The last edition of Peoples and Cultures was aired on KAMU radio on October 24th.
Last week, I informed the station that I planned to interview Maggie Charleton and Don McElroy for approximately 5 minutes each on the October 31st show. I rendered by resignation after I was told by station management that I would not be allowed to do that. McElroy and Charleton are candidates for District 9 on the Texas State Board of Education.
The station’s reasons for suppressing the show were that:
People and Cultures is not the appropriate venue
I planed to ask each candidate about their views on teaching evolution in Texas Public schools. This topic seems very appropriate for Peoples and Cultures. I would have asked McElroy about his creationist views; I would have asked Charlton about her views concerning teaching evolution in the biology classrooms of Texas. Anybody who has listened to the show understands that I have strong positions about issues related to evolution. They are more than just my personal opinions, however, they are my professional opinions in the same way that it is Doug Welch’s professional opinion concerning what type of grass grows best in College Station.
The station does not take stands on political issues or candidates.
While Peoples and Cultures airs a disclaimer at the end of the broadcast, I offered to air an additional disclaimer at the beginning of the show to make clear that the opinions are those of the participants and not the station.
The station already offer all candidates an opportunity to express their thoughts
If any candidate is given additional opportunities, the station has to make time available for all other candidates.....
It seems to me preferable to have more information about the candidates and their positions, rather than less. And, while the equal time rule applies to the candidates for a particular office, it does not apply to all other candidates running for public office.
To me, the station's reasons are disingenuous. The decision to suppress the Oct. 31th show results from of a lack of courage. Peoples and Cultures was designed to bring anthropology to the students of Texas A&M University, and to the larger Brazos valley community. It was designed to bring views not normally heard on the airwaves here in Central Texas. It seems a travesty to me that the free exchange of ideas has been suppressed at a university’s public radio station. What are they afraid of…?
Last week, I informed the station that I planned to interview Maggie Charleton and Don McElroy for approximately 5 minutes each on the October 31st show. I rendered by resignation after I was told by station management that I would not be allowed to do that. McElroy and Charleton are candidates for District 9 on the Texas State Board of Education.
The station’s reasons for suppressing the show were that:
People and Cultures is not the appropriate venue
I planed to ask each candidate about their views on teaching evolution in Texas Public schools. This topic seems very appropriate for Peoples and Cultures. I would have asked McElroy about his creationist views; I would have asked Charlton about her views concerning teaching evolution in the biology classrooms of Texas. Anybody who has listened to the show understands that I have strong positions about issues related to evolution. They are more than just my personal opinions, however, they are my professional opinions in the same way that it is Doug Welch’s professional opinion concerning what type of grass grows best in College Station.
The station does not take stands on political issues or candidates.
While Peoples and Cultures airs a disclaimer at the end of the broadcast, I offered to air an additional disclaimer at the beginning of the show to make clear that the opinions are those of the participants and not the station.
The station already offer all candidates an opportunity to express their thoughts
If any candidate is given additional opportunities, the station has to make time available for all other candidates.....
It seems to me preferable to have more information about the candidates and their positions, rather than less. And, while the equal time rule applies to the candidates for a particular office, it does not apply to all other candidates running for public office.
To me, the station's reasons are disingenuous. The decision to suppress the Oct. 31th show results from of a lack of courage. Peoples and Cultures was designed to bring anthropology to the students of Texas A&M University, and to the larger Brazos valley community. It was designed to bring views not normally heard on the airwaves here in Central Texas. It seems a travesty to me that the free exchange of ideas has been suppressed at a university’s public radio station. What are they afraid of…?
posted by Michael at 1:30 PM
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