4/21: Hello readers and friends. I'm still recovering from a surgery I had on 4/11, so I'm unable to attend events and do typical coverage. I'll post as I can and should improve day-by-day. Thanks for all your support 🙏. - Jonathan Maus, BikePortland Publisher and Editor
Deminski and Doyle A radio station in Detroit Michigan aired very dangerous and inflammatory remarks against people who ride bikes during a morning talk show yesterday (listen/download mp3 here). The situation reminds me of when a similar incident occurred on a local Portland station back in July 2006. “How many people have seen a bicyclist … Read more
It’s been almost a month since I last wrote about the Jammin’ 95.5 radio show story, but I haven’t forgotten about it. Even though many people have thanked me for a job well-done and congratulated me on a “victory”, for some reason I still don’t feel like celebrating. I have also heard from several of … Read more
[P.K. on a bike ride.]Photo: Chris RyanWillamette Week We’re at a crossroads with the Jammin 95.5 situation and the community is choosing to venture down separate paths. The choices are to either negotiate for a settlement and try to work with the station in good faith or to continue to protest by any means necessary … Read more
[A cyclist’s view of Broadway Blvd.] As I mentioned last week, P.K.—the embattled radio personality for KXJM whose recent on-air comments got him into some hot water—went for a bike ride with a local reporter. Yesterday, a commenter tipped me off that he talked about this ride on his show last Thursday. I just finished … Read more
When some cyclists got wind of a Jammin 95.5 picnic event at Grant Park on Saturday many in the community urged them not to attend. There was a concern that if any cyclists showed up it would just incite the radio station’s fans and tarnish an already tense situation. Jasun Wurster disagreed. He thought a … Read more
In my previous post about a phone call with apologetic program manager Tim McNamara, I asked all of you if we should try and cut a deal with the station and move on, or if we should continue to pressure them until the tape is heard. The response was mixed.
Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams has just released an open letter to everyone in the City of Portland. Here is the text (or download the PDF): To: The Public of the City of Portland From: Commissioner Sam Adams Re: Inflammatory Radio Comments July 17, 2006 An open Letter to City of Portland: It has been … Read more
I just got off the phone with Tim McNamara. Tim is the program manager for The Playhouse radio show and a partial owner of Rose City Radio, which owns KXL-AM and KXJM 95.5. I assumed Tim had written me off as a rogue, backstabbing blogger (this is what I had heard from other journalists that … Read more
I am growing increasingly concerned that no official organization or agency has made a public statement about this situation. I have received several emails and many comments about dangerous motorist/cyclist incidents in the past few days. Many cyclists feel they might be targets of drivers who are emboldened by comments made on the radio show … Read more
The community response over anti-cyclist comments made on a morning radio show continues to grow. The story has moved far beyond Portland and what the show host called “this little underground website.” Yesterday, my initial post was voted to the front page of Digg.com, one of the most highly-trafficked sites on the web. Since Friday … Read more
The storm around The Playhouse radio show is gaining strength by the minute. It is simply amazing to see what a concerned and active community can accomplish. On the other side, employees and supporters of the show question our credibility because most of us have not heard the original broadcast. I also have a feeling … Read more
The situation with Jammin’ 95.5 and their Playhouse morning show continues to escalate. The posts have been linked to from all over the web, I have talked with the head of the League of American Bicyclists, the BTA, PDOT, and the local media. The word is spreading very quickly. The problem is that I’m not … Read more