GLAAD contacted KRXQ after a concerned listener completed a GLAAD incident report following dehumanizing remarks that hosts Rob Williams and Arnie States made encouraging violence against transgender children. When the station failed to apologize, GLAAD issued a Call to Action on June 2 that urged constituents to call on KRXQ and hold Williams and States accountable for their remarks. GLAAD also distributed the Call to Action to LGBT advocacy organizations, social networking sites and media outlets.
According to the station, hundreds of letters poured in from throughout the country and the world, prompting the station manager to promise that Williams and States would respond to their offensive segment. Prior to the follow-up show, GLAAD spoke with and armed host Dawn Rossi with resources on transgender issues. During their follow-up show, Williams and States failed to apologize for their remarks.
LGBT advocates began to contact advertisers and request that they pull advertising contracts from the station. AT&T, Bank of America, Carl’s Jr., Chipotle, Guitar Center, McDonald’s, Nissan, Snapple, Sonic, Verizon and Wells Fargo all pulled advertising from the station or announced plans to discontinue future ad buys. GLAAD coordinated with each company to release statements to the media and constituents.
In a letter posted to the station’s Web site, Williams said that “as a show, as people, as broadcasters, we have simply failed on almost every level.” He also announced that the show would cease broadcasting until June 11, 2009 when they would address the issue again on the air.
KRXQ management spoke with GLAAD to regarding the station’s planned actions to apologize. GLAAD booked two transgender advocates, Kim Pearson and Autumn Sandeen, to appear on the program and further educate the hosts and their listeners about transgender issues. GLAAD’s Media Programs team will continue providing resources about transgender issues to KRXQ prior to Thursday’s broadcast.
RELATED LINK:
“UPDATE: KRXQ Radio Host Rob Williams Declares Failure” glaadBLOG – June 7, 2009 http://glaadblog.org/2009/06/07/update-krxq-radio-host-rob-williams-declares-failure/
“Ads pulled over radio hosts’ transgender remarks” Associated Press – June 5, 2009 http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hfBlAndJg6Rexq3UBVOr40AIagRgD98KS11G0
“KRXQ Sacramento Radio Hosts Have History…” Huffington Post – June 6, 2009 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-rowe/on-air-abuse-of-transgede_b_212121.html
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