http://www.the-burning-question.com/...discussion=434






Bicyclists take on radio empire


three stations made on-air comments they say encouraged drivers to
throw bottles at bike riders or hit them with open car doors

Bicyclists take on radio empire

CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) --Bicyclists are demanding that the nation's
largest radio group be punished because disc jockeys at three stations
made on-air comments they say encouraged drivers to throw bottles at
bike riders or hit them with open car doors.

They say the morning show hosts at Clear Channel Communications
stations in Cleveland, Houston and Raleigh, North Carolina, also
suggested motorists blast horns at cyclists, and speed past them and
slam on their brakes in front of them.

"DJs encouraging the masses to hurt people in any form is insipid, and
should not go unpunished," said Edwin D. Reeves, 30, a cyclist and
ceramic engineer in St. Louis.

Clear Channel, based in San Antonio, owns roughly 1,200 radio stations
in the United States.

The company won't release transcripts or tapes of the broadcasts, but
the three stations apologized on the air and Clear Channel donated
$10,000 and air time to promote bicycle safety.

"We deeply regret that comments made by on-air personalities were
misinterpreted. Clear Channel does not condone violence in any form
and we are committed to working with the cycling community to improve
cycling safety," chief executive John Hogan said in a statement.

Clear Channel, which said it was coincidental that similar comments
came from three stations, said it told the stations to refer questions
to corporate headquarters. It wouldn't say if the disc jockeys were
disciplined.

The comments started June 30 on WMJI in Cleveland when one of the
morning show personalities complained that a group of bicyclists had
held him up in traffic near his home.

"The other guys started chiming in," said listener Don Barnett,
service manager at Century Cycles in Medina. "Then it escalated.
People started calling in."

Similar remarks came weeks later on WDCG-FM in Raleigh and KLOL-FM in
Houston.

Lois Cowan, 42, who owns the Century Cycles shops in the Cleveland
area, filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission
asking it to fine the company or take away the licenses of the three
stations.

"They shouldn't be advocating things that kill people," Cowan said.

She says she's received more than 5,000 e-mails from cyclists about
the issue.

Dorothy Nance of Raleigh said she and her husband sold their Clear
Channel stock after she heard the bicycle comments on WDCG on
September 22.

Nance said the announcers were "egging listeners on, by encouraging
harm to cyclists." Suggestions included throwing soft drink bottles,
she said.

Thomas F. Valone, owner of seven outdoor clothing and equipment stores
in North Carolina, pulled "a few thousand dollars" worth of
advertising from the Raleigh station because of the comments.

FCC lawyers refuse to comment on specific complaints.

"We got a complaint about that and we are acting on that," FCC
Chairman Michael K. Powell told the cyclists.

Yeah, I can see it now...

"But officer, the disc-jockey told me to run that cyclist down!"

I guess Tom Lehrer is right: Nothing is funny anymore.

ospam (Sid Schweiger) wrote in message ...
Yeah, I can see it now...

"But officer, the disc-jockey told me to run that cyclist down!"

I guess Tom Lehrer is right: Nothing is funny anymore.

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it was a few years ago, and i can't remember the station (commercial
am) ... but on the day of a critical mass bridge ride one sydney dj
suggested that people "sideswipe the *******s" if they got in the way
of some poor sap late home for the evening news.

if the worst comes to the worst, remember that a krypto lock makes a
very effective weapon and windscreen smasher.

keitha