how would one go about reporting a radio station for inappropriate conduct (racism)?

Question

today on my way to a dentist appointment, 98 Rock of the Baltimore, Maryland and DC area was saying lewd and racist things.
for more than 10 minutes, the people on this station were insulting various deities and races.
one of the announcers said, "i dont want to comment on Muhammad; i dont want to find a bomb under my car in the morning."
after that, they insulted Buddha's physical appearance (weight) and called him an "egotistic Jew." way to hit two birds with one stone: just insult as many things in one comment as possible.
these insults continued until i finally shut the car off at the dentist's office.
if don imus can be fired for insulting a few dozen kids on a basketball team, shouldnt this radio be punished for insulting tens of millions of people?

so yeah, how would one go about reporting such inappropriate acts?

yes, i could turn the radio station, but for what reason? according to the FCC's rules of broadcast, profane broadcasting is a no no. profanity is “language so grossly offensive to members of the public who actually hear it as to amount to a nuisance.”

if the TVs were broadcasting porn and your child saw it right after barney, would you simply just flip the switch?

alright, i just reported it to the FCC.
thank you all for understanding the term "breaking the law."

Answer 1

Actually the FCC won't comment on this type of inappropriate conduct. They are worried about sex, body excretions, etc.

The reason Don Imus was fired was because the black community caused such an uproar that his employer feared that too many sponsors would pull their ads if they didn't. The only thing you can do is contact the radio station itself and log a complaint.

Answer 2

98 rock is still on the air? Is Bob Lopez still there?

I met Bob when I was in college in Baltimore ugh almost 30 years ago and that station was the dregs then. Lopez was the only thing close to reasonable and rational in the lives of its listeners, whose lifestyles centered around the original and 2nd Hammerjacks in South Baltimore.

I was on-air at a competing station at the time.

I remember clearly how he said nice things about our station, and our honest approach to listeners, and how he ripped his own station and their listener's intelligence, but that he saw a career in building a personality for himself and his was what it was.

This was when Greaseman was big in DC, and IIRC Howard Stern was not yet in DC.

To answer your question, if you think it is inappropriate, then bring it to the attention of the top level managers at their advertisers. Create a blog that conflates the advertiser's business with the racist comments you hear and document.

Then, when there are plenty of examples up there, let the folks at City Paper know what you are up to.

FWIW, any station like that that has had the same format all these years is doing a remarkable job in the radio industry - that just doesn't happen very often.

edit: If my kid was watching Barney, I would turn the station long before the porn came on after. I wouldn't want to damage him forever!

Answer 3

You do not have the right to not be offended. If you were so offended for the ten minutes here is a suggestion -- a little known fact is that radios have devices to change the channel! OMG - who'd have thunk it?

Change the channel - feel free to write a letter to the station telling them it was inappropriate, but he does have the right to free speech. Imus was not fired for anything illegal - he was fired for making a politically incorrect comment that was racist. You can report someone to the FCC, but as long as the 7 bad words haven't been breeched then you are pretty much SOL.

Answer 4

Do what everyone else seems to do .. Call the freaken FCC .. , an have ALL of our Free speech taken away ......

oh an why didnt you just turn the radio station .. they have Buttons an Knobs .. or just GET OVER IT ..

Oh an I didnt seem to Like the Words of a Song I heard today .. Maybe I should call the FCC too , an tell them about that horrible song

Answer 5

Hmmm... what ever happened to free speach??

If you don't like what a radio station says or does, how about you don't listen to it??
And if you are really offended by them, don't get big-brother involved - call the sponsors who advertise on their station and let them know you don't intend to purchase their products so long as they continue to advertise with that station.

That's how a free society is supposed to work, not reporting anyone you don't agree with to the thought police.

Answer 6

Everything they said is a matter of public record. Arrests, charges, and bail amounts are all public information. Anyone is allowed to rebrodcast/publish the information without your permission. Nor is it a privacy issue as, again, it is public information. So no, nothing you can do about. Welcome to the real world, where actions have consequences. Don't want people to know you broke the law....then don't break the law.

Answer 7

Did it ever occur to you if you didn't like it to turn the little knob on the radio?
I can't stand that rap music and their offensive lyrics- so you know what?
Guess, just guess- what I do-
I don't listen to it.
The whole world doesn't have to cater to you if you don't like it don't listen.
You're a big boy- this shouldn't be so hard.
Hope this little piece of common sense helps.


ADD: Sounds like you think your rights trump everyone elses-
Welcome to America the land of the free until the PC bunch came along
One of those freedoms is free speech
PS. Imus was fired not for what he said but because the advertisers were going to yank their funding of the network because of the backlash of what he said.
He wasn't fired for saying something offensive- he was fired because he was going to cost the network money.
PPS> He got $6 million from CBS because of his wrongful termination.

Answer 8

Instead of reporting things you don't like while presenting yourself as a "victim" who might be damaged hearing things that don't pander to your fragile sensibilities, why not take the adult alternative and turn off the radio?

Grown-ups really don't need you or the government deciding what's "appropriate" for the rest of us.

.

Answer 9

Here is a box of tissues.....

you must have been listening on your PTL club radio, because I heard the same show and the content was not how you perceived it...

wiyy Baltimore 98 Rock

hey Barry,
R.I.P. Lopez - passed 2 years ago

Answer 10

They broke no law.

If you're so sensitive, you might want to contact the station or the sponsors of the show in question, but other than that, you have no other recourse.

There is no right to not be offended in this country. There are no sacred cows.