We just got a response from P.K., host and creator of The Playhouse, the local morning radio show that broadcasted hateful, anti-cyclist comments on their program last Wednesday.
P.K. contends that his comments were taken out of context and that we shouldn’t jump to conclusions until we’ve heard the broadcast (I asked him for a copy of it). Here’s his statement (my edits for readability are in parentheses):
“I first ask, did you or any of your biker friends even hear the broadcast? Let me help, we discussed how SOME bikers even though (they) HAVE the right of way, do not mind their surrounding and should start. I also mentioned that I DO NOT have a problem with riders as long as they realize that a car will kill them and thus PAY attention and do NOT RIDE with ought (without) caution. I STILL have that view as one of you (that thinks is a car) almost caused a pile-up involving three other cars and myself. Also, I do believe I even shared my interest in riding to work in the early hours, leading me to ask again…. did you even hear the broadcast????”
He then invited any of us “that have a problem” to come on his show Monday morning.
It has also come to light in the comments that this isn’t the first time The Playhouse crew has shown complete disrespect for the community. In May of 2003 the Willamette Week called them out as their “Rogue of the Week.” It was the show’s third Rogue of the Week designation in as many months.
I have a hard time buying the “out of context” argument. Radio is a transient medium where people tune in and out for a few minutes at a time. Thousands of people can hear the inappropriate content and then turn the dial before amends are made. Thus, the damage is done.
Regardless, given their history it seems clear that this show relies on inciting controversy. I wonder how many times they can upset the community before they’re held accountable.
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I find it interesting that he side-steps the whole controversy with the “did you even hear the broadcast?’ thing. That really is beside the point.
Did he say “When I hear on TV that a cyclist has been hit and killed by a car I laugh, I think it’s funny”?
Jonathan, did he provide you with a copy of the tape?
I think the only way the above quote could be taken out of context would be if he had first said, “I’d be crazy to think . . .”
PK, did you say it? Where’s the tape?
this is just a sad attempt from a pathetic man
somone needs to fire his ass
I know without a doubt he said that when he hears a cyclist has been killed I laugh. if it is missing from the tape he edited it out. i admit to not hearing the entire broadcast. But what I heard was enough to make me sick. I’m sure an impressionable kid also heard this portion of the show. Damage has been done:
Don’t they rebroadcast all the playhouse morning shows on Comcast channel 14? I’m not sure what time it’s on, but I’m certain they play previous shows pretty often.
Time to set the VCR!
Playhouse is on ch 14
Monday – Saturday at 10:00 PM
Monday – Thursday at 11:30 PM
ON DEMAND (not available in all areas)
Does anyone have an idea of who this program’s advertisers are? I checked the program and 95.5’s sites and they don’t really say.
The reality is – this morning show is a clone of “morning madness” that has been going on for years inmany markets. The lineup is formulaic and the jokes are simply pandering to a lowest-common-denominator market.
PK’s comments are sadly also routine for a “nuthouse morning show” that simply deals in reaction instead of meaning. There’s sometimes a fine line between “dislike” speech and “hate” speech, but when anyone advocates violence, it’s easy to chase someone off the air.
PK, you may want to remind your listeners (and now scrutinizers) that you are not advocating violence in any way, since radio’s tolerance of this stuff has shrunken way way down.
BTW, just because “you bike too” doesn’t let you off the hook. Just because “only some bikers are bad” doesn’t let you off the hook. Just because “someone else on the show said it” doesn’t let you off the hook. Advocating violence in an FCC market broadcast gets you Gone. “B’bye Gone.” Ask the ClearChannel lawyers what part of history you’re repeating.
Again,
I state from experience, these DJ’s are given pretty fair rein on these Morning Shows. So long as they aren’t breaking FCC rules they often will have shows like this to get a response. It’s all a “gig”. They are probably sitting over beers right now talking about how they got everyone all fired up and how they were making half that crap up.
I’m not defending them, from what I’ve heard I don’t agree with it, then again I don’t agree wtih a lot of stuff I hear people saying.
People got a right to disagree and say stuff that people won’t like. People have a right to let people know when other people say stuff they don’t like.
He won’t get fired, advertisers won’t pull their ads, it’s just lame game…..
Wait, he invited us to his show on Monday? Why don’t we rally a posse for a group listening of the broadcast?
Still, this is Portland, and a lot of people ride bikes. Some of those people are more than capable of defending themselves in the event of a confrontation.
The problem with him saying crap like this is that there are mindless jockos in their tin boxes who might get the idea in the reptile brains to fuck with some cyclist, and unfortunately 1+ tons of steel has the advantage.
I have never understood how someone who drives around in a car and WATCHES sports thinks they are tougher than someone who has the endurance and strength to commute by bike.
You know I often think the same thing….
“I have never understood how someone who drives around in a car and WATCHES sports thinks they are tougher than someone who has the endurance and strength to commute by bike.”
if i can get some people to go up there on monday….we could get breakfast and coffee before and then maybe go for a ride afterwards? just shove it in his face that this is a bike city and it is always going to be
Just remember that we will all be better off if we use this situation as an opportunity instead of making it worse by fighting fire with fire.
I think P.K. might be an upstanding guy who just doesn’t realize the magnitude of his actions and might sometimes let his on-air persona cloud his judgement.
His tone has become much more sensible in a recent email exchange.
I told him I would come on his show under two conditions.
1) I am able to listen to the show beforehand.
2) He joins me (and perhaps a group) for a ride around the city.
I’ll keep you posted with his response.
Jonathon I would also like to listen to the tape. I would like to make sure it hasn’t been edited to protect pk and his posse. 3 would also like to join the ride. i agree that pk just needs an education and was most likely reacting to recent events. He just went way too far
ok, i listened to his show on a podcast. i could only go for about 15 minutes before i thought my head was about to explode. on air persona or not, that man said bitch almost everyother word. i also heard faggot slipped in. just some really hateful tripe.
i would never ride with this man. going on a ride for me is reserved for friends and non douche bags
I don’t care how reasonable he sounds now, after the sh*t is hitting the fan. If the quotes from the original post are really what was said, he should be fired. In cases like this, words can kill. Radio is an intimate media where people connect with the on air personlities. It’s not hard to imagine someone with less than perfect grasp on reality not getting the “joke” and taking things a little too far.
If he said things that could encourage violence towards cyclists, it should be one strike and he’s out, if nothing else, as an example to other DJs.
Jonathan, if you listen to the tape and it’s bad, I don’t think you should should be trying to win him over to our side, you/we should be trying to make a statement that this kind of thing is unacceptable.
While I disagree that anyone can be an “upstanding guy” who makes a living pandering to a certain type of cultural sickness, engaging him outside of his show isn’t a bad idea.
You should be very careful going on his show however. I saw it once on channel 14 and it looked like the “talent” didn’t have much more to offer the world than date rapes and AIDS jokes. You are not going to be sitting down with Charlie Rose.
I also disagree with the “upstanding guy” possibility. Another link: http://www.wweek.com/editorial/2926/3865/
The article is three years old, but the recollection of it might be helping him become “more sensible” now.
I think we should ride from the radio station to PK’s house (or a max station) to show him how easy it is.
You can go here http://www.radioplayhouse.com/ for the podcast of the show. The thing is, it’s in 4 one hour blocks and you can’t fast forward through them.
How about giving it a group listen, then making signs with some of his hate-mongering slogans and parading them around in front of the station during one of his broadcasts..
Hey guys, don t make cyclists look like jerks. Let it go, the guy has a microphone and a lot more people listening to him than YOU.
He has the power to shake things up if he wants, be real.
Smile and move on.
Hmmmmm.. i hear the sound of air escaping tires… wonder what caused the leak.
This is not a new thing. Look at the League of American Bicyclist’s website for their run-in with Clear Channel. for one.
itunes has their show and in a display of what gutless turds they are the july 13th show is NOT listed except for a ‘reality tv update’ which seems to happen everyday. both friday and wednesday each have 3 additional segments available for download but there is NOTHING for thursday.
what are they hiding?
you know, i just went to LAB’s site and went to differents states version of bikeportland and i just have to say i love portland just a little bit more. this guy has attacked something that we all love and hold dear. when someone does that, what do you do? you get pissed! i’m with you jonathan on doing whatever you (and we all) can do to get this rectified imm.
I think that that someone who is intelligent, has a good head on their shoulders, and would be able to go down to the show and speak on air to these people about the comments in which they made would be the best thing that could occur.Perhaps maybe a few people with one basically taking the lead in the discussion.
just found this!
http://ebaumsworld.com/2006/07/carfall.html
I’ve checked the podcasts and I can’t find Thursday the 13th’s show, other than the Reality Bites segment. Friday the 14th has already been posted, so Thursday’s should already be up there.
I’m thinking this means they won’t podcast this episode. Or perhaps they are taking longer for edits.
I would ride with him; in a loop during afternoon rush hour around Broadway, Stark, Clay and 10th, so he could experience firsthand the most dangerous strrets in downtown! How many times do you think he could make the uphill ride on Broadway at over 10MPH? How many times would he have to avoid getting doored?
i can’t believe how lax some people are being about this
Going on his show gives him the power. He can turn off your mike and talk over you. He can take what you say out of context and use it over and over in sound bites.
A protest at the radio station, and a boycott of their advertisers is the way to go.
Having a “private meeting” with him in the parking lot when he gets off of work would be the most effective.
If I were still in town, I would certainly take this man up on his offer to come on the show. I would repeatedly call him “fatass” and talk about how it’s funny when local celebrities get fired and lose their houses and families for the sake of a bad joke.
If anyone goes on this show, it will do the cyclists of portland no service to play the “civilised” card. you’ll only continue to make cyclists the butt of jokes – including violent ones – for more time to come. The guy is an ass, so he deserves to be treated like one. As long as the person/people who go on the show are confident and quick witted, they’ll do well.
This guy is just a bully, and you don’t appeal to reason with bullies, you stand up to them.
skid is right, trying to talk to a shcok jock on his show is asking for trouble
My housemate had a bad incident with a car full of young men in the age range that I assume is the target demographic group of this radio show. It happened the afternoon of the 13th. They were calling her every nasty, derogatory term for a female you cound think of. She was doing nothing but sitting in traffic waiting for the light to change like everyone else. She has never had people in cars speak to her this way before. In other circumstances (after dark, less traffic/people around), this is exactly the kind of scary-interaction-unique-to-the-female-cyclist incident that Jonathan has reported on in the past.
Between this program’s normal view on women and what was said on the cyclist program, it wouldn’t surprise me if women on bikes have some really unpleasant interactions with members of the program’s target demographic audience in the coming weeks. It doesn’t help that the weather is nice so they’re out cruising in their cars. My only hope is knowing that this group of young men often have a very short attention span and perhaps they’ll move onto the next thing quickly before someone really gets hurt.
Unfortunatly with these sorts of people theres not much you can do that wont simply give them new material. Unless one of you is lucky enough to get hit by the bozo and be relitivly un hurt this guy will just keep on doign what he does. If yu get tagged it will be a media frenzzy and any court case against him and he will loose he advocates caueign cyclists harm says he laughs when cyclists are killed by cars etc.
This will make any accident he has with a cyclist look like a purposful act. Even better would be if he tags a cyclist with out any serious harm in a area where he would not normaly be. this would show even if it was not the case that not only did he delibratly hit a cyclist he was activly looking for a target
That would be very serious jail time for atempted murder. Thing is no one would beleive that it was a ccident at all.
I ride all the time ive had numerous run ins with bad drivers and drivers delibratly harrassing me or trying to run me off the road. Ive faced one down and had him drive off after i kicked in his already caved in door when he blocked my way. I tried going behind him he backed up and i was not about to try and go around the front. Another guy possibly same one tried to run me off the road 3 times last year on he same section of roadway.
Now doesn’t this bad treatment from the shock jock just make you appreciate all the more the sweet coverage we at CBN just gave biking in Portland?
touche`
well,i’ll be there monday morning to protest.if anyone else is there, amazing, if not, too bad for you.
The only time I ever (accidentally) listened to the Playhouse, they were – I kid not – making fun of handicapped people. I couldn’t believe my ears.
Who don’t they trash?
All your going to do by a protest is give this reject more ammo to get ratings with. Nothing short of the FCC going after them or jamming the stations signal during his show will do a damn thing.
“Joe
July 16th, 2006 00:08
39
well,i’ll be there monday morning to protest.if anyone else is there, amazing, if not, too bad for you. “
I know Joe and a bunch of us are meeting downtown at like 7, 730ish. 8 at the latest. if anyone else doesn’t know where the place is at you’re welcome to meet up with us, at the square most likely, but email me at traderindeath82@yahoo.com
doing nothing is the worst thing you can do nova! i’m sick of this apathetic bullshit
not sayigng to notdo any thing. Just that a protest unless its absolutly huge wont do a dang thing but give him more to go on about. For example
You show up wiht a couple others maybe even have a dozen in yoru cycling shorts. This guy will likly talk on air about the “fag cyclist out in front with his lovers protesting my show its quite a site to see. Hey i got a great idea how about a bunch of you listeners come down here and toss crap out your windows at them”
Unless you can get say 30 or more people both cyclists on bikes and in cars and non cyclist friends alike there dont bother.
Now i see that portland has quite alot of sites like this dedicated to cycling so heck you might be able to get 30 40 or more people togather and realy stick it to these bozos. I personaly hope you can. Here i ohio we dont got very much in the way of trouble like this and id love to not have it. A good example set there may just help to prevent this nonsense here in ohio and else where. If i had a good job where i could take time off and take a trip out there and you had say 30 or so people prmised to show id be right there with you.
Im a total ass when it comes to people like this “shock jock” moron jock is more like it.
Lets just say if you hit me while trying to scare me you best damn kill me or ill feed you my bike 🙂
” Joe
July 16th, 2006 08:13
43
doing nothing is the worst thing you can do nova! i’m sick of this apathetic bullshit “
if you don’t want to get involved in it don’t go on another states board unless you know the city and the people in it saying that things won’t happen. if it’s going to be a critical mass ride it should be pretty big. I know the zoobomb crew plan on going down there, which could easily draw 30 of them, and not to mention all the messengers that know about it too. which I was talking to some about it and the bike shops that most likely have been giving word of it too. trust me if you get about 500 cyclist for a naked bike ride, and on a sunday night at least 70 people doing zoobomb to ride on little kids bikes, I think enough people will come out for this to stand up for their right of safety on the road.
Hey if you can get that large of a group togahter for this then go for it. What im saying is if you only got a few people youd just do more harm than good. You dont want to give people like this shock jock more material to use in his radio etc broadcasts.
Im a big supporter of putting a stop to this sort of crap. These sorts of people get others killed.
I guess because i dont live there none of this effect me personal well guess freaking what it does. Cause guess what his little radio show is also on pod casts online for all to hear. Crap like this isnt limited to a single city county state or even country any more so what happens here in ohio rleating to cyclist in this sort of medium also effect you in portnland and what happenes there effects things here.
So next time you want to jump down some ones throat because they have a opinion that differs from your ideas maybe you should think about that little fact.
I happen to support the idea of a large organised protest and would be right there in the middle of it all if i could be. Unfortunatly i cant. I cant take the time off fro the job i have if you can call it that nor do i have the money to fly out there or take a bus etc.
All i can do is hope that you all get a big protest goign and shut this moron down.
” Jennifer
July 16th, 2006 09:27
45
if you don’t want to get involved in it don’t go on another states board unless you know the city and the people in it saying that things won’t happen. if it’s going to be a critical mass ride it should be pretty big. I know the zoobomb crew plan on going down there, which could easily draw 30 of them, and not to mention all the messengers that know about it too. which I was talking to some about it and the bike shops that most likely have been giving word of it too. trust me if you get about 500 cyclist for a naked bike ride, and on a sunday night at least 70 people doing zoobomb to ride on little kids bikes, I think enough people will come out for this to stand up for their right of safety on the road. “
Zoobomber and messengers: that’s a lot of middle fingers flying in the air.
Its funny that the show in wuestion seems to be removed from the iTunes website. He asks if we have bothered to listen, well I tried and its magically gone. Guess we will have to wait or the replacement version that they doctor up.
Does anyone have the show in question downloaded before it was removed? If so can we get it back online elsewhere?
that’s right mark times 2.