Posted on 10/05/2016 6:24:24 AM PDT by Colofornian
FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- Colonial Media and Entertainment, which runs 100.1 FM and ESPNFayetteville.com, announced Tuesday that they will not air the East Carolina football game against South Florida on Saturday after the actions of some of the marching band's members.
Almost 20 members of the Marching Pirates took a knee during the national anthem before UCF game as a form of protest. Some played their instruments, some did not. Many in the stands booed the band during the anthem and during their halftime performance.
Company chairman/CEO Jeff Andrulonis for 100.1 FM said in a statement that the band members "disgraced themselves on the football field this past weekend."
He said that he's proud of "our country and our soldiers... especially our soldiers from Fort Bragg," so the radio station will "protest the protest."
Andrulonis said in the statement that he supports the rights of the band members to protest but he says that doesn't exempt them from repercussions.
"The band members could have quietly protested in the early morning hours before the game. But that would have required them to wake up early. So instead they chose to make a spectacle of themselves in front of the big crowd at Dowdy-Ficklen. They're college students and it's about time they get an education on the concept that their actions have consequences."
A growing number of athletes and students have demonstrated across the country during the national anthem, following the lead of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. He cited racial injustice and police brutality as reasons for his protest.
Band director William Staub, School of Music director Christopher Ulffers and College of Fine Arts and Communication dean Christopher Buddo issued a joint statement Monday.
They say they "regret the actions" taken by the 19 members who took a knee during the ceremonies before the game against Central Florida last week.
They say they expect the members of the Marching Pirates "will learn from this experience and fulfill their responsibilities." They call the protests "hurtful to many in our Pirate family and disrespectful to our country."
East Carolina athletic director Jeff Compher released a statement on the incident which said in part:
"We are working with the university and the school of music in response to the incident with the band prior to the game on Saturday. While the marching band does not report to athletics, we do count on them to be an important part of the game day experience."
On Saturday, Dr. Cecil Staton, chancellor of East Carolina University, issued the following statement:
"As an institution of higher learning, East Carolina respects the rights of our students, staff and faculty to express their personal views. That is part of the free exchange of ideas on a university campus. While we acknowledge and understand the disappointment felt by many Pirate fans in response to the events at the beginning of today's football game, we urge all Pirate students, supporters and participants to act with respect for each other's views. Civil discourse is an East Carolina value and part of our ECU creed. We are proud that recent campus conversations on difficult issues have been constructive, meaningful exchanges that helped grow new understanding among our campus community. East Carolina will safeguard the right to free speech, petition and peaceful assembly as assured by the U.S. Constitution."
BTW, the article cites @ the end the East Carolina chancellor supporting the knee-benders; however per another media source -- The NewsObserver ( Radio station refuses to broadcast ECU game after band protest), "On Monday, three ECU officials, including Band Director William Staub, seemed to change course, saying officials had met with the band and that 'protests of this nature by the Marching Pirates will not be tolerated moving forward.'”
What I find interesting is I've reviewed about a dozen nation-wide articles on this topic...and only two of them bothered to mention East Carolina University's change of attitude toward the band students.
Most media outlets are seemingly intentionally leaving that out of the story!
I say, let ANY band member do what he/she wants out of sync with the rest of the band members in ANY performance, including play out of tune. It doesn't mean the given university has to continue having them don a uniform or play in public representing the university. I mean if "free expression" is king then why bother with matching uniforms? Why bother playing in sync? Why bother marching in sync? They could just all do what they want like the spoiled individualists they seemingly desire to be.
No big deal. No money involved. Plus uou can punish kids. Colleges and the NFL?
They should be given a ticket to Europe or Africa. See how long before they cry to be let back in. If they are let back in they'll never go on their knees during the anthem even if they have a medical condition
About time!!!!
The radio station itself is losing sponsorship $.
And East Carolina Pirate fans realize that if a station is going to take a one-week boycott stand costing them $, then perhaps, they, too, could boycott a home game.
That translates into less tickets sold; less concessions bought; no parking $.
It also translates into riled-up university donors who may transfer donations elsewhere.
PLENTY of $ involved!
NFL tells players where to go, what to weigh, what to wear, what they can eat or drugs they can take.
They COULD tell them to stand for the Anthem.
But they choose not to.
Boycott and cost them money. That’ll fix it.
...No big deal. No money involved....
Actually, money is involved. College football broadcasts make alot of money from commercials sold specifically to be broadcast exclusively in the broadcast coverage. The company received zero money for those ads since they did not air. Bravo for their stand against these insults to the flag.
Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Two can play at this game!
They’re expressing their rights. What’s good for the goose and all that....
Uh, there is a heck of a lot of money involved. Alumni, big athletic donors, and student recruitment are all affected by the action. The band and music departments at most big universities get healthy contributions for the band to play at games. The band members get free trips to games, some to major events etc payed for by the athletic associations, if that money dries up the bands dissolve and music departments reduce considerably in size.
The other students should be enlightening the juveniles among their ranks and if that does not correct the problem those students can be removed for all such activities involving the marching band.
Good for this radio station.
Of all the “protests” we’ve seen since the dawn of the Kaepernick era, marching bands should be the easiest to control. I doubt that the band director or chancellor would support band members who decided to play music of their own choosing rather than the program; or members that march in a different direction from everybody else. Such insubordination would likely lead to people being kicked off the squad. Refusing to stand for or play the National Anthem can be considered part of the band “routine”. Those that refuse to follow it should be kicked out of the band. If they are going to school on a band/music scholarship, they can shove those scholarships where the sun don’t shine.
Performers have to get the message that they have no right to make a political statement during their performance, to a captive audience.
They do have a right to make a political statement, but they have to obtain that audience themselves.
Selfish bastards.
Stop watching them, and their organization until they fix this.
Weird. Most band leaders rule over the band with an iron baton. I’m surprised a little bit that the director didn’t tell them to go pound sand.
OTOH, given our “good is bad” world, the band director may have feared for his/her career and even his/her life if he/she would have taken a stand.
It doesn’t mean the given university has to continue having them don a uniform or play in public representing the university
B I N G O!
Put that is your 'safe zone', dummies.
Smart move by the station; Fayetteville is less than 100 miles from the ECU campus, but I can’t imagine the games are a big revenue generator—you find more ECU alums in eastern North Carolina and the Triangle area. And, the station can always provide “make-up” spots for sponsors whose commercials would ordinarily air during the game.
On the other hand, Fayetteville is home to Fort Bragg, Pope AAF and more than 50,000 active duty soldiers and airmen. And a lot of businesses that depend on that population for their livelihood are owned by military retirees, veterans and dependents. I’m guessing the station’s sales reps will find it much easier to sell air time after their ECU decision. So, the station manager not only made the right call for his market, he will also see a bump in ad sales and revenue.
Good.
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