Leave the Mormons Alone

[oncentral]

I've finally had enough and have to say something on this board.

Can we quit with the underwear jokes and leave the Mormons alone?

I'm not Mormon and won't ever be Mormon. I just think we should leave people's religion out of discussion about radio. I read a post about the KTAR program director a few minutes ago. I work at KTAR and think the pd's Mormon religion shouldn't be trampeled through the mud. Ridicule him for his programming decisions if you feel like it but leave his faith alone. If it was supposed to be funny it's not. Let's show a little dignity... if that's possible.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

I work at KTAR...

Well, at least we know the KT'R Brain Trust reads the Tanim Board!

 

[Ford]

Trampeled through the mud?

Hardly.

If the members of that religion are going to get their undies in a bunch...

Yeah, that's just too damned easy, but you laughed. Admit it.

Seriously, though, making jokes about the secret underwear isn't exactly religious persecution, and certainly nothing to "have had enough" about.

Have we really become so politically correct and culturally sensitive that we can't have a little fun at someone's religion's expense?

Hell, I'll poke fun at my own...so two Jews walk into a bar...

 

[GordonHinckley]

Geez, central, lighten up. Even I get the joke. If there were a major US broadcast group that happened to be a wholly owned subsidiary of the Catholic church, do you think anyone would notice? Of course they would. If, for example, they'd beaten us out on the KTAR buy, an invented character on this board might call their news trucks PopeMobiles. And that would be funny too. Just because all these people are going to burn in hell forever doesn't mean we can't all have a good laugh together now and then.

--Gordon

 

[zumahans]

Oh, those amusing gentiles.

Hey Akbar, the Gay Buckeye Alliance wants an apology, too.

 

[username1]

I think the pd will be just fine Central. It's that clearchannel crew that's taking KFYI down to hell I'd worry about.


:-*

 

[radiosanchez]

The sad thing alot of you are leaving out of this discussion is: In this new era of post-Telecom Act radio, a company that is privately *owned* by the Mormon church (ie, Bonneville), actually, to me, seems to have a better allowance of 'freedom of expression', and certainly better programming on its' stations than a publicly owned one...You know, the one that has over 1,000 stations.

I don't know the boys at San Antonio trying things like "Washington Post Radio", or doing Classical on FM, granted, even if they did relegate it to a weaker signal.

 

[ummmmmmmm]

Unless someone or some company is pushing their religion on you I don't see where it would be a relevant issue. I also think it's kind of lame to constantly belittle them because of their religion. I have friends that work at KTAR and they've religion is never an issue. As a matter of fact most employees and even managers aren't even LDS. KTAR is making some bold moves and as radio professionals we should be applauding them. They're taking chances (big chances) and definately trying something new with KTAR (which we can all agree something needed to be done).

 

[caveman-97]

Would anyone suggest that the ultra-Conservative teachings of the church have absolutely no impact on the management of its radio stations?

 

[radiosanchez]

Would anyone suggest that the ultra-Conservative teachings of the church have absolutely no impact on the management of its radio stations?

Alot of the news stories I've heard on their WTOP podcasts is pretty unbiased...Certainly, they are not the ones imposing "Fox News Radio" on all their AMs, again, like some other company, or at least not that I know of. They're really taking chances with experiments, like hiring a staff (imagine that, *hiring*) of producers, writers, etc, for a "Generation X Newsradio" pilot in Salt Lake City, when most companies are firing reporters or contracting this area of radio out to someone else.

I know in the past they have had certain issues with song lyrics...Real silly stuff like editing out verses on "It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy to the point where it was obvious (I did hear this on WWZZ/Washington myself when that station existed), but we're in a new era now where that pales in comparison today, friends, to the content controls occurring at other companies.

 

[Radiogeek500]

I work at KTAR...

Well, at least we know the KT'R Brain Trust reads the Tanim Board!

Except it is no longer the Tanim Board. He along with the old regime is elsewhere. This is the Diana Fleming board now.

Just getting the facts straight.

 

[DrAkbar]

Nurse Jeff and I know a few things about being persecuted:

Hey Akbar, the Gay Buckeye Alliance wants an apology, too.

But we ignore our good friend's sorry attempt at humor and continue our work as the esteemed Middle Eastern Men of The Media. If we have offended anyone, we apologize. But as most know, our commentary on ALL media is equally biting and no one escapes unscathed. Not even the CCU Suits or TMISU!

 

[zumahans]

Would anyone suggest that the ultra-Conservative teachings of the church have absolutely no impact on the management of its radio stations?

I would say that Bonneville corporate interferes far less with its broadcast stations than does other chains.
News Corp., for example, interferes far more in its stations' (and newspapers') political and operational decisions.

 

[LKellerIII]

I'm new to the Phoenix board, but the "Mormon" headline caught my eye. Bonneville owns 3 stations in the ultra-liberal San Francisco Bay Area where I live - Lite Rock KOIT is constantly the top rated music station, and KDFC (Classical) is usually in the top 5. A local dyspeptic radio critic used to refer to Bonneville as "The Mormon Money Machine." Their 3rd station, the "Jack" formatted Max-FM is struggling. If the company's religion ever effects their programming decisions, it doesn't show on the air. Max-FM has all of the regular snarky pre-recorded bumpers that always seem to be part of the Jack format (voiced by John O'Hurley - "Peterman" of Seinfeld fame), and I have not noticed any censoring of song lyrics.

And yes - there have been underwear jokes on the SF board.

 

[Legend City]

I ain't touching this one, I don't use the funny underwear stuff.

I'm a catholic survivor, we get enough abuse.

 

[zumahans]

SF underwear jokes must take on a whole new dimension of sniggering.

 

[airchic]

The primary religion we all poke at is the worship of the almighty dollar...
I agree with Akbar that no one is immune from the slings and arrows on this board. For the most part, no serious offense intended, I believe. Poking fun at stereotypes is done with a knowing wink and an elbow jab.