Gendersaurus Rex

GLAAD has been putting pressure on the radio station KRXQ “98Rock” Sacramento and their hosts to apologize for the inflamatory transphobic, abuse-condoning comments they made in their morning radio show, “Rob, Arnie, and Dawn”. The radio station responded to the criticism from the LGBT community with subsequent shows defending their statements.
I am not surprised that GLAAD’s “apology” tactic failed, but I certainly understand that this was the necessary first step – The opportunity for the radio station to step up before GLAAD and other LGBT organizations kicked it up a notch.

Well the radio station had their chance.

LGBT individuals and organizations responded to the lack of response by putting pressure on the financial supporters of the radio station (read: big companies running their ads on the air). And it’s this pressure that seems to work. Currently ten major companies are removing their advertisements from the radio station specifically because of the transphobic/abuse comments that were said on the air .

“You guys imply that all you have to do is…whack my non-existant child with a shoe if he goes clopping around the house in high heels,” commented a listener who identified herself as a male-to-female transgender who previously had served in the US armed forces for 22 years. “Don’t you think that all the abuse that I took in school would have changed that basic nature in me?”

“Thank you for your service, but let me just say this right now,” quipped an angered States. “You fought (in the armed forces) for nothing! With the opinions that you have right there, you fought for absolutely nothing!”

Anyone who expected an apology from two-parts of the breakfast show trio were left with only points of clarification for the controversial dialogue, and that didn’t sit well with gay and lesbian organizations.

“While it was heartening for us to hear that Rob Williams and Arnie States did not advocate for violence against children,” GLAAD reported on their blog, “they also did not hold themselves accountable for their dehumanizing and defamatory words used to describe transgender children in last week’s show.”

That didn’t sit well with advertisers either. Shortly after Wednesday’s show aired, the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group wrote an e-mail to GLAAD announcing they were pulling their advertisement-based support for KRXQ.

“We found the segment to be offensive,” a statement released by the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group read, “and as a result, we are pulling our Snapple advertising from the station.”

Chipotle Mexican Grill and Sonic Corporation also announced that day they, too, were pulling advertisement support for the station in response to the offensive comments.

“SONIC in no way condones violence toward children and does not wish to be associated with media content that condones or promotes such activity in any way”

The Rob, Arnie and Dawn Show, which is owned and produced by Williams, continues to air weekday mornings on KRXQ 98.5 FM in Sacramento and in syndication on KDOT 104.5 FM in Reno. The 12-year radio program has been no stranger to controversy in the past; in 2004, the show was fined $55,000 by the Federal Communications Counsel for “on-air indecency” following a complaint filed by James Peak.

Update 6/5, 2PM: Three new companies have reportedly pulled their advertisement support from KRXQ. GLAAD Blog is reporting Carl’s Jr., Verizon Wireless and Bank of America have sent press releases announcing they have pulled their ads from KRXQ in response to the Rob, Arnie & Dawn transgender comments from May 28th.

Update 6/5, 3:30PM: GLAAD now reports Nissan North America has stated it will not renew its advertising contract with KRXQ over the May 28th dialogue on the Rob, Arnie & Dawn show regarding transgendered children. Wells Fargo Bank has clarified it was not an advertiser of the Rob, Arnie & Dawn show during the May 28th program and has no intention of renewing its advertisement support with KRXQ in the future.

Update 6/5, 8:45PM: McDonald’s is not lovin’ the Rob, Arnie & Dawn show. The fast food giant, along with AT&T, have withdrawn or “are in the process of withdrawing” advertisement support from KRXQ, bringing the list of advertisers to drop the Rob, Arnie & Dawn show to ten.

- Fox 40 Sacramento

Keep up the work!

GLAAD also found the audio file that the radio show deleted off their website and uploaded it. It hurts like hell to listen to this, and I cried. But I had to listen to it, because I needed to know what they said so that I can be informed when I call the radio station to complain. Dawn, the third host of this show, is a strong person for standing up against her co-hosts about this. Scroll about halfway down the page to click on the audio link. The transgender segment starts at about 4 minutes and 48 seconds.

WAYS TO TAKE ACTION
1. Call the FCC: speech promoting/condoning/encouraging violence against children (trans or not) should not be aloud on the air.

Commissioner Michael J. Copps
Michael.Copps@fcc.gov

Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein Jonathan.Adelstein@fcc.gov

Commissioner Robert McDowell Robert.McDowell@fcc.gov

And here is info on filing a complaint:

http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm

2. Contact advertising companies and inform them of the kind of things there business is being associated with. Here’s a list with contact information:

STATE FARM INSURANCE
Dawn Fones, Public Affairs Specialist
dawn.fones.cv9s@statefarm.com
309-766-2259

ALBERTSON’S
David Oliver, Investors & Financial Media
david.m.oliver@supervalu.com
952-828-4540

Steve Bloomquist
steve.j.bloomquist@supervalu.com
952-828-4144

JARED JEWELERS
David Bouffard, Consumer & Trade Media
dbouffard@jewels.com
330-668-5369

GUITAR CENTER
Norman Hajjar, EVP & Chief Marketing Officer
on Twitter as Venezia

RED BULL
Ellie Applen, Media Contact
Ellen.applen@us.redbull.com
310-460-4532

SLEEP TRAIN MATTRESS CENTERS
Dale Carlsen, President
dale@sleeptrain.com

PURINA
Keith Schopp, Public Relations
kschopp@purina.com
314-982-2577

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES
Keoni Wagner Vice President, Public Affairs
Keoni.Wagner@hawaiianair.com
808-838-6778

PEP BOYS
Ray Arthur, Chief Financial Officer
investorrelations@pepboys.com

Alexandra Spooner, Communications Manager
mediarelations@pepboys.com

GRIFFIN & REED EYECARE:
info@LASIKworld.com

PRO CITY MORTGAGE:
procity@procitymortgage.com

Filed under: Cultural Analysis, Social Justice, Transphobia