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So, did you alredy know this was about Trivosonno before you even clicked to read this? LOL
It seems Triv's mouth has gotten him & Clear Channel into some very hot water with the AIDS Taskforce of Cleveland (and unwanted attention for Clear Channel).
Here's the Press Release the AIDS Taskforce has sent to (almost) every single media organization in OHIO!!! -- at least every major print organization in the state got it.
********************************************************************************---------------------------------------Press Release-------------------------
July 13, 2005
For Immediate Release
AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland
2728 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Contact Person: (edited)
# # #
AIDS Taskforce Accuses Radio Station of Violation of Corporate Policies
The AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland today calked on radio station WTAM to adhere to their corporate policies by “being a good citizen of the community.” The Taskforce asserts that recent comments made by WTAM radio host Mike Trivisonno about people with HIV/AIDS violate that policy.
WTAM is owned by Clear Channel, whose Corporate Culture statement, given to all personnel, advises employees, “Don’t do things that would make Clear Channel (or yourself) look bad. In addition, the Clear Channel family believes in being a good citizen of the community.”
The company’s Diversity Statement says that “Our company is enriched and made more effective through representation of diverse experience, backgrounds, ethnicity, education, sexual orientation and regional and cultural orientation.” WTAM’s Trivisonno has also made numerous and repeated comments and jokes that many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people find offensive.
"We have repeatedly attempted to meet with WTAM radio personality Mike Trivisonno but have received no response,” said Earl Pike, Executive Director of the AIDS Taskforce. “At first, it seemed he was unwilling to eat a meal prepared by a person with HIV or AIDS. Now he seems unwilling to even be in the same room as someone living with the virus.”
Beginning the week of June 20, Trivisonno began asserting on his radio show that he would never eat at a restaurant that had people with HIV on the food service staff. When a radio caller pointed out that discrimination in hiring was illegal, he suggested that people with HIV in the food service industry be required to wear the red ribbon so they could be easily identifiable to restaurant patrons. Since then, he has continued to make similar comments.
The comments unleashed critical e-mails, letters, and phone calls to the radio station, and a column by Plain Dealer columnist Connie Shultz. One letter, from Mentor businessman Michael Klein, compared the suggestions that people with HIV be required to wear the red ribbon to Nazi Germany’s treatment of Jews.
On June 22nd, the AIDS Taskforce hosted a luncheon, which people with HIV helped prepare, attended by over 80 people. Though invited, Trivisonno did not attend or respond.
On June 23rd the Taskforce’s Pike sent, via courier, a personal invitation to Trivisonno and his on-air partner Kim Mihalik. It invited “the two of you to sit down with a handful of people with HIV – I’d say no more than four people – and just talk for an hour. No media about the meeting or its content; outside public view.” The Taskforce has yet to receive a reply.
On June 30th, over 30 community volunteers gathered to bake over 1,000 cookies, which were delivered to over 100 representatives of local media who had helped promote positive attitudes and accurate information about people living with HIV and HIV transmission. While members of the news staff at WTAM e-mailed their appreciation for the cookies, Mike Trivisonno was once again silent.
And last night, nearly 100 people gathered at 8500 Euclid Avenue to prepare food baskets for Trivisonno, Mihalik, and Clear Channel executive Jeff Meltzer. The baskets are being delivered this morning.
Pike and others in the community are clearly frustrated. “Many, many people with HIV/AIDS and their families told me how painful it was to hear Mike Trivisonno’s comments,” he said, “and it seems dismissive and insensitive that he would not want to learn more. It hardly exemplifies the Clear Channel policy of being a good citizen.” Pike also notes that “misinformation about HIV/AIDS – especially when presented by a powerful media outlet such as WTAM – sets the whole community back in terms of education to truly win the fight against HIV/AIDS. WTAM has a responsibility to counter that misinformation.”
“If Mr. Trivisonno thinks he can just move on to something else, without addressing the pain and confusion his comments have created, he may be mistaken,” added Pike. “One of our clients reported that she had called the station to complain, and received a response from an employee who said, ‘we’re so over that issue!’ But people with HIV/AIDS and their families are not over it. They live with the challenge of a life-threatening illness every day, made more difficult by prejudice and unfounded fear. For Trivisonno, it’s about ratings. For the nearly 4,000 people with HIV/AIDS in northeast Ohio – and the tens of thousands more who are affected by the illness of a friend or family member – it’s about their lives.”
<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by richardhead on 07/13/05 09:42 PM.</FONT></P>
It seems Triv's mouth has gotten him & Clear Channel into some very hot water with the AIDS Taskforce of Cleveland (and unwanted attention for Clear Channel).
Here's the Press Release the AIDS Taskforce has sent to (almost) every single media organization in OHIO!!! -- at least every major print organization in the state got it.
********************************************************************************---------------------------------------Press Release-------------------------
July 13, 2005
For Immediate Release
AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland
2728 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Contact Person: (edited)
# # #
AIDS Taskforce Accuses Radio Station of Violation of Corporate Policies
The AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland today calked on radio station WTAM to adhere to their corporate policies by “being a good citizen of the community.” The Taskforce asserts that recent comments made by WTAM radio host Mike Trivisonno about people with HIV/AIDS violate that policy.
WTAM is owned by Clear Channel, whose Corporate Culture statement, given to all personnel, advises employees, “Don’t do things that would make Clear Channel (or yourself) look bad. In addition, the Clear Channel family believes in being a good citizen of the community.”
The company’s Diversity Statement says that “Our company is enriched and made more effective through representation of diverse experience, backgrounds, ethnicity, education, sexual orientation and regional and cultural orientation.” WTAM’s Trivisonno has also made numerous and repeated comments and jokes that many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people find offensive.
"We have repeatedly attempted to meet with WTAM radio personality Mike Trivisonno but have received no response,” said Earl Pike, Executive Director of the AIDS Taskforce. “At first, it seemed he was unwilling to eat a meal prepared by a person with HIV or AIDS. Now he seems unwilling to even be in the same room as someone living with the virus.”
Beginning the week of June 20, Trivisonno began asserting on his radio show that he would never eat at a restaurant that had people with HIV on the food service staff. When a radio caller pointed out that discrimination in hiring was illegal, he suggested that people with HIV in the food service industry be required to wear the red ribbon so they could be easily identifiable to restaurant patrons. Since then, he has continued to make similar comments.
The comments unleashed critical e-mails, letters, and phone calls to the radio station, and a column by Plain Dealer columnist Connie Shultz. One letter, from Mentor businessman Michael Klein, compared the suggestions that people with HIV be required to wear the red ribbon to Nazi Germany’s treatment of Jews.
On June 22nd, the AIDS Taskforce hosted a luncheon, which people with HIV helped prepare, attended by over 80 people. Though invited, Trivisonno did not attend or respond.
On June 23rd the Taskforce’s Pike sent, via courier, a personal invitation to Trivisonno and his on-air partner Kim Mihalik. It invited “the two of you to sit down with a handful of people with HIV – I’d say no more than four people – and just talk for an hour. No media about the meeting or its content; outside public view.” The Taskforce has yet to receive a reply.
On June 30th, over 30 community volunteers gathered to bake over 1,000 cookies, which were delivered to over 100 representatives of local media who had helped promote positive attitudes and accurate information about people living with HIV and HIV transmission. While members of the news staff at WTAM e-mailed their appreciation for the cookies, Mike Trivisonno was once again silent.
And last night, nearly 100 people gathered at 8500 Euclid Avenue to prepare food baskets for Trivisonno, Mihalik, and Clear Channel executive Jeff Meltzer. The baskets are being delivered this morning.
Pike and others in the community are clearly frustrated. “Many, many people with HIV/AIDS and their families told me how painful it was to hear Mike Trivisonno’s comments,” he said, “and it seems dismissive and insensitive that he would not want to learn more. It hardly exemplifies the Clear Channel policy of being a good citizen.” Pike also notes that “misinformation about HIV/AIDS – especially when presented by a powerful media outlet such as WTAM – sets the whole community back in terms of education to truly win the fight against HIV/AIDS. WTAM has a responsibility to counter that misinformation.”
“If Mr. Trivisonno thinks he can just move on to something else, without addressing the pain and confusion his comments have created, he may be mistaken,” added Pike. “One of our clients reported that she had called the station to complain, and received a response from an employee who said, ‘we’re so over that issue!’ But people with HIV/AIDS and their families are not over it. They live with the challenge of a life-threatening illness every day, made more difficult by prejudice and unfounded fear. For Trivisonno, it’s about ratings. For the nearly 4,000 people with HIV/AIDS in northeast Ohio – and the tens of thousands more who are affected by the illness of a friend or family member – it’s about their lives.”
<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by richardhead on 07/13/05 09:42 PM.</FONT></P>
