NAACP Turns 100, But What Has It Done Lately?
By Kevin Ross
Congratulating the National Association for the Advancement of Color People for 100 years of service for me is a no-brainer. But given the economic funk the country is currently in, don't expect me to bring balloons.
The current number one civil rights issue in American right now is financial. Folks need jobs. And when I say jobs, I'm talking about a plethora of jobs, including ones that sway public opinion and perceptions as to what is going on not just in America, but all over the world.
Take KRLA AM 870, a Salem Network talk station broadcasting from Glendale, California. The day kicks off with Bill Bennett, followed by Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, Hugh Hewitt, and Dennis Miller. Kevin James, perhaps best known for the intellectual beat down from host Chris Matthews when he appeared on MSNBC’s “Hardball”, rounds out the evening.
Aside from the fact that each of these individuals is unabashedly conservative, they also have something else in common.
All of them are men. White men.
Switch over to Southern California’s number one talk station, powerhouse KFI AM 640, and the Monday through Friday line-up is slightly more “balanced”. George Noury begins at midnight. Next up is Bill Handel’s morning drive, the political musings of Rush Limbaugh, followed by in-your-face, no-nonsense advice from Dr. Laura Schlesinger. John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou pick up the torch during afternoon drive before former MTV personality Kennedy and Brian Suits close it out.
Although all the personalities at the Burbank station are Caucasian, two women – Dr. Laura and Kennedy - are prominently featured on the roster.
But travel across town to rival KABC AM 790 and it’s back to business as usual. The L.A. station that invented the all-talk radio format almost fifty years ago now has a white male weekday lead host in every one of its time slots. Up until last year, The Citadel owned outlet was home to nationally syndicated host Larry Elder.
Known as the “Sage of South Central”, Elder’s conservative Libertarian opinions were espoused three and sometimes four hours a day on the station for 15 years. In fact KABC, which also owned KMPC AM 710 The Zone before it became Radio Disney and later ESPN, had at one point six black talk show hosts on two stations as part of its line-up in the late 90’s.
Elder was among them. He was not only the most successful, but also the most controversial for what many believed were “anti-black” views.
Today, only civil rights attorney Leo Terrell is on the air. His show relegated to Sunday afternoons. Where is the local or national chapter of the NAACP on this issue? Clearly missing in action.
ALL WHITE, ALL THE TIME
This "preference for white" in Los Angeles, the second largest media market in the country behind New York, is nothing new. With Elder’s absence, however, the racial disparities now go beyond jarring. Of the six talk outlets, not one has an Asian, Native American, Latino, or African American holding court on the dial during the week.
There are 48 individuals being given incredible opportunities to make hordes of cash and hold sway over public opinions on the issues facing the nation. Of the cast of characters, 38 are white men, mostly over 40, and frequently accused of demagoguery. White women make up the rest, equally split in terms of their political ideology and two not sharing top billing with their male co-host.
Among the six, only CBS owned KLSX 97.1 is on the FM dial. While more entertainment focused with the likes of child actor turned train wreck Danny Bonaduce, or the outrageous Tom Leykis, the absence of non-white lead talent is still glaringly apparent. In that sense, listening to KLSX is like watching eleven seasons of ABC’s The Bachelor or Bachelorette series.
When President Barack Obama talked change coming to America on the campaign trial, was this one of the examples he was referring to?
Most answers come hastily with a resounding yes.
But this issue is not just a West Coast phenomenon. Across the country, public financed and privately held stations are banishing minorities to the unemployment line in favor of nationally syndicated hosts like Sean Hannity and Mark Levin.
In a similar conclusion years ago by journalist Michael Meyers, Executive Director of the New York Civil Rights Coalition, the data is eerily consistent. Meyers tabulated and analyzed Big Apple radio stations' managers' responses to an employment survey of non-white talk show hosts in the area. "The facts are that AM Talk radio stations all around the country have and continue to broadcast only whites," asserted Meyers.
"The results of the survey surprised us," he continued, "because of the stated and/or assumed emphasis on diversity in other media such as TV and newspapers. There are, for example, non-white journalists, columnists and editorial staff/ board members at every daily newspaper in New York; and there are non-white talk show hosts, anchors, and commentators on TV.”
Well, that was until the Tribune’s, McClatchy’s and News Corps’ started letting these individuals go as they attempt to weather bankruptcy, or write-downs of $21.7 million and $6.4 billion respectively.
Is it any wonder then that Meyers’ findings continue to fall on deaf ears? Flagrant discrimination based on race on the airwaves still exists even as America pats itself on the back for electing the nation’s first African American president.
Moreover, on-air diversity is actually receding, with many in the industry concluding that it doesn't matter if the ring leader rocking the mic is of the same gender and race time and time and time again.
But others are now pointing to signs that terrestrial radio’s undisputed reign may be waning, especially in a fast-changing world full of rivals like iPods, satellite radio and the ever burgeoning Internet radio outlets such as Blogtalkradio.
BLAME IT ON THE ECONOMY
Per 2008 revenues, terrestrial radio is a $15 billion dollar a year hustle. And yet for many, radio is a bad business to be in right now. The industry has suffered its worst year since 1954, the eighth consecutive “struggling” year.
ABC News puts it all in context. “The radio industry, just like newspapers and books and other forms of media, is facing an unprecedented financial crunch. Radio advertising revenue dropped by 9 percent in the third quarter of 2008 compared with the same period in the previous year, and many radio companies are saddled with huge amounts of debt.
As a result, more stations are turning to syndicated programming. Radio stations typically can broadcast syndicated shows at no cost; they just have to allow a distributor to sell some of the commercials on the show. In some cases, it's cheaper for a station to air syndicated programming than to hire a local talk show host.”
That may be a wise strategy, but a heavy focus on national shows creates another problem: The next generations of KGIL Laura Ingraham’s or Michael Savage's won't have the opportunity to learn their craft at radio stations if there are no on-air shifts for them to take. And companies simply are not hiring, making an already dire situation even worse.
Media giant Clear Channel Communications, which owns more than 1,200 US radio stations including KFI, is actually trying to stave off bankruptcy. The company recently laid-off 9 percent of its employees. Of those 1,850 workers, comprised of radio personalities and executives, few will be able to find jobs in an industry that will likely see even deeper cuts unless the economy rebounds by the third quarter of 2009. At a 52-week high of $25.69, Clear Channel’s shares are currently hovering around $5.00.
Then there's the matter of precedent: Radio stations have never really embraced diversity. And without much sustained outcry from the NAACP, Urban League, Southern Christian Leadership Conference or other civil rights organizations, the prognosis is not looking good. No wonder these organizations are dying a slow, painful death.
In California, for instance, Tavis Smiley is the only minority in the state with an English language nationally syndicated talk radio show. Smiley, a popular African American author and PBS television personality who is also a KABC alum, lives in Los Angeles along with his contemporaries such as Larry King of KGIL and CNN, and Adam Corolla of KLSX. Despite the odds, Smiley broke through and is succeeding with aplomb.
For most, particularly women of color, the glass ceiling is showing no signs of breaking. The recent cancellation of LA based NPR’s News & Notes with Farai Chideya (a black female national host) due to financial constraints was one small crack that was quickly sealed.
And this racial gerrymandering is not simply limited to on-air talent. The only discernible nonwhite employee in KFI’s news department, judging by the station’s web page, is Asian anchor Ginger Chan and Latina Editor Karla Marquez. The rest of the 15member crew is completely white, with 6 of them being female. While producer Ray Lopez of the John and Ken show is Latino, there are likely few, if any, other minority producers employed. KFI’s competitors don’t fair much better.
So is it any wonder why the political commentary or pop culture discussions that play out on cable news or the Sunday political shows tends to reflect the views of the majority? What's the point of having a NAACP if they can't play a role in rectifying issues such as these?
DON IMUS WAS GONE… AND THEN POOF, HE WAS THERE AGAIN
When acerbic radio personality Don Imus created the “nappy-headed ho’” firestorm after his 2007 comments about Rutgers women’s basketball team sparked universal outrage, mainstream media was suddenly looking for insight from self-appointed and elected black leaders. The Reverend Jesse Jackson, who himself has a syndicated program, mentioned that political talk shows don't have minorities as their main hosts, (para) "It's all white… all night."
Those partial comments came on the heels of MSNBC snatching Imus from his morning cable show and then teeing up possible replacements. KABC’s Elder was given the opportunity to "tryout" for a week.
Afterwards, no other African American was afforded the courtesy of auditioning to be a talking head. Not one.
Ultimately congressman turned media personality Joe Scarborough got the gig (along with Bill O’Reilly’s old slot on KABC) and black screenwriter John Riley became part of the morning team briefly before quickly fading off the scene.
As for Imus, he was back on the air after a year with an undisclosed financial settlement from CBS. KABC is the current radio home for the cantankerous sexagenarian, who has seen his clout and his national ratings only slightly diminish since the incident.
The upside is Imus now has two African American as part of his morning crew. Bravo, considering in all likelihood they would be collecting unemployment benefits alongside other black hosts who know first-hand how tough it is to land a gig in the current climate.
Even at stations where non-whites are employed as talk show hosts, tokenism seems to triumph. Meyers reports states, “Whether commercially-sponsored or listener, corporate funded, these AM radio stations possibly perceive minority talk show hosts either as hard to find or not available-- or as not "as qualified" or "as entertaining" as the Caucasians they consistently employ.”
That argument is also being advanced in sports talk, where minorities in basketball, football, baseball and soccer take center stage. For better or worse, these shows talk about these athletes, but rarely are people of color leading the discussion.
Two notable exceptions are The Michael Irvin Show, hosted by the former Dallas Cowboy star, and The 2 Live Stews, featuring Doug and Ryan Stewart. Both are intent on muscling their way onto the scene with impressive results.
Other than putting on a yearly Image Award show, sadly, this is likely the only time the NAACP show any leadership in this regard.
But these developments may not do enough to placate talk radio junkies fired up with “Yes We Can” audacity.And their discontent will only become increasingly impolite as the simmering battle playing out between President Barack Obama and Limbaugh, gathers steam.
FAIRNESS DOCTRINE 2.0
Radio personality Bill Press has opined that the ongoing Commander in Chief versus the King of Talk slugfest is Exhibit A why Congress should re-enact the Fairness Doctrine, the federal ruling to insure that different voices are able to speak with equal force and influence on matters of public discourse. Having recently lost his syndicated spot on OBAMA AM 1260 AM in Washington D.C., here’s a recent exchange between Press and US Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI):
PRESS: Yeah, I mean, look: They have a right to say that. They’ve got a right to express that. But, they should not be the only voices heard. So, is it time to bring back the Fairness Doctrine?
STABENOW: I think it’s absolutely time to pass a standard. Now, whether it’s called the Fairness Standard, whether it’s called something else — I absolutely think it’s time to be bringing accountability to the airwaves. I mean, our new president has talked rightly about accountability and transparency. You know, that we all have to step up and be responsible. And, I think in this case, there needs to be some accountability and standards put in place.
PRESS: Can we count on you to push for some hearings in the United States Senate this year, to bring these owners in and hold them accountable?
STABENOW: I have already had some discussions with colleagues and, you know, I feel like that’s gonna happen. Yep.
Locally, Press broadcasts on KTLK AM 1150 with comedian Stephanie Miller, Randy Rhodes, and MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. The Clear Channel station - to their credit - has the most women on the L.A. airwaves. And we’re not talking sidekicks.
And yet KTLK’s “left leaning” ideology about how the Republican Party is this “bastion of out-of-touch white men” ignores the fact that their Monday through Friday is also white. For all the hand-wringing Press engages in over the Fairness Doctrine, his angst completely obfuscates the issue that even “liberal” talk outlets can’t reconcile.
Are you listening NAACP?
This is why I actually agree with Rush Limbaugh that traditional radio should not be regulated. The Fairness Doctrine would negatively impact an already challenged industry in tuned to what its audience wants. The real issue is one of opportunities missed, and industry leaders in radio, television, cable and print news have enough foresight and introspection to not only say “What are we doing?” but “Why are we continuing to do it?”
Look at Sirius XM, a satellite company whose stock is trading at 12 cents a share, is potentially facing a hostile takeover, and likely will file bankruptcy because of an inability to pay a $175 million debt payment due on February 17. What will this mean for the likes of Oprah Winfrey and friends, Al Sharpton and Warren Ballentine (both of whom were just let go by Radio One), and other shows featuring minorities? Don't look to the NAACP for answers.
INTERNET RADIO TO THE RESCUE
This is Exhibit A while bloggers and specifically the black blogasphere has become the go-to folks to get things done. And for many, sites like Blogtalkradio is assisting in that effort. One of several online stations that have come on the scene in the last few years, Blogtalkradio allows anyone with a phone and a computer to host and podcast their own Internet radio program for free.
Last year the social networking site saw exponential growth with hundreds of hosts from all racial and ethnic groups. In November 2008, some 3.8 million listeners tuned in, nearly 750,000 or 16% of which were African-American alone. These folks clearly have something to say and are finding an audience, albeit small, eager to hear it.
Obviously these hosts are playing in the minors while superstars like Limbaugh reign supreme in the big league.
"I have a very simple philosophy ... put the very best product you can on the air, regardless of origin," says Gabe Hobbs, a senior vice president for programming at
Clear Channel for twenty-five years.
Hobbs was among those recently laid off at the San Antonio, TX based company as a result of low ad sales.
In 2010, blacks are estimated to spend $1 trillion dollars. Hispanics are on tap to exceed $1.2 trillion by 2011. Both groups listen to talk, yet unanswered text messages to radio execs are saying loud and clear, “I’m just not into you.”
“These hiring authorities, in contrast to their reputations for being visionaries and innovative programmers, don't appear to be as either visionary or innovative; but, rather, they seem awkward or clueless, oblivious or insensitive about their responsibility for inclusive hiring. This lack of inclusiveness appears to be a failure of leadership rather than as outright racism or the intentional exclusion of minorities,” says Meyers.
Meyers goes on to point out that the widely-held perception that mainstream, majority-owned AM Talk Radio stations are broadcasting mostly or only Caucasian talk show hosts daily is accurate. “This is a problem of defacto racial segregation that is both easily recognizable and easily fixed. It is a challenge to the stations' executives-- people of good-will, to a person, we are sure-- for prompt, corrective action,” Meyers concludes
These were the identical words he used in 2000. Eight years later, News/Talk became the number one format in terrestrial radio.
Sound check one-two, one-two! Is this thing on?
There’s a saying that goes “I can’t hear you, because your actions are speaking too loudly.” Well, for organizations like the NAACP, the silence of not advocating for minority voices on the public airwaves is most certainly not golden. In fact, it’s just the opposite. To the point of being deafening.
So forgive me for raining on the NAACP 100 Year Celebration parade. I'm just not into you!
Kevin Ross is president and CEO of strategic marketing firm 3BAAS Media Group. A former talent on KABC, he currently hosts his own show on Blogtalkradio and blogs at 3 Brothers And A Sister.
By Kevin Ross
Congratulating the National Association for the Advancement of Color People for 100 years of service for me is a no-brainer. But given the economic funk the country is currently in, don't expect me to bring balloons.
The current number one civil rights issue in American right now is financial. Folks need jobs. And when I say jobs, I'm talking about a plethora of jobs, including ones that sway public opinion and perceptions as to what is going on not just in America, but all over the world.
Take KRLA AM 870, a Salem Network talk station broadcasting from Glendale, California. The day kicks off with Bill Bennett, followed by Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, Hugh Hewitt, and Dennis Miller. Kevin James, perhaps best known for the intellectual beat down from host Chris Matthews when he appeared on MSNBC’s “Hardball”, rounds out the evening.
Aside from the fact that each of these individuals is unabashedly conservative, they also have something else in common.All of them are men. White men.
Switch over to Southern California’s number one talk station, powerhouse KFI AM 640, and the Monday through Friday line-up is slightly more “balanced”. George Noury begins at midnight. Next up is Bill Handel’s morning drive, the political musings of Rush Limbaugh, followed by in-your-face, no-nonsense advice from Dr. Laura Schlesinger. John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou pick up the torch during afternoon drive before former MTV personality Kennedy and Brian Suits close it out.
Although all the personalities at the Burbank station are Caucasian, two women – Dr. Laura and Kennedy - are prominently featured on the roster.
But travel across town to rival KABC AM 790 and it’s back to business as usual. The L.A. station that invented the all-talk radio format almost fifty years ago now has a white male weekday lead host in every one of its time slots. Up until last year, The Citadel owned outlet was home to nationally syndicated host Larry Elder.
Known as the “Sage of South Central”, Elder’s conservative Libertarian opinions were espoused three and sometimes four hours a day on the station for 15 years. In fact KABC, which also owned KMPC AM 710 The Zone before it became Radio Disney and later ESPN, had at one point six black talk show hosts on two stations as part of its line-up in the late 90’s.
Elder was among them. He was not only the most successful, but also the most controversial for what many believed were “anti-black” views.
Today, only civil rights attorney Leo Terrell is on the air. His show relegated to Sunday afternoons. Where is the local or national chapter of the NAACP on this issue? Clearly missing in action.
ALL WHITE, ALL THE TIME
This "preference for white" in Los Angeles, the second largest media market in the country behind New York, is nothing new. With Elder’s absence, however, the racial disparities now go beyond jarring. Of the six talk outlets, not one has an Asian, Native American, Latino, or African American holding court on the dial during the week.There are 48 individuals being given incredible opportunities to make hordes of cash and hold sway over public opinions on the issues facing the nation. Of the cast of characters, 38 are white men, mostly over 40, and frequently accused of demagoguery. White women make up the rest, equally split in terms of their political ideology and two not sharing top billing with their male co-host.
Among the six, only CBS owned KLSX 97.1 is on the FM dial. While more entertainment focused with the likes of child actor turned train wreck Danny Bonaduce, or the outrageous Tom Leykis, the absence of non-white lead talent is still glaringly apparent. In that sense, listening to KLSX is like watching eleven seasons of ABC’s The Bachelor or Bachelorette series.
When President Barack Obama talked change coming to America on the campaign trial, was this one of the examples he was referring to?
Most answers come hastily with a resounding yes.
But this issue is not just a West Coast phenomenon. Across the country, public financed and privately held stations are banishing minorities to the unemployment line in favor of nationally syndicated hosts like Sean Hannity and Mark Levin.
In a similar conclusion years ago by journalist Michael Meyers, Executive Director of the New York Civil Rights Coalition, the data is eerily consistent. Meyers tabulated and analyzed Big Apple radio stations' managers' responses to an employment survey of non-white talk show hosts in the area. "The facts are that AM Talk radio stations all around the country have and continue to broadcast only whites," asserted Meyers.
"The results of the survey surprised us," he continued, "because of the stated and/or assumed emphasis on diversity in other media such as TV and newspapers. There are, for example, non-white journalists, columnists and editorial staff/ board members at every daily newspaper in New York; and there are non-white talk show hosts, anchors, and commentators on TV.”
Well, that was until the Tribune’s, McClatchy’s and News Corps’ started letting these individuals go as they attempt to weather bankruptcy, or write-downs of $21.7 million and $6.4 billion respectively.
Is it any wonder then that Meyers’ findings continue to fall on deaf ears? Flagrant discrimination based on race on the airwaves still exists even as America pats itself on the back for electing the nation’s first African American president.
Moreover, on-air diversity is actually receding, with many in the industry concluding that it doesn't matter if the ring leader rocking the mic is of the same gender and race time and time and time again.
But others are now pointing to signs that terrestrial radio’s undisputed reign may be waning, especially in a fast-changing world full of rivals like iPods, satellite radio and the ever burgeoning Internet radio outlets such as Blogtalkradio.
BLAME IT ON THE ECONOMY
Per 2008 revenues, terrestrial radio is a $15 billion dollar a year hustle. And yet for many, radio is a bad business to be in right now. The industry has suffered its worst year since 1954, the eighth consecutive “struggling” year.
ABC News puts it all in context. “The radio industry, just like newspapers and books and other forms of media, is facing an unprecedented financial crunch. Radio advertising revenue dropped by 9 percent in the third quarter of 2008 compared with the same period in the previous year, and many radio companies are saddled with huge amounts of debt.
As a result, more stations are turning to syndicated programming. Radio stations typically can broadcast syndicated shows at no cost; they just have to allow a distributor to sell some of the commercials on the show. In some cases, it's cheaper for a station to air syndicated programming than to hire a local talk show host.”
That may be a wise strategy, but a heavy focus on national shows creates another problem: The next generations of KGIL Laura Ingraham’s or Michael Savage's won't have the opportunity to learn their craft at radio stations if there are no on-air shifts for them to take. And companies simply are not hiring, making an already dire situation even worse.
Media giant Clear Channel Communications, which owns more than 1,200 US radio stations including KFI, is actually trying to stave off bankruptcy. The company recently laid-off 9 percent of its employees. Of those 1,850 workers, comprised of radio personalities and executives, few will be able to find jobs in an industry that will likely see even deeper cuts unless the economy rebounds by the third quarter of 2009. At a 52-week high of $25.69, Clear Channel’s shares are currently hovering around $5.00.
Then there's the matter of precedent: Radio stations have never really embraced diversity. And without much sustained outcry from the NAACP, Urban League, Southern Christian Leadership Conference or other civil rights organizations, the prognosis is not looking good. No wonder these organizations are dying a slow, painful death.
In California, for instance, Tavis Smiley is the only minority in the state with an English language nationally syndicated talk radio show. Smiley, a popular African American author and PBS television personality who is also a KABC alum, lives in Los Angeles along with his contemporaries such as Larry King of KGIL and CNN, and Adam Corolla of KLSX. Despite the odds, Smiley broke through and is succeeding with aplomb.
For most, particularly women of color, the glass ceiling is showing no signs of breaking. The recent cancellation of LA based NPR’s News & Notes with Farai Chideya (a black female national host) due to financial constraints was one small crack that was quickly sealed.
And this racial gerrymandering is not simply limited to on-air talent. The only discernible nonwhite employee in KFI’s news department, judging by the station’s web page, is Asian anchor Ginger Chan and Latina Editor Karla Marquez. The rest of the 15member crew is completely white, with 6 of them being female. While producer Ray Lopez of the John and Ken show is Latino, there are likely few, if any, other minority producers employed. KFI’s competitors don’t fair much better.
So is it any wonder why the political commentary or pop culture discussions that play out on cable news or the Sunday political shows tends to reflect the views of the majority? What's the point of having a NAACP if they can't play a role in rectifying issues such as these?
DON IMUS WAS GONE… AND THEN POOF, HE WAS THERE AGAIN
When acerbic radio personality Don Imus created the “nappy-headed ho’” firestorm after his 2007 comments about Rutgers women’s basketball team sparked universal outrage, mainstream media was suddenly looking for insight from self-appointed and elected black leaders. The Reverend Jesse Jackson, who himself has a syndicated program, mentioned that political talk shows don't have minorities as their main hosts, (para) "It's all white… all night."Those partial comments came on the heels of MSNBC snatching Imus from his morning cable show and then teeing up possible replacements. KABC’s Elder was given the opportunity to "tryout" for a week.
Afterwards, no other African American was afforded the courtesy of auditioning to be a talking head. Not one.
Ultimately congressman turned media personality Joe Scarborough got the gig (along with Bill O’Reilly’s old slot on KABC) and black screenwriter John Riley became part of the morning team briefly before quickly fading off the scene.
As for Imus, he was back on the air after a year with an undisclosed financial settlement from CBS. KABC is the current radio home for the cantankerous sexagenarian, who has seen his clout and his national ratings only slightly diminish since the incident.
The upside is Imus now has two African American as part of his morning crew. Bravo, considering in all likelihood they would be collecting unemployment benefits alongside other black hosts who know first-hand how tough it is to land a gig in the current climate.
Even at stations where non-whites are employed as talk show hosts, tokenism seems to triumph. Meyers reports states, “Whether commercially-sponsored or listener, corporate funded, these AM radio stations possibly perceive minority talk show hosts either as hard to find or not available-- or as not "as qualified" or "as entertaining" as the Caucasians they consistently employ.”
That argument is also being advanced in sports talk, where minorities in basketball, football, baseball and soccer take center stage. For better or worse, these shows talk about these athletes, but rarely are people of color leading the discussion.
Two notable exceptions are The Michael Irvin Show, hosted by the former Dallas Cowboy star, and The 2 Live Stews, featuring Doug and Ryan Stewart. Both are intent on muscling their way onto the scene with impressive results.
Other than putting on a yearly Image Award show, sadly, this is likely the only time the NAACP show any leadership in this regard.
But these developments may not do enough to placate talk radio junkies fired up with “Yes We Can” audacity.And their discontent will only become increasingly impolite as the simmering battle playing out between President Barack Obama and Limbaugh, gathers steam.
FAIRNESS DOCTRINE 2.0
Radio personality Bill Press has opined that the ongoing Commander in Chief versus the King of Talk slugfest is Exhibit A why Congress should re-enact the Fairness Doctrine, the federal ruling to insure that different voices are able to speak with equal force and influence on matters of public discourse. Having recently lost his syndicated spot on OBAMA AM 1260 AM in Washington D.C., here’s a recent exchange between Press and US Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI):PRESS: Yeah, I mean, look: They have a right to say that. They’ve got a right to express that. But, they should not be the only voices heard. So, is it time to bring back the Fairness Doctrine?
STABENOW: I think it’s absolutely time to pass a standard. Now, whether it’s called the Fairness Standard, whether it’s called something else — I absolutely think it’s time to be bringing accountability to the airwaves. I mean, our new president has talked rightly about accountability and transparency. You know, that we all have to step up and be responsible. And, I think in this case, there needs to be some accountability and standards put in place.
PRESS: Can we count on you to push for some hearings in the United States Senate this year, to bring these owners in and hold them accountable?
STABENOW: I have already had some discussions with colleagues and, you know, I feel like that’s gonna happen. Yep.
Locally, Press broadcasts on KTLK AM 1150 with comedian Stephanie Miller, Randy Rhodes, and MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. The Clear Channel station - to their credit - has the most women on the L.A. airwaves. And we’re not talking sidekicks.
And yet KTLK’s “left leaning” ideology about how the Republican Party is this “bastion of out-of-touch white men” ignores the fact that their Monday through Friday is also white. For all the hand-wringing Press engages in over the Fairness Doctrine, his angst completely obfuscates the issue that even “liberal” talk outlets can’t reconcile.
Are you listening NAACP?
This is why I actually agree with Rush Limbaugh that traditional radio should not be regulated. The Fairness Doctrine would negatively impact an already challenged industry in tuned to what its audience wants. The real issue is one of opportunities missed, and industry leaders in radio, television, cable and print news have enough foresight and introspection to not only say “What are we doing?” but “Why are we continuing to do it?”
Look at Sirius XM, a satellite company whose stock is trading at 12 cents a share, is potentially facing a hostile takeover, and likely will file bankruptcy because of an inability to pay a $175 million debt payment due on February 17. What will this mean for the likes of Oprah Winfrey and friends, Al Sharpton and Warren Ballentine (both of whom were just let go by Radio One), and other shows featuring minorities? Don't look to the NAACP for answers.
INTERNET RADIO TO THE RESCUE
This is Exhibit A while bloggers and specifically the black blogasphere has become the go-to folks to get things done. And for many, sites like Blogtalkradio is assisting in that effort. One of several online stations that have come on the scene in the last few years, Blogtalkradio allows anyone with a phone and a computer to host and podcast their own Internet radio program for free.
Last year the social networking site saw exponential growth with hundreds of hosts from all racial and ethnic groups. In November 2008, some 3.8 million listeners tuned in, nearly 750,000 or 16% of which were African-American alone. These folks clearly have something to say and are finding an audience, albeit small, eager to hear it.
Obviously these hosts are playing in the minors while superstars like Limbaugh reign supreme in the big league.
"I have a very simple philosophy ... put the very best product you can on the air, regardless of origin," says Gabe Hobbs, a senior vice president for programming at
Clear Channel for twenty-five years.
Hobbs was among those recently laid off at the San Antonio, TX based company as a result of low ad sales.
In 2010, blacks are estimated to spend $1 trillion dollars. Hispanics are on tap to exceed $1.2 trillion by 2011. Both groups listen to talk, yet unanswered text messages to radio execs are saying loud and clear, “I’m just not into you.”
“These hiring authorities, in contrast to their reputations for being visionaries and innovative programmers, don't appear to be as either visionary or innovative; but, rather, they seem awkward or clueless, oblivious or insensitive about their responsibility for inclusive hiring. This lack of inclusiveness appears to be a failure of leadership rather than as outright racism or the intentional exclusion of minorities,” says Meyers.
Meyers goes on to point out that the widely-held perception that mainstream, majority-owned AM Talk Radio stations are broadcasting mostly or only Caucasian talk show hosts daily is accurate. “This is a problem of defacto racial segregation that is both easily recognizable and easily fixed. It is a challenge to the stations' executives-- people of good-will, to a person, we are sure-- for prompt, corrective action,” Meyers concludes
These were the identical words he used in 2000. Eight years later, News/Talk became the number one format in terrestrial radio.
Sound check one-two, one-two! Is this thing on?
There’s a saying that goes “I can’t hear you, because your actions are speaking too loudly.” Well, for organizations like the NAACP, the silence of not advocating for minority voices on the public airwaves is most certainly not golden. In fact, it’s just the opposite. To the point of being deafening.
So forgive me for raining on the NAACP 100 Year Celebration parade. I'm just not into you!
Kevin Ross is president and CEO of strategic marketing firm 3BAAS Media Group. A former talent on KABC, he currently hosts his own show on Blogtalkradio and blogs at 3 Brothers And A Sister.