Calling Captain Renault! Who on earth could still the tongue of local talker Lars Larson? Oh, I dunno, maybe the KXL sales department (2nd story down)?
When he admitted outright that regional and national host Lars Larson was overtly censored for something he'd said on the air, KXL Portland's program director confirmed all of our worst fears about talk radio management today [6/15/06--L].
During the seminar's panel discussion on programming news/talk radio, moderated by Clear Channel VP Gabe Hobbs, KXL Program Director James Derby stunned many in the audience by admitting outright that Lars Larson was prohibited from further criticism of a local hospital's practices, after it complained to the station.
From the seminar attendees, you could hear audible gasps. One radio executive later told me he felt bad for Larson, who wasn't in an immediate position to defend himself.
Making matters far, far worse, Derby admitted that it was pressure from the sales department that led to Larson's muzzling. According to him, the hospital in question had finally signed an advertising contract after a long period of lobbying by the station. As a result, account executives weren't happy to hear it criticized on the air.
I'm not too fond of Lars' politics (though we agree on more than you might think), but this is bullshit. I'm setting myself up here, but I have to ask: Since when does the sales department dictate content? (I'm SHOCKED!)
Bank of America has been taking abuse for giving credit cards to Illegal Aliens but it is the IRS who authorizes it. The IRS cannot give social security numbers to Illegal aliens so they give them taxpayer numbers(whatever that is since an illegal alien shouldn't be here) and the illegal alien gives the taxpayer number to Bank of America in lieu of a social security number. If the IRS doesn't care if Illegal aliens are here, why should Bank of America?