Posted on 11/08/2004 2:25:59 PM PST by Snerdley
Belling taken off air over racial slur But talk show host 'will return,' says Clear Channel official Journal Sentinel staff Posted: Nov. 8, 2004
Mark Belling
From the Archives
11/1/04: Talk show host made reference to 'wetback' voters (11/1/04) 11/3/04: Latino leaders plan series of protests 11/4/04: Latino leaders urge Clear Channel to take Belling off the air 11/5/04: 300 protest at station over Belling 11/6/04: Belling issues formal apology 11/6/04: Text of Belling's statement
WISN-AM (1130) has taken talk show host Mark Belling off the air - at least temporarily - for his use of a derogatory term for illegal Mexican immigrants on his Oct. 27 program.
In a statement read at the usual 3 p.m. opening of his show, an announcer said:
"WISN is adamantly opposed to the use of racially offensive language. As a result of his comment and subsequent actions, Mark Belling is currently not on the air.
"We regret the incident occurred, and we look forward to helping educate the public about ethnic diversity. Our focus is to rebuild relations with the Milwaukee community."
In a statement, Cindy McDowell, vice president and market manager of Clear Channel's six Milwaukee stations, declined to use the term "suspended."
She said "Mark will return to the air. Right now, both Mark and the station are focusing on how we can educate the public on ethnic diversity."
More complete coverage of this story will appear online later tonight and in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Tuesday morning.
WISN Radio:
Program Director - Jerry Bott jerrybott@clearchannel.com
News Director - Harold Mester haroldmester@clearchannel.com
Promotion Director - Joe Stribl joestribl@clearchannel.com
General Sales Manager - Phil Kurth philkurth@clearchannel.com
Journal Communications:
JOURNAL COMMUNICATIONS:
Corporate Headquarters Journal Communications 333 W. State St. P.O. Box 661 Milwaukee, WI 53201-0661 (414) 224-2616
Investor Relations Sara Wilkins (414) 224-2633 swilkins@jc.com
Employee Shareholder Information Bob Dye (414) 224-2725 rdye@jc.com
General Media Inquiries Mary Alice Tierney (414) 223-5356 mtierney@jc.com
He blew it and is getting whats coming to him...
There is no place for the term 'wetback' in the debate...
People like this guy are not an asset, but a liability. Send him packing
No context?
APf
Maybe Mark Mojado can get a sportscasting job on ESPN providing color analysis.
The popular Ann Willis Richards made use of the comment "wetback" in her 1990 TX gubernatorial victory, and not a single media person that I can recall protested in the least.
I never knew that term was considered derogatory....
I'm out of the loop on the latest PC lables I guess...
We're getting mighty thin-skinned in this country...
That was then, this is now. A lot changes in 14 years.
Clear Channel Radio
I believe radio personalities like Rush and Sean are valuable.
So for a substitute to use bad judgement on those programs is a negative, giving an opening for criticism.
I much prefer substitutes with enough experience, judgement, self control to not make such blunders.
I bet one phone call from Rush would put an end to this.
This has been on-going for at least a week. The link has somewhat of a summary of at least half the battle. Mark's part was delivered in reply mostly on the air. Sorry, I haven't figured out how to link to past radio shows yet.
Bottom line is Mark used the term to specifically reference ILLEGAL Mexicans, the kind that are breaking the law to be here, and leftists are twisting this to include anyone of hispanic origin. I'm not defending the use of the term, but apologies were delivered, but the libs won't let it go, they see this as an opportunity to silence another conservative.
It's not even a central point of his show, just that he was immediatly targeted by the same leftists that targeted Sinclair Broadcasting prior to airing Stolen Honor, and managed to force thier captitualation.
Are we going to stand aside and allow the left to silence our voices in this way, one media outlet for conservatism at a time?
I emailed the station and Paul.
This is complete BS! How many racist statements has Micheal McGee or Eugane Kane made?
Guess Mark is guilty as he's white.
WISN better get their rear into gear and get Belling back on the air.
I'm sick of wetbacks myself, but thanks to azatlan Bush we're about to be all one country [US and MX].
Viva Max.
This guy is so behind. It's "moist posterior" not that other word.
It always has been.
Understood. But mark ISN'T a racist, not like the left is. This is a distortion and exaggeration that threatens to take a promonent conservative off the air, and it's fuled not only by the liberals, but by conservatives that will turn on their own at the slightest provocation, providing fuel and ammunition to the enemies.
Out of the hundreds or thousands who support belling and want to keep him on the air, they will focus on the few conservatives that turn and call for his removal, why? because it fits their agenda of censorship of all points of view that don't conform to their own.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.