Clear Channel Out of Rochester! Now!

“Headline: Orangutan escapes at zoo, runs for County Executive. Fascinating stuff.” [JUNGLE MUSIC] “Freakin’ monkeys loose up at the zoo again. That’s really fine, really fine. Yeah, yeah, and he’s running for County Executive. What is with that? I think we better go now.”
- Shock Jock Bob Lonsberry, WHAM-AM (1180), a Clear Channel station
September 18, 2003

Rochester Indymedia demands Clear Channel “better go now” along with conservative talk show host Bob Lonsberry, who implied Rochester Mayor and Democratic candidate for County Executive William Johnson, an African American, was an orangutan.

These remarks sparked profound public outrage with many prominent citizens, including the County Republican Chairman, calling for Lonsberry’s termination. Some of the more respected local media insiders saw the incident as a publicity stunt to boost ratings.

Those of us at Rochester Indymedia regard this vulgarity as a wake-up call, an accident waiting to happen, and another disaster resulting from the incursion of corporate media conglomerates into our communities.

The Clear Channel voices of intolerance and hate, like Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura, reach those most vulnerable in our community, the unemployed and under-employed, and appeal to their resentments. As Clear Channel instigates more conflict among our residents we don’t have to look far to see an increase in road rage, domestic violence and the harassment of peace activists by the local red necks. Clear Channel even organized the pro-war rallies at the sports stadium and Highland Park.

Clear Channel dodged any accountability for the Lonsbery incident. Their executives are content to lounge about in their Texas corporate suites and wait for WHAM and WOKR revenues to trickle in. Clear Channel gets to be WHAM sponsor Mario’s “special guest” without ever having to set foot in a Rochester snow bank (or help pay for the plowing.) While sucking money out of Rochester they also avoid New York State income taxes. Meanwhile they enjoy the opportunity to disseminate propaganda for their friend, George W. Bush.

Further, Clear Channel is another lucky recipient of the Republican deregulation rampage that started with the “great communicator,” Ronald Reagan, and poses a greater threat to America than the Lackawanna Five.

Rochester Indymedia is pleased to be a part of the emerging grassroots alternative media movement. We are here for our readers, all of whom we are committed to serve from the best that is within us. If it was the corporate blob that brought us to this point, then they have served their purpose and now need to get out of the way.

A rally to protest the reinstatement of Lonsberry after a too brief suspension will be held Monday, September 29, at 11:00am near the Broad St. entrance to Midtown Plaza.