Cyclist Lanette Noble was driving across town yesterday morning when she tuned her radio dial to 95.5 Jammin’ FM and heard the hosts of the Emmy-nominated morning show “The Playhouse” talking about cyclists.
She was appalled at what she heard next:
“I couldn’t believe my ears. The hosts began by discussing their hatred and frustration for cyclists.”
Lanette, a Nike employee who commutes to work, says that the female host told a story about a friend who had recently hit a cyclist with her car while driving downtown. The cyclist was sent to the hospital. Lanette thought the host would be saddened by this news, but instead she says that “the male host was elated.” Here’s more from Lanette:
“He then encouraged listeners to call in and tell more stories of cyclist who had been smashed by cars because the thought of it really pumped him up.
The female host then told a story of how the other day she had intentionally cut a cyclist off and the cyclist punched her rear window. She said, “Now I carry extra water bottles in my car to throw at them.”
If this wasn’t bad enough, the worst was yet to come. According to Lanette, the male host then explained how much he hated cyclists and said,
“When I hear on TV that a cyclist has been hit and killed by a car I laugh, I think it’s funny”
He followed this by saying,
“If you are a cyclist you should know I exist, that I don’t care about you. That I don’t care about your life.”
Lanette, a cyclist who only drives about once a month using Flexcar was extremely upset at what she heard and doesn’t think this sort of prejudice against any group of people should be tolerated on a public radio station.
I think this station and the community needs to hear loud and clear that promoting violence and hatred between road users is not acceptable.
Jammin’ 95.5 is owned by Rose City Radio which also owns KXL Newsradio 750, home of every cyclist’s favorite radio personality, Lars Larson. According to Wikipedia, Rose City Radio is owned by Trailblazers owner and Microsoft Co-founder Paul Allen.
Tim McNamara is the station’s General Manager and can be reached by calling (503) 243-7595. You can send Mr. McNamara a message via their feedback page.
Please consider contacting the station and letting them know how you feel.
UPDATE: Here’s the FCC’s online complaint form for “Obscene, Profane, and/or Indecent Material”. I just submitted a complaint.