NFL radio station hosts joke about rape, tell Saints fans displaced by Katrina to stop whining and shut the hell up
NFL Commissioner
Dear Commissioner Goodell:
I know you have your hands full with the bad behavior of NFL players and coaches, so you probably didn't hear what the radio hosts from KSFO, the flagship radio station for the NFL Oakland Raiders, had to say about New Orleans Saints' fans displaced by Katrina flooding.
On the anniversary of 1,577 dead in
Rodgers: "I don’t wanna hear anymore of this crap from people in
Rodgers:
Morgan: Money going into
Rodgers: "Maybe those people down there ought to stop their sniveling and whining...".
(20 sec audio link) (120 sec link for context) (20 sec audio MP3) (120 sec audio MP3)
(Transcript here or KSFO’s own podcasts from Aug. 29-30,
Why should the NFL commissioner care about the on-air comments of the hosts of the official radio station of the Raiders? Because they are tainting your brand with their horrific, cruel and crude comments. They are insulting the fans of another franchise and, to quote from the Fan Code of Conduct from another NFL franchisee, "Harassment of visiting team fans will be considered unruly behavior and grounds for ejection." Why should the hosts of the Raider flagship station be held to a LOWER standard than a fan attending an NFL football game?
Raiders' head coach Lane Kiffin appears every Monday and Friday at
(Audio wma from 5 minutes before Kiffin interview. Audio MP3)
Sussman: Officer Vic and I just about lost our lunch when I mentioned, "What do you expect, one of these prisoners to snap on a condom in the shower just before he ramrods some weakling?"
Benner: (Officer Vic): (Laughter)
Morgan: Oh for gosh sakes.
Sussman: I'm serious you know, this is a jail! It's not a frat house!
(Audio WMA from 1 minute before Kiffin interview Audio MP3)
Benner: Would those be ribbed condoms for added pleasure?
Morgan: Stop it. Stop it. No. No No.. Zip it.
Benner: the basic kind? ..
Sussman: Let's get the coach on the line,
Benner: or with reservoir tips
Sussman: it's Hot Talk 560 KSFO
As you know, Commissioner, based on your own radio interview experiences, Coach Kiffin was almost certainly on the phone listening to the show prior to his interview. Is that the kind of lead in that you would want before an interview? Would you want your daughters listening to this while waiting for daddy's interview? Did the hosts hope Kiffin would join them in joking about prison rape? Sadly, this is not the first time that KSFO radio hosts have gone beyond the bounds of simple human decency, nor is it even the most egregious.
Lee Rodgers called for the torture and execution of a common criminal on broadcast radio -- but when 28 advertisers pulled their business due to comments like this, KSFO/ ABC Radio and Disney management shut up their critics and didn't demand that Rodgers apologize. (link) In fact, Rodgers brags about never having to apologize: he boasts that management strongly stands behind his comments and considers anyone who disagrees with him terrorists. (audio link WMA)
(Audio link MP3)
Melanie Morgan has called for journalists be hanged and electrocuted, and that people simply suspected of criminal behavior be hogtied and burned alive.(audio link wma link MP3) (With the recent passing of Richard Jewell --who was falsely accused of a bombing before all the facts were in-- I am reminded why responsible broadcasters don't incite the violent death of anyone suspected of criminal behavior.)
Recently you demonstrated that your organization will not condone abhorrent behavior in its players. There are some things fans will not tolerate. If your fans who are animal lovers need further proof of the depths that KSFO hosts will sink to, here is an audio clip of Lee Rodgers joking about lighting a dog on fire (audio link wma) (audio link MP3) I believe even Michael Vick wouldn't joke about lighting a dog on fire.
Of course KSFO wouldn't pass on any listener complaints to you. Morgan is married to the KSFO operations manager and if you disagree with Rodgers he suggests, "We'll trace you back, run you down and kill you like a mad dog." (audio link) (audio link MP3)
- I would like you to condemn these comments and ask Rodgers and Morgan to apologize to the fans, friends and families of the New Orleans Saints.
Coach Kiffin can speak for himself, but he might also seek an apology from Sussman and Benner and request that they refrain from joking about rape and other disgusting talk before his interviews on the Raiders' flagship station
- If all the hosts and management do not apologize on air and in writing, I would ask you to consider revoking their status as an official NFL flagship station.
Other radio stations take action when a host's comments cross into foul territory. Other stations don't tolerate this kind of talk. When a corporate partner doesn't respect you and your brand, maybe it's time for that partnership to be dissolved.
Of course ABC Radio, and their new parent Citadel Broadcasting, will say that it's just a numbers game and that all you care about is if they deliver the audience. Given your experience at NFL Ventures, you might want to verify the numbers and demographics they really deliver. KSFO's hosts constantly attack liberals, immigrants, non-Christians and the victims of natural disasters. Considering the diversity of the Bay Area, it's reasonable to believe that many Raiders fans fall into one or more of those groups being attacked. Is insulting the majority of your potential audience members a good way to attract listeners to your franchise? Rodgers even tells everyone who doesn't like his comments to not listen to the station.
I believe the head of your legal team, Anastasia Danias, spends a tremendous amount of time ensuring that companies don't state or imply an association with your brand unless you approve. Does an ongoing licensee with the NFL come with any responsibilities on the part of broadcasters? Or can they assume that once locked in, there is nothing they can ever say or do that would jeopardize their license with the NFL?
Finally, I know the temptation when reading these comments is to simply dismiss Rodgers and Morgan as ridiculous talk radio hosts whose views couldn't possibly represent the NFL let alone the Raiders. The station management may say I am complaining because I don't like the politics of the hosts and that they have no control over their "free speech". First, I will point out that these comments are NOT about politics but are repugnant comments directed toward fans, family and friends who lives were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina's flooding. Second, asking for an apology is not limiting the hosts' commercially-sponsored speech, but simply asking people working at the official station of a NFL team to maintain a level of human decency in their broadcasts in order to maintain the privilege of an NFL broadcast license.
My good friends in
Thank you very much for spending your valuable time investigating this issue and I look forward to hearing your response.
Sincerely,
P.S. Considering the Raiders #1 draft pick, JaMarcus Russell, played for Louisiana State University and hosted friends and family following Katrina, he might want to educate Rodgers on post Katrina problems.
cc
Anastasia Danias, Assistant General Counsel, National Football League Properties LLC
National Football League
Greg Aiello, Vice President of Public Relations
Peter Murray, Senior Vice President of Partnership Marketing and Sales
Jaime Weston, Director Brand Management & Integration Marketing & Sales
Beth Colleton, Director of Community Affairs
New Orleans Saints
Tom Benson, Owner Via Fax
Mickey Loomis, Executive Vice President/General Manager
Greg Bensel, Vice President of Communications
Ben Hales, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development
Oakland Raiders
Amy Trask, CEO
Chris Gargano, Raiders Director of Broadcasting
Mike Taylor, Director of Public Relations
ABC Radio Networks
James M. Robinson, President, ABC Radio Networks -- Phone (212) 887-1670
Entercom Radio Network
Ken Beck, VP, General Manager of Entercom New Orleans
Kenny Wilkerson, WWL, flagship radio station of the Saints
Bobby Hebert, WWL
KRON, Channel 4 San Francisco
Gary Radnich
LSU
Charles Baglio, Director of External Football Relations
Oakland Assemblymember Sandré Swanson
UPDATE: If you are having problems with the WMA audio files try the Mac plugin called Flip4Mac download from Microsoft here. Mac people I trust recommend it. I also have the same clips in MP3 format.
Labels: ABC, Citadel Broadcasting, defend new orleans, HumidCity, Katrina, KSFO, Lee Rodgers, Melanie Morgan, spocko
19 Comments:
Rodgers: "I don’t wanna hear anymore of this crap from people in Louisiana saying.'Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme.' Shut the hell up. Solve your own problems. It’s been two years, grow up."
This doesn't apply to Iraq because...
Wow!
"Is that the kind of lead in that you would want before an interview? Would you want your daughters listening to this while waiting for daddy's interview?"
That's the key point right there. This is a morning show, right? Isn't this the time when people are driving their children to school, day care, doctor's appointments, etc?
Pretty sick.
Pavel:
You are correct sir. And of course the commissioner has a set of 5 year old twin daughters, so hopefully he can relate.
Kiffin has two small children as well, but I think about ALL the parents who have kids in the car and just want to listen to the post game rap up.
RB: I don't know, maybe because they started the Iraq war? Got me.
That's the key point right there. This is a morning show, right? Isn't this the time when people are driving their children to school, day care, doctor's appointments, etc?
I've heard that modern radios have this thing called the "off" switch. Personally, I use it when I come across something or someone that I know is going to offend me. In fact, when I know a particular radio host has a history of saying things I find offensive, or tasteless humour that will have a negative influence on my children, I use this other feature offered by modern radios called "the tuner" that lets me "change" the "station" to something I find more palatable.
Unless I'm looking to be offended. Then it's a different story.
One wonders how these KSFO morons service their masters. They seem intent on pissing off the greater portion of the human race.
Threats to Republicans, too?
Dude, none of these links work. Did you disable them or something? I'd already passed on the URL of this post to Buzzflash. What's the sense of posting a link to this if the fucking .wav files don't work?
jurrasic pork: They all work on this end and I had other people try them.
One person said since they are WMA files it might be a
It might be a mac problem. The plug in is here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/wmcomponents.mspx
Flip4Mac.
Thanks, Spocko, for writing this letter and publicizing these disgraceful comments. I hope it gets some positive results.
Links work for me.
Morgan and Rodgers are an embarrassment to the nation.
One wonders whether NWJR would have a problem with a radio host, say, talking about why gay marriage should be a right.
Turning off the radio does nothing to improve the national discourse unless staggering numbers of people do it.
If a river turns out to be contaminated, we look to the source. If people poison the atmosphere, we look to the source. But when people attempt to poison our minds and those of our friends and neighbours we should just stick our fingers in our ears?
The Iraq war was permitted to start with no visible public protest because the media a)rebroadcast the lies at the heart of the rationale for war as though it were gospel, and b) gave no time to the opposing view.
Merely turning off your television would not effect change. But taking action wouldn't have either, because that narrative never changed.
The only thing that could have helped raise the conversation past "We're going to war and anyone who disagrees is a commie faggot" would have been the Fairness Doctrine. But the ridiculous Right dispensed with that as soon as they possibly could, since fairness is no virtue in their eyes.
fter all, it means admitting you might be wrong, and the one thing one can count on from these folks is moral certainty.
I've heard that modern radios have this thing called the "off" switch. Personally, I use it when I come across something or someone that I know is going to offend me. In fact, when I know a particular radio host has a history of saying things I find offensive, or tasteless humour that will have a negative influence on my children, I use this other feature offered by modern radios called "the tuner" that lets me "change" the "station" to something I find more palatable.
You're missing the whole point. These are public airwaves, not private. Thus, there are standards to be upheld. If these so-called "christians" want to participate in disgusting conversation, they can do it on privately-owned satellite radio like Howard Stern.
Melanie has been inciting violence in the streets. Witness the Pro-War rally video posted at batnutz.blogspot. I left your link there so folks can reference your comments on KSFO.
Great job on that letter.
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
This hate speech is in keeping with Naomi Klein's description of The Shock Doctrine (which just came out yesterday, and I would urge you to go to your locally owned independent bookstore and purchase and read; it is very thoroughly researched) -- exposing people to threats of torture, and discussion of "what will happen to you" if you are unlucky enough to be battered by a natural or man-made disaster and/or be rounded up by the cops: this is a time-tested means of quelling dissent, and driving the targeted groups underground. The purpose, according to Klein, is to allow ruling elites to utilize a time of fear and disorientation of the people who are literally in shock to push through unpopular measures such as privatizing medicare/medicaid and social security, privatizing the schools (which they did wholesale in New Orleans after Katrina), cutting back social spending or diverting social spending to private firms that skim the most and waste the dross, further blame and even demonize the victims, seize individuals' private property, seize public property and sell it off to big developers, and so on and so forth.
John Dean discussed this kind of bigoted bullying hate speech, also, in his Conservatives Without Conscience , where he discusses the psychological factors which cause people to be so easily manipulated by the Voice of Authority (VOA) and buy into this "divide and conquer" stratagem which is, quite frankly, against their own best interests.
Expect to see more and more of this hate speech from the mainstream media outlets -- owned by the multinational corporations and financed by the multinational banks. What do they have to gain by turning people against each other?
What did they have to gain by promoting race bigotry in the unions throughout the latter half of the 20th century? It was a key element of union busting : the people most likely to enter apprenticeship programs for the skilled labor unions were kept out, and membership dropped through the floor, impoverishing us all.
What did they have to gain from promoting class bigotry in the same time period? The middle class became vehemently anti-union and pro-free trade. Pecuniary emulation. Played right into the hands of the multinationals, gave them free reign from Reagan to Bush to Clinton to Bush.
What do they have to gain from promoting bigotry against anyone who has ever been incarcerated? It creates a slave class of workers inside and out, and allows there to be a group which it is "OK" to torture and murder.
What do they have to gain from promoting bigotry against in the workplace, denial of reproductive choice to women, turning a blind eye to violence against women (real and "pretend" in eg "torture porn") and treating women as the "defendants" in rape cases rather than the VICTIMS? Why they get a class of people who can be used as perfectly good brood sows to pump out the next generation of troops.
What do they have to gain from turning institutions of education into rote mental training-to-the-test brainwashing facilities? If you have to ask, more fool you.
This kind of hate speech is not a couple of shock jocks getting their rocks off. This is being promoted to divide and conquer US.
If we have empathy and understanding of one another, we are appalled at this sort of thing. If we buy into it -- or throw up our hands with "boys will be boys" and "how can you stop it?" we are desensitized to cruelty and more easily manipulated into accepting further cruelty, from ourselves and others.
So, thanks for objecting -- I don't expect MSM to listen or change their behavior, but publishing your objections are very important to raising the awareness of people exposed to this kind of bigoted hate speech -- including understanding why it is being promoted.
I removed Infos entire comment because it contained some specific treats of violence which I don't condone. The swear words part I could show, since we are not on a commercially supported broadcast radio which has a 7 second delay to prevent the public from hearing swear words that have long been considered obscene and which is agreed upon by the community and the broadcasters to not be broadcast during certain hours in certain formats.
Info did have a good point in response to NWJR which I moderated here:
So dork, does the kkolaid now give you the ability to know BEFOREHAND when something is going to be offensive? [Fraking} idiot.
As for an NFL station, dickhead, there would be NO OTHER PLACE to get the NFL skinny on the local team, you [fraking] moron.
This was in response to NWJR which
info chose this part:
NWJR OBNOXIOUSLY said...
I've heard that modern radios have this thing called the "off" switch. Personally, I use it when I come across something or someone that I know is going to offend me. In fact, when I know a particular radio host has a history of saying things I find offensive, or tasteless humour that will have a negative influence on my children, I use this other feature offered by modern radios called "the tuner" that lets me "change" the "station" to something I find more palatable.
this type of humor is typical from rogers and morgan, two members of the new anarchist group: MOVE AMERICA FASCIST
Good post cf.
I wonder if Naomi included shock jocks as part of the idea...
Naomi Klein videos are on YouTube and there are substantial interviews about the book in mp3 from CBC and Democracy Now.
"So dork, does the kkolaid now give you the ability to know BEFOREHAND when something is going to be offensive? [Fraking} idiot."
If you had bothered to read my original comment, you'd have seen that I said, in part, "when I know a particular radio host has a history of saying things I find offensive, or tasteless humour that will have a negative influence on my children, I use this other feature offered by modern radios called "the tuner" that lets me "change" the "station" to something I find more palatable."
See, I know Michael Savage is a jerk. So I don't listen.
See how that works?
Free speech works both ways, "Spocko"
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