Fresno community group leaders have joined forces to ask the
area's most popular talk radio station, KMJ, to make changes to their
programming. According to spokesperson, Les Kimber, the group Citizens for
Civility and Accountability in Media (CCAM) was formed in October 2009 out of concern about
what is broadcast daily on their local radio station.
KMJ is Fresno’s only 24-hour talk radio station. The station
has approximately 80,000 listeners out of the one million residents in its
broadcast range across the Central Valley. In March, KMJ expanded its reach by
acquiring an FM frequency.
CCAM sent a letter to KMJ in November of last year
requesting that the station negotiate "changes in programming that will
allow for reasoned discussion and countervailing opinion". The letter was
met with a response shortly after from General Manager Patty Hixson, claiming
the group was incorrect in their assessment of the station and suggesting they
change the channel. CCAM has yet to receive a response to their follow up
letter.
On May 20th, CCAM held a press conference at the
Holiday Inn in Fresno to address their concerns about KMJ to the public.
Approximately fifty people attended. News organizations present included KFCF,
the California Advocate, KNXT TV, KFTV
(Univision) and KMJ. The conveners of CCAM explained why they think KMJ’s
current programming is harmful and nonresponsive to the needs of the community.
Vickie Fouts, CCAM convener and director of the Uprooting
Racism Project complains that corporate
media did not cover the story adequately. According to Fouts, the Fresno Bee
did not attend the press conference but ran a short piece that reflected KMJ's
misunderstanding of their motives. She stated, "They didn’t think we, a
local group, were news worthy but a Limbaugh rant against us was".
Despite the lack of response from management, a few KMJ DJs
caught wind of the press conference and spoke about it on their shows that day.
Rush Limbaugh, whose national show is syndicated on KMJ, told listeners,
"A typical ACORN type group, a typical Obama type group, is demanding that
KMJ remove all conservatives because they incite violence. It's begun."
Local DJ Ray Appleton covered the press conference on his show later that day.
He said Limbaugh's remarks set off a flurry of calls to KMJ from angry
listeners. Appleton also claimed the station gets these types of complaints on
a regular basis and normally he wouldn't address them at all.
CCAM maintains they are not asking the station to remove DJs
nor calling for censorship. What the group wants is for KMJ to take their
powerful position in the community seriously. Richard Stone, the Vice President
of the Fresno Center for Non-Violence
stated at the press conference, "As a licensee of public air space, KMJ
has a responsibility to serve the public welfare by not structuring its
programs in a way that fuels extreme disrespect and intolerance. In allowing
little or no room for reasoned disagreement, while demeaning those who offer
dissent, KMJ's chosen line-up of commentators has created a profoundly
undemocratic and potentially dangerous presence in our community."
KMJ DJ Chris Daniels spoke about CCAM's requests on his May
20th show as well. He claimed he is first and foremost an entertainer whose job
is to make money. Daniels' first caller defended the group’s point that KMJ DJs
promote violence. He asked that at least one of the 24 hours of programming on
KMJ broadcast something different. Daniels responded "You're literally asking
us to cut our profits in order to provide something that we are not in any way
obligated to provide."
Kimber points out that a large part of KMJ's success is due
to their relationship with the public institution, California State Fresno. As
the "Home of the Bulldogs,"
KMJ has the exclusive rights to broadcast CSU sports games. As diversity is a
key component of the university's mission statement, Kimber points out "It
is a major contradiction for KMJ on the one hand to be the exclusive home of
the CSUF Bulldogs and on the other hand be the home of biased daily programming
that offers no diversity."
CCAM named various examples of what they consider to be hate
speech broadcasted on KMJ at their press conference as well as on their
website. Examples range from DJ Inga Barks agreeing with a caller who said
delivering food to the earthquake victims in Haiti is "like trying to feed
a pack of rats" to DJ Ray Appleton suggesting that Secretary of the
Interior, Ken Salazar, should be given a reception with a .45 handgun the next
time he visits Fresno.
A common theme among speakers at the press conference was
fear for President Obama's life when DJs like Mark Levin advocate doing
"whatever is necessary to stop Obama from destroying our
country." Kimber stated,
"Not unlike what is happening today, Dr. King was constantly demonized by
his opponents which created an atmosphere of hate and violence that convinced
his assassin James Earl Ray he would be doing the country a favor by killing
Dr. King."
CCAM is not alone in their fight against hate speech in the
media. This past month a coalition of over 30 organizations requested the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) investigate the extent of hate speech
and its effects. Led by the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC), the
groups claim many radio and cable television programs “masquerading as news”
are using hate as a profit model. They are asking the FCC “to
examine the extent and effects of hate speech in media, including the likely
link between hate speech and hate crimes, and to explore non-regulatory ways to
counteract negative impacts.”
Since the press conference, CCAM has received a slew of
negative messages from KMJ listeners. Kimber says some of the messages are irrational and threatening, proving
their point that KMJ may incite people to act violently. Multiple attempts were
made to contact KMJ management for comment with no success.
Kimber claims the community KMJ serves is very diverse and
not overwhelmingly conservative. He urges other concerned community members to
sign their petition to KMJ asking that their programming reflect the diversity
of the area it serves. In addition people can write letters to KMJ and other
news organizations.
Kimber says, "Our main objective is to enlighten folks
about the negative impact the constant hate messages have in our area."
