Los Angeles City Council Calls For Diversity In Talk Radio

City Council Warns ‘Crack Ho’ Comments ‘Intolerable’, Calls For Diversity In Talk Radio


It looks like L.A. is trying hard to
really squash the 1st Amendment !!

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — City Council members were one step closer on Wednesday to becoming the first in the nation to adopt a resolution condemning certain types of speech on public airwaves.

Councilmember Jan Perry introduced legislation this week that would call upon media companies to ensure “on-air hosts do not use and promote racist and sexist slurs” on radio and other broadcasts.

Members of Black Media Alliance, National Hispanic Media Coalition, Korean-American Bar Association, and American Indians in Film and Television were on hand to voice their support for the proposal....

Unconstitutional ?


Looks like there has been some "controversies"....

The resolution — which was also supported by Councilmember Bernard Parks and Council President Herb Wesson — called attention to the recent uproar over comments by KFI 640 AM talk show hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou.

Kobylt and Chiampou were suspended after they called the late pop singer Whitney Houston a “crack ho” three days after her death in February.

What's wrong with letting the "marketplace" decide what's right or wrong ?

So, it was ok to call her a crack ho before she died, but say it after she dies and get punished!

Originally posted by xuenchen
What's wrong with letting the "marketplace" decide what's right or wrong ?

I agree.
Such low brow radio that is popular is a symbol of our limited intellect as a people, however, it is our right to hear such things.
Calling such names is not racist or sexist...well, definitely not racist anyhow. It is inaccurate however (Whitney, as far as I know was never a prostitute)..so crackhead may be more accurate (did she do crack? I thought she did the higher class stuff).

But ya, let the market decide...racial hate speech is already banned...thats enough..the more you try to clean up with good intentions, the more things are likely to crumble apart into removing freedom of speech.

No matter what, someone will -always- be offended by another person. you cannot protect society from offensive material..you can however educate people on how to change the channel when some twit is on the radio vomiting nonsense on the airwaves.

For what its worth - I think the resolution did pass, but I've not seen that it has any teeth too it.

L.A. City Council urges end to racist, sexist language on radio

The resolution, passed on a 13-2 vote, is a symbolic statement decrying a recent comment by local KFI-AM (640) talk radio hosts John and Ken.

I don't think its got any teeth in it to actually force anyone to do (or not do) anything.

Governments (local, state and federal) do this kind of thing from time to time. Its almost like they get together and issue an official statement that basically says, "We like (or don't like) X".. but it really has no power to do anything about it.

I hope this gets shut down. It's an infringement upon free speech.

I'm incredibly frustrated with the bs "right to not be offended" junk.

America is a nation of thin skinned wimps.