Editor's Note: See also Noel Sheppard's post. Sheppard notes the controversial recount rules Broward County followed in the 2000 presidential election.
Democrats and the Left often make platitudes about how they’re for free speech. Over the course of the years however, with speech codes on college campuses, the push to criminalize "hate speech," and talk of reinstating the Fairness Doctrine, they have consistently demonstrated that their actions speak louder than their words.
In the latest case that the Left has no problem with abusing power to influence the media, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that the Broward County, Florida County Commission, which consists entirely of Democrats, is pondering cancelling a deal with WIOD, a local radio station which has been the county’s official channel for providing emergency information, due to the fact that the station is also a local affiliate for the Rush Limbaugh Show.
Judy Sarver, public communications director for Broward County, said that she and other emergency planners "preferred WIOD because of its signal strength, numerous FM sister stations and willingness to give Broward top play." But many on the County Commission are willing to overlook these strong points because they loathe the conservative viewpoints of Rush Limbaugh.
Among those on the Commission who have expressed their "concern" over WIOD's broadcast of Limbaugh are Ken Keechl, a former president of the Dolphins gay Democratic club, and Suzanne Gunzburger, who served on the vote-tallying board that recounted the 2000 presidential election. Broward County was one of the Florida counties in which the Al Gore campaign requested a recount.
Leading the charge against WIOD is Commissioner Stacy Ritter, who stated that she didn’t want the county to support a station that is "out of step with area politics." Besides naming Limbaugh, Ritter cited WIOD’s broadcast of the Sean Hannity Show and its partnership with Fox News as reasons to discontinue the county’s relationship with the station.
Ken Charles, the director of WIOD’s AM programming, had the best comment concerning the situation. "It's a shame that people would let politics get in the way of saving lives in a hurricane."
—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
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Typical Leftist myopia. Doe
June 13, 2007 - 12:17 ET by mattmTypical Leftist myopia. Does it ever occur to them that their reasoning could apply equally to themselves? Using their logic NPR should be stripped of all government funding. But, of course, they're Liberals; everything is a one way street for them...
What happened to the original Rush post?
June 13, 2007 - 13:14 ET by Six String SpiffWhy isn't it on the main page anymore?
Anyway, that is just despicable to deprive emergency broadcasts on the grounds of "They're poopie heads".. What else do we expect from the left though?
PS. Isn't there a law being broken here?
It's right here spiff. &qu
June 13, 2007 - 13:20 ET by MightyMouthIt's right here spiff.
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Six..Howdy...as to your quest
June 13, 2007 - 13:24 ET by bigtimerSix..
Howdy...as to your question about any laws be broken here...you would certainly think so..but hey...they are DEMOCRATS...the law does not apply to them, just ask them...they make me ill...all leftists make me ill anymore.
I am having a lot of problems here today on this site...think I'll check in later...too aggravating for me.
Naturally I felt compelled
June 13, 2007 - 13:35 ET by radiofitz34Naturally I felt compelled to say something. I'd assume this board is concerned that no libs will be listening to WIOD and that, in the case of a flood or hurricane, they'll miss the emergency warnings. Ha ha, they're probably right!
People should NOT be forced
June 13, 2007 - 15:17 ET by motherbeltPeople should NOT be forced to listen to a radio station that carries Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, to get their hurricane warnings!! Oh, the humanity!!!
PS: "They're poopie heads"? You been sneaking watching "Rug Rats"??? LOL!
And there is more to come w
June 13, 2007 - 14:03 ET by kgAnd there is more to come when the next DemocRAT gets into the White House. "And we are going to make that against the law"..Hillary Clinton 2007.
Why do I get the feeling that
June 13, 2007 - 15:15 ET by motherbeltWhy do I get the feeling that after the words "make that" there should be "(insert pet peeve)" ?
Broward Politics
June 13, 2007 - 19:59 ET by pbthinkerI posted a note, on this story, in the Sun-Sentinel site basically saying: "this is the Democratic Party." This party has no plan and no clue so, to get votes, all it can do is rehash the past and bring up hatred.
On this issue, they are complete morons. WIOD is one of the strongest stations in South Florida. They can be heard well past Palm Beach County and on the West Coast of Florida.
WIOD is pretty Conservative with its talk line-up but that all goes down the tubes when there's a hurricane around. What would these stupid Democrats say if WIOD said they didn't want to do their news conferences because the Democrats made them too political? WIOD is one of the best, down here, but you can't expect much from partisan hacks.
Never argue with an idiot. They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
Posted from Idiotic Broward C
June 13, 2007 - 20:26 ET by BlondePosted from Idiotic Broward County....
It pains me to no end that the place of my birth, and residence for almost my entire life (with the exception of several wonderful years at the University of Florida and a small hitch at Ft. Riley) continues to be a place of national ridicule.
Hanging & pregnant chads (hello Boca Boy!)....and now this.
Just so you all know, Suzanne Gunzberger (the Commissioner above) is the equivalent of Popeye Pelosi as far as handing out the cookies to her relatives.
WIOD also carries Glenn Beck. pbthinker is exactly correct....WIOD has a super strong signal.
Since I'm in somewhat of an "activist" mode due to the shamnesty thing, I think I shall have to make some noise locally as well.
Thanks for a great post.
The amazing thing to old WI
June 13, 2007 - 20:10 ET by sarcasmoThe amazing thing to old WIOD listeners like me might be if they could actually get through an entire emergency information announcement without breaking for (at least) a commercial... (Ah, Sirius Satellite Radio, thou art forever worth thy low $500 lifetime subscription cost!)
JMR