a synagogue or any significant population of Jews. So KYKS is probably safe from offending any locals. (And for all we know, they might bury the calls in their TOH ID and never say them any other time on air.)
But is it possible no one there ever noticed the alternate pronunciation of those calls? Yeah, possible, but I doubt it. More likely it's the kind of inside joke that people snicker about when they are among friends or co-workers. You may not notice it immediately, but one would have to be pretty dense to say those calls day after day and not have it eventually invade your consciousness.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channelā¢
Don't get me started on the calls that 101.9 had between KEDG and KSCA.
Oh I see. That would be a bigger Yikes!
Thereās an Air1 station in South Oroville that could also be possibly be interpreted that way, KYIX.
NO...apparently it might have been only me...but I figured there might be some others.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channelā¢
When I express an opinion that has no citeable basis in fact, I say so. I don't hide behind verbiage such as "which some found questionable".
This is how rumors become "fake news". It starts with someone posting their personal view as if it were fact, and then the Internet spreads it around. That is the only reason I bring this up ... it has to stop, and the only way that it will is if all of us are more vigilant about not inadvertently starting rumors.
Just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.