Public Testimony to be Heard as Los Angeles City Council Considers Adopting Resolution Targeting Recent Sexist, Racist, and Misogynistic Remarks on Radio

Public Testimony to be Heard as Los Angeles City Council Considers Adopting Resolution Targeting Recent Sexist, Racist, and Misogynistic Remarks on Radio

Los Angeles City Council aims to be first in the nation to declare derogatory, sexist, misogynistic, and racist language as having no place on public airwaves in one of the most diverse cities in the world

WHO:                         JAN PERRY, Ninth District (Author)
HERB J. WESSON, JR., Tenth District (Co-Author)
BERNARD C. PARKS, Eighth District (Co-Author)
Black Media Alliance
National Hispanic Media Coalition
Korean-American Bar Association
American Indians in Film and Television
Gloria Allred, Attorney (invited)
John Ziegler, former KFI conservative talk radio host
and other minority media groups and civil rights groups

WHAT:                       Los Angeles City Council to Consider Adoption of Resolution Targeting Sexist, Racist, and Misogynistic Remarks on Radio

WHEN:                      Wednesday, March 21, 2012, 10 AM

WHERE:                    John Ferraro Council Chamber
Room 340, City Hall
200 North Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

LOS ANGELES – On Wed., Mar. 21, at 10 A.M., the Los Angeles City Council will consider being the first City Council in the nation and state of California to adopt a resolution aimed at the recent national discourse on sexist, racist, misogynistic, and derogatory, language being used on public airwaves. 

The resolution, in support of efforts by the Black Media Alliance, a coalition of African-Americans in media and broadcasting as well as other minority media groups and civil rights leaders, is being presented by Councilmember Jan Perry (9th District) seconded by Councilmember Bernard Parks (8th District) and Council President Herb Wesson (10th District), and calls attention to the recent KFI 640 AM talk show hosts “long history of racially offensive comments as well as deplorable sexist remarks, particularly towards women and Black, Latino, and Asian communities.”  These remarks including referring to Whitney Houston as a “crack ho” Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke as a “slut” and a “prostitute” as well repeated attacks on Black women, Latinos and other minorities.

In addition, the resolution points out the lack diversity among Los Angeles’ number one rated radio station, KFI 640 AM,  where out of 15 hosts, none are African-American and one is female.

Other participants include: attorney Gloria Allred (invited), who recently sent a letter to the Palm Beach County Attorney's Office in West Palm Beach, Fla., demanding that Rush Limbaugh be prosecutedunder Florida statute, Section 836.04, which states, "Defamation -- Whoever speaks of and concerning any woman, married or unmarried, falsely and maliciously imputing to her a want of chastity, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s.775.082 or s.775.083.; and former KFI 640 AM conservative talk radio host John Ziegler, who in recent weeks has publicly discussed his firsthand knowledge and experience of the racist attitudes towards Blacks from KFI 640 AM’s talk show hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou of the “John and Ken Show.” 

Resolution Language

WHEREAS, the City of Los Angeles has historically supported policies that prohibit discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and disability; and

WHEREAS, KFI 640 AM merged with Clear Channel Communications in 2000, making KFI 640 AM Clear Channel's flagship AM radio station in Los Angeles;

WHEREAS, KFI 640 AM, averages approximately 1.5 million listeners during any given weekday; and

WHEREAS as noted in a recent L.A. Times article, a growing percentage of Southern California cities, including the Great City of Los Angeles, contain significant populations of at least two racial or ethnic groups; and

WHEREAS, KFI 640 AM, is listened to by all races, including but not limited to African-Americans, Latinos, Asians; and

WHEREAS, KFI 640 AM talk show hosts have a long history of racially offensive comments as well as deplorable sexist remarks, particularly towards women and Black, Latino, and Asian communities;

WHEREAS, February isNational Black History Month; and

WHEREAS, on February 15, 2012, KFI 640 AM’s talk show hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou of the “John and Ken Show” referred to pop music icon Whitney Houston as a “crack ho”, three days after her death;

WHEREAS, March is National Women’s History Month; and

WHEREAS, on February 29, 2012, on the eve of Women’s History Month, KFI 640 AM’s syndicated talk show host Rush Limbaugh referred to Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown University law student, as a “slut” and a “prostitute” for testifying on Capitol Hill about women’s access to contraception;

WHEREAS, given ClearChannel Media Holdings stated view on the value they place on diversity, it is our belief that corporate action must start at the top with KFI 640 AM; and

WHEREAS, Clear Channel Media Holding’s commitment to diversity is not being realized at its flagship station KFI 640 AM, where out of 15 on-air personalities, only one is a female and none of them are Black; and

WHEREAS there are not any Blacks currently working in KFI 640 AM’s newsroom as full-time producers or engineers, or as outside paid contributors, fill-in hosts, or other on air personalities; and

WHEREAS, when you have an absence of Blacks and other minorities in the workplace, it is easy to become desensitized to what other groups find intolerable which ultimately fosters an environment where negative comments can go unchecked and corporate guidelines and policies are no longer being enforced; and

WHEREAS, a truly diverse work environment includes the continuous hiring of women, Blacks and other minorities;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that by adoption of this Resolution, the City Council urges KFI 640 AM’s station management and Clear Channel Media Holdings do everything in their power to ensure that their on-air hosts do not use and promote racist and sexist slurs over public airwaves in the City of Los Angeles; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the derogatory language used bysome radio personnel has no place on public airwaves in the Great City of Los Angeles or anywhere in America; and

                        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a truly diverse work environment must include the hiring of women, Blacks, Latinos and Asians not only as on-air talent, but as fill-intalent, paid contributors, producers, engineers, news reporters and online Web site owners.