KCRW racist?! Say it isn't so!!
Like many people of color over a certain age, I roll my eyes when I hear the outrage about racism in the arts and entertainment industry. KCRW is the latest in the hot seat (“Uproar at KCRW as former producer accuses public radio giant of ‘blatant racism’”).
It’s newsworthy but the breathless coverage seems to imply that it’s been a secret. With historic roots in white supremacy, discrimination isn’t breaking news. Same as it ever was. Even public broadcasting leaders can be offenders. We want to give them the benefit of the doubt but the reality speaks for itself. Everyone knows about assumptions people can make. Would this or that situation have been handled differently? I wondered that about KCRW after my efforts to introduce myself were rebuffed.
I’m a radio guy. Got my as a DJ at then Disco 89.1, KANW FM. Was a radio and television news anchor for the American Forces Network Europe in Frankfurt, Germany. In NYC I worked freelance for ABC News Radio, 1010 WINS, WOR and UPI Radio and was a national ski report radio producer/reporter doing ski reports on dozens of stations and state networks including appearances on the Howard Stern and Don Imus shows. When I returned to Albuquerque I was a local Morning Edition news host on 89.9 KUNM, a producer/correspondent on NM PBS and worked the assignment desk at the ABC, NBC and CBS affiliates. I have a degree from Columbia University and did some cool stuff in my youth, like founding a national music website at the dawn of the internet (VisionBroadcast.com) and Los Angeles Music Festival®.
KCRW is an amazing radio station, obviously. Although I live in Albuquerque, I became a monthly contributor in February of 2014. On Jan. 5, 2015 I replied to a job posting for a “Fill-in News Host” opportunity. I was the News Host for Morning Edition at KUNM at the time. Sent an email to Saul Gonzalez too to say hello and introduce myself. Saul wrote back and said good luck but that he was the wrong guy to contact. He gave me Gary Scott’s email. So I wrote to Gary on March 3, 2015 to follow up my application. Was planning to be in LA March 30 and asked if I could drop by to say hello. A prominent public radio friend told me he would ask Steve Chiotakis and Eric Roy to put in a good word for me.
I never heard from Gary. Emailed again on March 24, 2015 to see if he could find the time to say hello on March 30. The next day I wrote to Jennifer Ferro introducing myself, briefly telling her about my “Fill In News Host” application and history with Los Angeles Music Festival®. On April 8, 2015 Jennifer wrote back saying she had been on vacation, thanked me for being a member, and that she’d talk to Gary and get back to me.” I thanked her. A month later I wrote back to acknowledge the one and done membership drive and let her know that I would be back in LA for the NALIP Media Conference in June and would love to stop by and say hello. Tried again on June 17 letting her know that I was moderating a panel at the NALIP Media Conference (VR and the Future of Storytelling) and could stop by. No response.
On July 22, 2015 I replied to the email thread described above and copied Jennifer Ferro on my email to the membership department cancelling my monthly donation. The membership department replied to affirm that they had canceled the membership.