Question 1: Air America suspended Randi Rhodes after her comedy act was posted on YouTube on April 3rd. Randi Rhodes on April 9th announced she was leaving Air America to move to another radio network -- Nova M Radio. Her comments "Geraldine Ferraro turned out to be David Duke in drag... What a whore Geraldine Ferraro is! She's such a f----ing whore! I want to see her have to stand beside her husband at one of those mandatory 'I have sinned against you; I'm a whore' kind of a press conference. Mr. Ferraro should have to stand next to his whore of a wife... Hillary is a big f----ing whore, too." was made during a comedy act. I don't think Air America should have indefinitely suspended her inappropriate comments. I also think Air America is taking this to the next step-- even though she just announced today ((April 11th 2008)) that she was going to Nova M Radio, Air America already took down Ms. Rhodes section of the messages boards, all her show archives, and other things.

Question 2: Yes I believe this is a violation of freedom of speech. When the comments were made she did them during a comedy act not during her radio show. In the end I really thing Air America is just over reacting.

Question 3: I don’t think I would ever say anything like that especially as a broadcaster. You have to watch everything you say. It’s like all your comments are under a magnified glass and one wrong word or comment and you are out of a job. I wouldn’t want to lose my job over a comment like that.

Hello CEI !

Hello CEI,

Randi Rodes, a former Air America host lost her job due to some remarks she made about Senator Clinton that surfaced on YouTube.

Please conduct your research on-line to become more familiar with the story. I have provided one for you.

QUESTION FOR THE WEEK OF 4.8.2008:

Do you feel that Air America should have continued her employment, or are they justified for letting her go for something she said off-air?

In your opinion is this a violation of free speech, why or why not?

Would you have deliver a comment at an event, in that context, in public setting as a broadcaster? Why, or why not?


Good luck and thank you.

~ JM



The radio host Randi Rhodes has ended her employment with Air America, the liberal radio network, it said Thursday, leaving the network with a three-hour hole in its afternoon schedule. Ms. Rhodes, who was host of the nationally syndicated “Randi Rhodes Show,” was suspended a week ago after a video of her making disparaging remarks about Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton surfaced on YouTube. Ms. Rhodes, left, used vulgar language to liken Ms. Clinton to a prostitute at an event sponsored by KKGN, the Air America affiliate in San Francisco, on March 22. In a statement the Air America chairman, Charlie Kireker, and the company president, Mark Green, said Ms. Rhodes had chosen to terminate her employment. She hosted the 3-to-6 p.m. hours for Air America, and the network did not say who would take her place, although the possibilities include Sam Seder, a Sunday host. “We will soon announce exciting new talent and programming that will accelerate Air America’s growth in the future,” the officials’ statement said. Ms. Rhodes, however, will be back on the air soon, at least in one market. John Scott, the program director of KKGN, said on its Web site that Ms. Rhodes would join his station on April 14.

repsponse to DJ

If a disk jockey made a comment about my neighborhood I would take it very personal. Disk Jockeys are often the voice of a community and people we often rely on what they say over the air as a source of valid information. My initial reaction would be to make sure that the Dj would be suspended temporarily from the show as well as giving an on air apology to the people who were offended by the comments made. I don’t feel that randy’s discipline was enough. I don’t feel that he understood the seriousness of his actions.

repsponse to DJ

If a disk jockey made a comment about my neighborhood I would take it very personal. Disk Jockeys are often the voice of a community and people we often rely on what they say over the air as a source of valid information. My initial reaction would be to make sure that the Dj would be suspended temporarily from the show as well as giving an on air apology to the people who were offended by the comments made. I don’t feel that randy’s discipline was enough. I don’t feel that he understood the seriousness of his actions.

Owwr Radio Station response 1-3

If I was giving the chance to become the program director at owwr old Westbury radio I will make a couple of changes. I feel in order to make the station more interesting to the masses more promotion is needed, this includes more evens such as parties and fundraisers and also more visual promotions which can included flyers etc. having a live do can also improve on the stations quality because people want to hear live mixing not song after song. These few things can have a major affect on the amount of listeners ,Also getting more students involved my bring more opportunities for the station , this my involve contest etc. When look at on a broader scale radio is about networking and knowing the right people ,so getting more people involved and trying new things can put those people at the station and the station it’s self in a better position.
Events like concerts and talent shows even open mic can help the station. These events can be promoted via web for example myspace ,face book etc, even word of mouth and flyer can attract people to these events.
With shows like the First year Experience the owwr radio station can attract many different types of crowd young and old. I feel that the station being college radio has it adult points in time but is mainly directed to a younger crowd. With this at hand I feel that many of the shows on owwr isn’t original. Originality is the reason why many listen to certain stations, with more original shows there would be more listeners because people like to learn and experience new things. In order for owwr to be professional and prepare it’s students for the job field I feel the fcc rules are needed to be followed because if they aren’t followed the shows my get too out of hand and radio wouldn’t be radio anymore it would be looked at as open mic.

response to question 3.31.8

If i were the programming director of OWWR , I would gear most of the programming towards students that live on campus. For starters students that live on campus would probaly be our main audience, so I would try to talk about important events on campus, things that are nore student realated. Being that it is said that the campus is so dead, i would try to promote ideas and activties to make the campus more fun.

I think live shows are the best way to let the students know about campus life events. The live show should allow the the students to be invovled in show, for example calling in, emailing or even being their to gibe their own ideas or personal thoughts.

The qualities of our programming is appropriate as far as i know. i really dont listen to OWWR like that, so i really can't give an honest thoughts about something im not sure of. I think this programming is appropriate for a college radio station.

Response to First Question 1-3

1. I believe this is so because today in society many black young men have yet to face the fact that no one owes them anything and that they need to fight for what they want. Many times looking for the easy way out and easy cash we many times turn to ways of getting fast cash or even violence. Many times starting at a young age may time young men of color drop out of school in search of money and all the glamour they see on videos many time not knowing that in order to get a job you need to have a certain amount of education as said in the speech “In 2000, 65% of black male high school dropouts in their 20's were jobless - in other words not looking or unable to find work - and by 2004, the share had grown to 72% "jobless." (NY Times, Plight Deepens fir Black Men, 3/20/06)72% jobless! It takes your breath away. By comparison the rate for white male high school dropouts was 34% and Hispanic males 19%.”
2. I believe that this would help the current status of colored men around the u.s because as simple as it may seem starting with the soft skill can take you a long way. For example dressing the proper way, it may sound cleshay but allot times your first impression is always the best.
3. I believe that this will always exist, the best thing that we can do is to save those who want to be saved or helped. In order for leaders to help these young men they need to imply programs that relate to the young men. Being a young black man in today’s society many times I only participate or put my full effort into things that relate to me or things that I like and I think that this applies to many other young men out there that are my age in need of economical and social help.

Response To Radio Actions

Question # 1
Radio is a way for people to express their feelings to the masses ,it’s also a way to connect to different groups of people. If a radio personality made a negative comment about me I think that I would react like I would react to anyone else I wouldn‘t treat him or her any different to a regular person on the street. I feel that radio personalities should be giving penalties if making negatives comments about others . I’m saying this because many times their negative comment can effect the listeners and many times this may cause listener to switch to other stations. On the other hand reaching out with every listener and connecting to them without offending someone in some way is very hard to do. As a radio manager I feel the penalty for negative behavior should be suspension and only this I say this because every one has their own opinions on certain situations if they hide this I feel that radio would be point less because the they would only be giving the people what they want to hear,. In the case of randy I feel that he should have been punished without pay because he was basically giving a vacation with pay.
Question # 2 and 3
In the case of the college students I feel that they shouldn’t be kicked out because the female agreed to participate in the show. The students were just entertaining the listeners this is why we have radio. I feel that the students should be at most be giving time off from the station for their mistakes, suspension for what they did to me is kind of taking it to the extreme and wrong . The fcc on the other hand should take action but they should only fine to the school because it there are rules to open radio but mistakes are made because were all human beings.

question 2&3

i personally think that the mother shouldnt get mad at the kids for being on the show and actually putting her daughter there because girl is a striper any ways so the mother should have known what she was getting herself into. i think the punishment was unfair it was not the kids falt. i think that the FCC should monitor all college radio shows not just to select few.

All Questions

Question 1:
I would provide all types of programming such as news, celebrity gossip, music and sports. Some shows will have all of them inside of it, while others have the one of these major topics. All of my listeners including off campus will like mmy shows because it will have diversity and it will be entertaining to them

Question 2:
I would be making flyers all around skool and my area about my show how it has live call in shows. I could also promote it through other shows on the airwaves

Question 3:
Quality is importaant if old westbury went on air, we have to have the best shows if New York city can hear us. Old westbury is providing good radio so we should be on a FM station. Also we will follow every rule that the FCC will give us so that we can have new yorkers listen to us

Response

Question 1 : If I was the program director of OWWR, I would make the radio station pretain to the campus life and city life. I think many people enjoy hearing about the latest trends, actors/actresses, and other entertainment but there are plenty of other sources that give out that information. There are television shows, the internet, and newspapers and they all provide information on mostly everything. I think OWWR should be about what is happening on campus, promote school spirit, and just be about our community at Old Westbury. I also think it should include social events/parties/internships that are happening in Long Island and New York City. I think there would be more listeners, because anyone can just go on the internet and look up hollywood's hottest new couple; yet they wouldn't be able to find the next new exciting thing happening on SUNY Old Westbury's campus.

Question 2: I would organize a beach event, because Jones Beach is beautiful and close by. I would have a popular artist perform on a stage, have food and drinks, contests, free giveaways, and a bonfire late at night. I would make this event happen by getting sponsors and having fundraisers. I would promote the event around school with flyers, through word-of-mouth, and also through OWWR. I aslo would promote it through Facebook/Myspace because they are great networks that attract a wide auidence.

Question 3: I don't listen to OWWR, so I don't really know what the programs consist of. I don't think it would be a good idea if OWWR had a real FM station, becuase if a good amount of students don't listen, who is going to? I think the radio station needs to focus on attracting their target auidence, which is the student body. I would follow FCC rules becuase I think they are important. Students might have to use them in their future careers and also rules and guidelines make things more organized.

If I was program director, I would provide my listeners with quality programming. I believe listeners deserve quality programming when it comes to the radio. I believe they should have access to diverse liberal programming to express different ideas and appeal to different personalities. I would promote the latest and greatest events on campus. I would have call in shows with live requests on music. I would use my skills in making promotions to promote on the radio. I would also promote using the television if it is available. I would also use the classic method of passing out papers to promote whatever I need promoted. I believe Old Westbury Web Radio provides listeners with good quality programming. If Old Westbury was to do FM I think the station would be good. I believe the radio station appeals to different types of listeners including the administration. I think FCC rules are important to college radio because if one was to enter the profession of radio broadcasting it is important to know the rules so that person can have less problems with the FCC and have a better chance of a successful career.