Management claims host's reprimand for Obama coverage only a hoaxSee?
Let's move on. Here's how the piece begins:
Several days after a news-talk radio host was reprimanded on air for his coverage of Obama, station executives are now calling the incident a publicity stunt.And WND's confirmation of this as a stunt:
This week, after Kumanchik finished his statements condemning Miller's coverage, people began calling to criticize the station, suggesting it was censoring the talk-radio host. Others were confused and wondered whether the broadcast was simply a publicity stunt.So what does this mean? If this is true, then it means that Kevin Miller LIED TO HIS LISTENERS. He knew that what he was presenting on the air as true wasn't yet he went with it anyway. During the show on which he was faux-reprimanded, Miller said repeatedly that he didn't know what the statement was going to be. If he's the source of the stunt, all that WAS A LIE.
KDKA program director Marshall Adams initially would not respond to repeated requests for comment from WND. But several days after the report, and possibly under pressure from the public, he offered a brief explanation.
"I can answer that at the station management level and also from the corporate CBS, no one censored Kevin Miller," he said. "It was a stunt that Kevin and his executive producer went a little too far on, and they went on the air and apologized."
However, when WND inquired about the purpose of the alleged stunt, Adams refused to explain.
"I'm sharing with you as much comment as I'm going to share with you," he said. [emphasis added]
By the way some of his supporters have been blaming the "Obama Censorship Squad." Will they ever get the message that Miller lied to them as well? How long will this story (about how the Obama campaign somehow manipulated the KDKA to silence Kevin Miller?) last even though it's completely untrue?
So what else does this mean? It means that KDKA LIED TO ITS LISTENERS. P.J. Kumanchik read a statement from the "higher ups" at CBS over the air - that wasn't from the "higher-ups" at CBS. The station misled its listeners to the nature of the complaints about Miller's show and their reaction to those complaints.
For any news organization, the public has to trust that what goes out on the air as news IS NEWS and not a publicity stunt designed to motivate its listeners in one political direction or another.
If WND's reporting is true, this is a sad sad day for the nation's first commercial radio station.
--blogging (again) from an undisclosed location.
8 comments:
I don't know if this has been mentioned in earlier threads, but Kevin Miller's show does this kind of thing all the time. At least once every two weeks, ever since he arrived at KDKA, a "junior broadcast executive" would come on the air, talk to Mr. Miller, reprimand him for something or other, and then (almost always) end with the executive saying, "come see me in my office".
Granted, this was the first time (as far as I know) that the source of the "complaints" was directly attributed to a specific political candidate (in this case, Sen. Obama). There seems to have been a bit more specificity this time around about the nature of the complaint and (especially) the proposed "punishment".
But from the very first second I saw your original post about this, I knew it was a hoax, because it fell into a very common pattern that's been done many times before on the Kevin Miller show. I don't really get the joke here. I don't know why Mr. Miller thinks this kind of thing is either funny or effective. But it's a common part of his show, and I've long since learned to ignore these things.
John K: Yep, on this we agree. It now appears all the evidence is in and it was a stunt. Which means Miller has no credibility with me. None. Which now means that KDKA is minus one listener. And that is where I stand. By the way, I figured it was a stunt when I got a flyer in the mail on Mon. advertising some product. The flyer came from KDKA addressed to me. They got my address from the letter I wrote complaining. KDKA is off my dial.
Strange times. KDKA, once a great radio station, is reduced to a hollow laughingstock. And John K. is to be commended for an honorable stand.
Strange times, indeed.
Dude... if there are future stunts call me first. It was so obvious. You'll NEVER here a real, seriousl, meaningful conversation between a host and a manager that has to do with sensitive matters ON THE AIR.
This place is falling faster than Palin's poll numbers.
It's kinda sad.
i don't listen anymore.
i used to put it on early in the morning and then off at 9 a.m. but now i don't bother with it at all.
Actually, I am a bit disturbed that RKT knows so much about this talk radio host. But then I am sure I would disturb people with the extent of my knowledge of Star Wars and Star Trek.
well, maybe not around here.
I have to say, like Infinonymous, I have to commend John K. on this one.
Well said.
Who is Kevin Miller? Is he some relative of Dennis Miller or something?
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