Posted on 12/26/2005 9:04:05 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
San Antonio's leading Spanish-language radio station could be forced off the air or face fines over a quirky controversy juxtaposing immigrants and green limes.
A recurring segment started five years ago by KROM-Radio "Estéreo Latino" involves people calling in to report sightings of immigration agents in the city. The station's disc jockeys then alert listeners, particularly undocumented immigrants, to steer clear of the named locations.
No actual mention of federal agents is made — DJs speak of limones verdes, or "green limes," a euphemistic reference to Border Patrol agents, who traditionally don olive-green uniforms and drive green-lined SUVs.
Curiously enough, the Border Patrol — which maintains an eight-agent office in San Antonio — never complained. There was no public outcry to end the tongue-in-cheek segment. In fact, the reports quickly gained popularity and were even copied by at least one other station.
But since Aug. 1, KROM (92.9 FM) has been operating with an expired license from the Federal Communications Commission. Its license renewal application has been held up, because of the years-long effort of a retired Houston lawyer who, upon learning about the limones verdes report, launched a campaign to get the station off the air.
Stopping in San Antonio in 2000, Joe Ray Blalack read an article in the San Antonio Express-News about KROM's agent-spotting segment. Fuming over what he interpreted as the station's obstruction of the work of federal agents, Blalack wrote the FCC, demanding it deny the license renewal.
Since then, the FCC has received 38 additional citizen complaints against the station, all from outside Texas.
The FCC, which regulates the broadcast industry, declined to comment on the case. The station's renewal application is under review, and there is no timetable for a decision, spokeswoman Rebecca Fisher said.
Blalack also wrote to U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-San Antonio, who in turn asked federal agencies to investigate. The San Antonio office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement determined that the station did not engage in criminal wrongdoing, agency spokeswoman Nina Pruneda said.
Blalack said his is no personal diatribe against KROM, but simply an educated citizen voicing concerns over the station's ill-suited practices, which he said pose a national security risk.
In fact, he's trying to send a message. Though he doesn't expect the FCC to pull the station's license, he's confident that it will issue a hefty fine, which should put other Spanish-language broadcasters on notice: There's nothing funny about meddling with the work of federal officers.
"It should serve as a stern warning. People can't engage in any activity against our national interest," said Blalack, 69, who also would like a law forcing Spanish-language TV stations to use English subtitles.
Interview requests with KROM employees were turned down by parent company Univisión, the country's largest Spanish-language broadcaster, which acquired the station in 2003 from Hispanic Broadcasting Corp.
The station's lawyer, Scott Flick, also was not allowed to comment.
But a copy of a letter he dispatched to the FCC in August argued that Blalack didn't follow appropriate complaint-filing procedure and that his charges are baseless.
Flick wrote that although most other Texas stations' renewals had already been approved, "KROM grows concerned that the Blalack letter is delaying the orderly processing of its license renewal application, despite the fact that the letter is completely irrelevant to that application."
Five years ago, KROM employees — under different owners — did talk to an Express-News reporter inquiring about the limones verdes alerts.
The station was doing a public service while entertaining listeners, said Ramón Loo, a morning show DJ. He even quipped that the segment helped agents stay on their toes.
"The cat-and-mouse game will be more fun. If they catch everyone, they won't have a job anymore," he said then.
Agents likely would see Loo's argument as a stretch — just as they deem Blalack's concerns as exaggerated.
Mike Barón, who's in charge of the agency's San Antonio operation, said he has heard the reports plenty of times, concluding that they present more of a logistical nuisance than a strategic threat.
"It's just one of those things we just have to deal with," he said. "It hasn't impacted our work much. We've found ways to circumvent it — we'll just go up the road."
An observer of the Hispanic media industry said that although KROM's creative segment evidently caused more laughter than harm, after 9-11, pranks related to law enforcement no longer are easy to swallow.
The station should receive a warning, perhaps even a moderate fine, but definitely not have its license pulled, said Alex Nogales, president and chief executive officer of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, based in Los Angeles.
Even if Blalack fails in his effort to shut off KROM, he has succeeded in drawing attention to the seriousness of security issues in today's world.
It might explain why the Border Patrol's Barón observed that nowadays he seldom hears the limones verdes report, a far cry from its daily presence on the airwaves five years ago.
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hrozemberg@express-news.net
Isn't that illegal?!
What a choice, taking the side of an enemy radio station, or taking the side of a quisling Government who supports them?
Limones Verdes Ping!
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off this South Texas/Mexico ping list.
And this is exactly why the public is turning on these people. They take our security so lightly, perhaps it's because their true alliegence is to another country.
That's where I would disagree.
I always enjoy listening to the Cajun French programs out of South Louisiana when I get down there. I, personally, wouldn't want that to go away, even though I don't understand most of what they say!
:)
Well, they do have a need to cater to their main audience, and what best way to do so but to operate illegally?
"It's just one of those things we just have to deal with," he said. "It hasn't impacted our work much. We've found ways to circumvent it — we'll just go up the road."
Well, you idiot, if you stopped them, and anyone else, from broadcasting your locations, you wouldn't have to "just go up the road" any more. Jesu! What a bunch of incompetents!
The End is Near !!!!
No. As long as a timely renewal was filed, operating authority automatically extends until a final decision is made upon the renewal.
Jack
The purpose behind multiculturalism is to divide and conquer the American citizens. They have been doing very well the past decade.
The America to come is here and settled in comfortably.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/598968/posts
ping
My guess is they'll get a warning to stop the lime crap, and nothing more.
What a disgrace to Texas.
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