There used to be a great radio station in Washington, DC. It was WMAL, AM 1270, and I listened to it every day. This station had a smashing line-up of conservative hosts, both local and syndicated. It was like a beacon of truth, broadcasting into the DC area.
However not once, but twice now, this station has caved in to pressure from local muslim interest groups and shown local hosts the door after they spoke too negatively too many times about radical islam.
The first time was a few years back. Late morning host Michael Graham was booted from the station after a concerted effort by CAIR, the Council of American Islamic Relations, which included threats of lawsuits, harassment of the station's advertising sponsors, and complaints to the FCC and Democrats in Congress who are friendly with CAIR despite it's ties to terrorist groups like Hamas.
Make no mistake about it. CAIR is no friend to America. Michael Graham knew this and said it enough that CAIR got him fired. Graham is now up in Boston, hosting a show on Boston's WTKK, 96.9 FM. He also writes a blog column which I have linked to over on the left side of this page for some time.
The backlash against WMAL when they dropped Graham at CAIR's insistence was huge. I, for one, still refuse to tune in during Graham's old time slot, which is now filled by Chris Core, a pretty decent guy otherwise.
Well now WMAL has decided to repeat that stupid move and boot another host for speaking out against radical islam's connections to terrorism, and this time the ceremonial victim is Fred Grandy, former Congressman and TV actor best known to some as Gopher on the old Love Boat TV show that my mother and many other old people used to watch. Grandy reportedly left his long-time morning 5A-9A drive-time slot yesterday after being pressured to stop talking about islam and after being told that his wife, known to many of us as "Mrs. Fred", was banned from his show.
I've listened to Fred Grandy every morning that I've been east of the Blue Ridge range for years and I've loved the mix of conservatism and humor that we got from Fred and his only recently-departed former co-host, Andy Parks, who was an outspoken critic of illegal aliens. Parks was replaced on what had been the "Grandy and Andy" show with Bryan Nehman, a lightweight political moderate who lacks the passion or the humor of either Parks or Grandy.
And now Grandy's gone too. And so is this formerly-faithful WMAL listener. When station management continually caves in to pressure from interest groups, particularly those who represent foreign entities like CAIR or Casa de Maryland, (the local taxpayer-funded illegal alien lobby), they certainly don't exhibit the resolve to stand up either for the interests of Americans or the First Amendment sufficient to warrant my support.
This is too good.
ReplyDeleteYou think the free speech clause in the First Amendment protects the right of a talk show host to say whatever he wants on air and not be fired? Sorry doesn't work that way.
Ironically, you are mad at a private radio station for doing exactly what you do on your blog: censor content you disagree with.
Michael Graham and Fred Grandy are free to start their own radio station, just like I am free to start my own blog.
But thank you, I'm going to use that JWR article in my class as an example of how people misunderstand the Constitution.
Graham used to host a show on WBT Radio here in Charlotte; before that, he was actually on an NPR affiliate down in SC, and wrote a book on his experiences down there (he was banned from public radio!) He was also briefly the only conservative columnist at the local Charlotte alternative weekly. Good guy.
ReplyDeleteReading is fundamental, NE. Nowhere did I say that the radio station did not have the right to fire Graham or Grandy, and nowhere did I argue that they have any sort of constitutionally-protected right to an open microphone on WMAL's channel. I recognize WMAL's right to control their own broadcast content and curtail the shows of those who speak against the beliefs of station management. However I also assert my right to support other stations that may be more willing to stand up and defend the positions taken by those whom I agree with and that's what I'm doing--taking my listenership elsewhere. And this is no different than my decision not to publish some posts of yours that go counter to my message and beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt that both Michael Graham and Fred Grandy will continue to thrive and excel in whatever efforts they choose. You? I'm not so sure yet. For you are still young and green in the ways of the world, and you have much to learn.
NE - "...in my class as an example of how people misunderstand the Constitution." Please, please tell me that you don't teach in the Midwest.........
ReplyDeleteOh, and I'm not so sure you've got a grasp on its meaning either..
This is what you posted:
ReplyDelete"...they certainly don't exhibit the resolve to stand up either for the interests of Americans or the First Amendment sufficient to warrant my support."
You seem to think that the Constitution has a place in this arguement and it doesn't.
But hey, you tell me old man, you were probably around when they put it together :)
I know what I posted. I wrote it. And I meant what it says. Had the station defended their rights to speak their minds instead of kow-towing to the pressure and firing them because some foreign interest group's members got all butt-hurt, they'd still have me as a listener today.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I'm not old enough to have helped write the Constitution. But that Second Amendment part of the Bill of Rights? That was my idea.
I've given up on them too... NE, it's not about free speech per se, it's about caving in to pressure groups who use their 'heft' to mitigate what we can hear on the radio...
ReplyDeleteWTF??? Grandy is gone? Motherfuckers! I'm done with them. They're disgusting pieces of pisslamic radical ass-kissing shit.
ReplyDeleteFuckers.
Yeah this kind of crap keeps happening down in DC. Now the only other station to listen to is over in Fredneck
ReplyDeleteStream WCBM out of Baltimore. That's were I went when this happened. Fred apparently has to wait out his contract before he can start his own show. I hope whatever he does he brings Mrs. Fred.
ReplyDelete