threats

[iamrightuarewrong]

Radio stations are getting threats for running anti-R-71 ads. Clear Channel does not even run the ads and are getting threats. I saw today in the PI online that Sandusky has banned the ads raising howls of protest from conservative groups but support from R-71 proponants. So now conservatives vow to not listen to Sandusky stations and staff. Hey, it ain't the airstaff that decides what to run so why do they get punished. I understand protesting if talent spouts an opinion, boycott the show. But why punish and threaten talent because they played an ad? People are stupid, they think we pick the music and decide what ads go on our shows. Yeah, like we really want to hear lil Wayne every 90 minutes!!! Senior groups are even planning a boycott of stations running 1033 ads.

Besides, isn't the job of radio to offer time to both sides of an issue? Guess it is a case of Kill the messenger, not those that created the message!

 

[searadiofreak]

I'm 99% certain that radio stations can't deny political advertising unless they are sold-out. Sure, exemptions if the spot is proven to be libelous or profane, but somebody correct if this isn't right.

 

[djdan]

Three issues here:

1. Stations cannot turn down candidates, but can reject initiative ads. However, they could face FCC scrutiny if they take some initiative advertising and not others. Fairness Doctrine rules can apply, especially if there is a complaint lodged at the time of relicensing. Most stations believe it is in the public interest to allow both sides to buy advertising to get their message across to voters.

2. Even if there were no FCC issues, is it better for station managers to decide what advertising should play based on their political point of view? I would rather hear the advertising for both sides and make decisions on my own. Limiting freedom to advertise is a slippery slope. I am surprised Sandusky took this action and am not surprised conservative groups are upset. I am liberal and surely would take offense if they refused to run ads that support my position on 1033 and R-71. It would be tragic if media gets to decide the issues by allowing only intiatives that support their point of view to advertise.

3. Boycotting stations and threatening talent is pointless. It is not the local talent that make the decisions on ads they play. Boycotting and threatening them can accomplish nothing. Not listening to their shows because a manager or corporate lawyer decides to allow both sides of an initiative to advertise, punishes air-talent over something they can't control.

I remember a similar fight on the Pro-choice issue. Pro-Life members felt ads promoting pro-choice were advocating murder and boycotted stations running the ads saying they were promoting murder. They believed it was outrageous and profane to the highest degree. They even boycotted station advertisers. The other side of the issue felt Pro-Life ads were victimizing and killing women who resorted to back-street abortion. Most stations aired both ads and let the voters decide. The ACLU weighed in and argued that both sides of the issue deserved to have their ads played. I agree that this is a case of trying to silence free speech, that is never wise. Having general managers or corporations decide which message their audience gets to hear is even worse.

 

[IndigoCoyote]

Please cite your sources. Simply stating that some stations are receiving "threats" without any evidence is misleading at best and smacks of a rather large agenda. I went to Seattle p-i and found a blog asking people to boycott stations running the anti 71 spots, that's it. Is that the threat? Really? That a few folks looking at a nearly defunct blog will boycott Sandusky is hardly a threat. Stations get boycotted every hour. I choose to boycott 97.3 in the afternoon by listening to something that I find more interesting.

I bet the huge conservative audience that 92.5 and 98.9 garner will have a huge sway on Sandusky.

AND, seradiofreak is correct, at least as far as candidates go. At least when I was selling radio. And you can't play games with the rate, either.

 

[TVradioguru]

You mean to say that the DJ's and talk show talent doesn't pick the music or commercials? But according to many poster's on this board...

 

[iamrightuarewrong]

You got that right guru. Like talent has any say in this.
Let's see boycotting a station is not a threat. Gee, that's my livelihood.
Let's see telling me they can't wait to meet me at an event and let me know "with a crowbar" what they think of the ad I just played is not a threat. Gee, let me think.

Yeah I know, people are mighty tough on the phone and ain't really going to do anything, but some might. Nuts world today. Don't like the ad just switch channels don't call and bitch out the jock. Hell chances are the next station you switch to will be playing the same ad pretty soon and you can switch back. Good post dan. you hit the nail on the head. TALENT DOESN"T MAKE THE CALL. Do you think the suits in Texas give a rip about a initiative issue in Seattle? Please. How bout both sides of this issue spend some time getting out the vote or maybe buy some ads to counter the ones the competition are running. Now there's a concept. 92.5 and 98.9 have no listeners so it really doesn't matter. Have you seen a PPM recently? If the no on 71 people are advertising on those stations, the pro 71 should be thrilled not boycotting.

 

[IndigoCoyote]

"92.5 and 98.9 have no listeners so it really doesn't matter.(sarcastic)"

Selective misunderstanding of the quote. Just was a suggestion that hip hop tends to draw a lot of young wingnuts, and probably liberal. And smooth jazz without the jazz is about the gayest format out there. In more ways than one. SO I was simply stating that a conservative boycott of those two units would not be dramatic. Much like a liberal boycott of KVI would be hilarious. First thing out the door when one gets panties in a bunch is the sense of humor.

Liberals meeting you at the door of the station with crowbars? Really? REALLY? Holy smokes, I want some of what you're smokin'!

 

[almaniac27]

"92.5 and 98.9 have no listeners so it really doesn't matter.(sarcastic)"

Selective misunderstanding of the quote. Just was a suggestion that hip hop tends to draw a lot of young wingnuts, and probably liberal. And smooth jazz without the jazz is about the gayest format out there. In more ways than one. SO I was simply stating that a conservative boycott of those two units would not be dramatic. Much like a liberal boycott of KVI would be hilarious. First thing out the door when one gets panties in a bunch is the sense of humor.

Liberals meeting you at the door of the station with crowbars? Really? REALLY? Holy smokes, I want some of what you're smokin'!

I don't think hip-hop attracts many people with strong interests in politics, it usually attracts dumb white 13-year-old suburban kids who like to think they're tough because they listen to music "from the hood". Besides them, a large portion of the audience of hip-hop stations are African American, and they do tend to vote Democratic, but remember Prop 8 last year? African American votes were one of the key factors in its passing.

 

[kyliebastel]

[EDIT-off topic]


Annnnywho, what kinda threats are radio stations getting? Like "I'm gonna blow-up your station if you run an anti R-71 ad", or, "I'm going to change you off my radio preset if you run an anti R-71 ad"?

Attacking or threatening an attack on communications infrastructure, if done with political motivations, is a violation of section 2332f of the USC, punishable by up to life imprisonment ... but if you're making pro-71 threats isn't that more of an enticement than anything else? [EDIT-off topic] SHOCKED WINK SMILEY

 

[Goldilocks94941]

[EDIT-off topic]

And talk of serious pro-71 supporter threats against a low rated station sure sounds phoney to me. Fear sells.

 

[Goldilocks94941]

ps - how do you get this quote thing to work correctly on this board?

 

[RadioEatsItsYoung]

I don't think hip-hop attracts many people with strong interests in politics, it usually attracts dumb white 13-year-old suburban kids who like to think they're tough because they listen to music "from the hood". Besides them, a large portion of the audience of hip-hop stations are African American

Oh yea, hip-hop attracts black people and 13 year old white kids. That's it. And Clear Channel and Sandusky program two hip hop stations to capture those two lucrative demos.

Wake up buddy. RUN DMC's "Walk This Way" peaked at #4 in 1986. Hip Hop thrived in the early to mid-90's. So if someone was 15 in 1986, they're in their late 30's now and chances are, they like hip hop. Also, I'm pretty sure kube and kqmv both have a cume of over 500,000 with adults 18+...much of that is even 25+.

 

[almaniac27]

I don't think hip-hop attracts many people with strong interests in politics, it usually attracts dumb white 13-year-old suburban kids who like to think they're tough because they listen to music "from the hood". Besides them, a large portion of the audience of hip-hop stations are African American

Oh yea, hip-hop attracts black people and 13 year old white kids. That's it. And Clear Channel and Sandusky program two hip hop stations to capture those two lucrative demos.

Wake up buddy. RUN DMC's "Walk This Way" peaked at #4 in 1986. Hip Hop thrived in the early to mid-90's. So if someone was 15 in 1986, they're in their late 30's now and chances are, they like hip hop. Also, I'm pretty sure kube and kqmv both have a cume of over 500,000 with adults 18+...much of that is even 25+.

Okay, it's not just 13 year olds, you've got people into their 20s too. I bet if you went back in time and brought that 15 year old from 1986 back to 2009 they would not recognize what hip-hop has become. Back in the 80s rap songs had a wider variety of subjects and didn't take itself too seriously, but now it seems like every big rapper just raps about how great they are, how much money/women/gold chains they have, etc. And I'm pretty sure most of the audience for hip-hop stations is black, across the country most hip-hop stations are owned by Radio One, a company devoted to targeting and serving a majority African-American audience.

 

[Steenman]

One of my clients, a radio advertiser, is saying they are getting 'calls' complaining that they are advertising on a station that is carrying the I-71 ads. I don't if it was the pro or con faction but basically it seems some group is trying to apply pressure TO THE ADVERTISERS to stop doing business with stations that are airing these ads. I explained to the advertiser that (a) pretty much every station is carrying these ads, and (b) that stations have no choice to carry these, it's political advertising. I don't it matters what you position on the issue is, both sides have the right to be heard.

 

[bossbill]

Stations can make the choice not to carry these issue ads. But who would turn down money in this economic climate? I'd run them, but nobody cares about the peripheral rural markets.

 

[GenXRadio]

Ummmm You're wrong there Pal, I personally heard at least 3 Anti R-71 ads today the last being during the 7PM hour on 95.7 KJR
which, the last time I checked is a CC station so thus you have your facts wrong.
As for Conservatives not listening to Sandusky stations I don't see many conservatives listening to Movin' anyhow being that they're all moral and wouldn't dare listen to a station that plays such scandalous music but on the other side Movin does skew towards women and gay men so I can see them not airing anti R-71 ads.
As far as KIXI goes, I don't know what else conservatives could listen to and enjoy when they want their music fix in between the ramblings of the drug addled, viagra popping (without his own prescription mind you), having sex with 15 year old prostitutes in the Domincan Republic self inflated ego that is Rush Limbaugh or the wannabe Rush Limbaugh over at KVI in Kirby Wilbur.
They're going to be stuck listening to Montavani records or something, well at least until the election comes and goes or they just forget that they were boycotting in the first place.
But the ads are out there and yes CCis airing them on KJR FM, not sure bout the rest of their stations though

Radio stations are getting threats for running anti-R-71 ads. Clear Channel does not even run the ads and are getting threats. I saw today in the PI online that Sandusky has banned the ads raising howls of protest from conservative groups but support from R-71 proponants. So now conservatives vow to not listen to Sandusky stations and staff. Hey, it ain't the airstaff that decides what to run so why do they get punished. I understand protesting if talent spouts an opinion, boycott the show. But why punish and threaten talent because they played an ad? People are stupid, they think we pick the music and decide what ads go on our shows. Yeah, like we really want to hear lil Wayne every 90 minutes!!! Senior groups are even planning a boycott of stations running 1033 ads.

Besides, isn't the job of radio to offer time to both sides of an issue? Guess it is a case of Kill the messenger, not those that created the message!

 

[Goldilocks94941]

Just so you're all clear on this topic (and so that I don't get edited out again) the vote "no on R-71" is the conservative position, which would deny benefits and legal protections to domestic partners; voting "yes on 71" maintains these protections enacted earlier this year by the Washington state legislature. Nothing revolutionary there, but the anti-gay rhetoric persists among certain types who seem able to grab media attention, even tho' straight, white fundamentalists are not really personally impacted by passing the resolution (unless they actually "protesteth too much"). But plenty of other people here will be if it is denied.

I hope the board monitors don't think that clarifying what we're talking about is "off topic."