Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

MPR's only Black classical host Garrett McQueen fired after being taken off air
MPR ^ | 9-10-2020 | Marianne Combs

Posted on 09/11/2020 7:21:41 AM PDT by raccoonradio

American Public Media Group has fired Minnesota Public Radio’s only Black classical music host Garrett McQueen. McQueen announced his firing on his social media accounts Thursday morning.

McQueen said he was taken off the air after his shift on Aug. 25. He was then given two warnings — one of which was about his need to improve communication and the other warning was for switching out scheduled music to play pieces he felt were more appropriate to the moment and more diverse, McQueen told MPR News.

“When things happened in the news or when there were hours of programming that only represented dead white men, I would take it upon myself to change that,” said McQueen. “That always got lots of really positive feedback, but it's not exactly what protocol calls for.”

McQueen joined Classical 24 in June 2018. Classical 24 is co-produced by American Public Media and Public Radio International, and provides round-the-clock classical music that public radio stations across the nation pay to carry. McQueen worked the overnight shift Monday through Thursday. McQueen also hosted Classical MPR’s first-ever Juneteenth special.

“And let's just face it,” said McQueen, “with [the killing of] George Floyd and all of those things, there was a lot of pressure for me to engage the audience while that's happening. I'm on the air, literally while the 3rd Precinct is being burned down. So, it's my responsibility to make sure that the programming spoke to that and that's what I did.”

(Excerpt) Read more at mprnews.org ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: classical; fired; georgefloyd
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-51 next last

1 posted on 09/11/2020 7:21:41 AM PDT by raccoonradio
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio

Too woke for public radio?

That’s pretty woke.


2 posted on 09/11/2020 7:23:42 AM PDT by Fido969 (In!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio

Politicization of classical music.


3 posted on 09/11/2020 7:24:02 AM PDT by raccoonradio
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio

NPR had a phenomenal national host years ago in Karl Hass (spelling?) on “Morning Pro Musica”. His love of music was transmitted with his voice, he made unusual pieces accessible, and he instructed without talking down, while still maintaining that tranquil NPR vibe. The German accent was there, but did not make him less understandable.


4 posted on 09/11/2020 7:24:33 AM PDT by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio

I wonder if there is more to the story, for a liberal public radio station, to take a black liberal virtue signaling host off the air.

Was there massive insubordination, or other brazen violation of the work rules? Was he just a bad employee?

I have heard that in the radio business, that DJ’s are not free to play whatever they want. There are playlists approved by management, and that’s what goes out over the air. So maybe he violated a cardinal rule of the radio business.


5 posted on 09/11/2020 7:26:20 AM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio

“ So, it’s my responsibility to make sure that the programming spoke to that and that’s what I did.”

No - it’s NOT.

Although I’m curious what “classical” music he played instead to “speak to the looting” Mars, bringer of war?


6 posted on 09/11/2020 7:26:57 AM PDT by Skywise
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio
" I'm on the air, literally while the 3rd Precinct is being burned down. So, it's my responsibility to make sure that the programming spoke to that and that's what I did.”"

BUUUUUURRNN BABY BURN!!!

7 posted on 09/11/2020 7:27:21 AM PDT by OKSooner (Jacob Blake had it coming.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Skywise

Music for the royal fireworks?


8 posted on 09/11/2020 7:28:04 AM PDT by OKSooner (Jacob Blake had it coming.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio
Rush Limbaugh was once fired for playing The Rolling Stones' Under My Thumb out of rotation. Getting fired is a way of life in the radio biz.


9 posted on 09/11/2020 7:29:47 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog (Patrick Henry would have been an anti-vaxxer.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego
Was there massive insubordination, or other brazen violation of the work rules? Was he just a bad employee?

Al Gore's Current TV network discovered that Keith Olbermann was basically the world's worst employee and canned him, despite being politically sympatico. So it happens.


10 posted on 09/11/2020 7:31:13 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog (Patrick Henry would have been an anti-vaxxer.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: OKSooner
BUUUUUURRNN BABY BURN!!!

Disco Inferno?

Because if he played 'Disco Inferno', that is grounds for dismissal.

11 posted on 09/11/2020 7:31:26 AM PDT by meyer (WWG1WGA, MAGA! Derps vs. Patriots, choose your side.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego

Rush talks about that often; he lost several jobs in his DJ days by playing the wrong stuff. You know it’s all gamed out by statistical MBA types looking for the biggest audience...


12 posted on 09/11/2020 7:31:59 AM PDT by OKSooner (Jacob Blake had it coming.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio

Tony, upper crust, rich white Minnesota liberals: “Why is he lecturing us? We aren’t racists like those redneck hillbillies in Seattle. I’m paying that boy to shut up and play me some music, not tell me about those dead people”


13 posted on 09/11/2020 7:32:44 AM PDT by AppyPappy (How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: meyer

I thought classical music, in and of itself, was White Privilege.


14 posted on 09/11/2020 7:33:23 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog (Patrick Henry would have been an anti-vaxxer.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: meyer

Just kiddin’. But then again, we don’t know this guy. No telling what he might do going rogue.


15 posted on 09/11/2020 7:33:38 AM PDT by OKSooner (Jacob Blake had it coming.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: AppyPappy

I can see their point. I subscribed to SiriusXM basically because I did not want to hear one more political ad from ANYBODY. Next thing I knew the morning jock on the Soul Town channel was reading off a list of candidates who had been endorsed by Obama.


16 posted on 09/11/2020 7:34:41 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog (Patrick Henry would have been an anti-vaxxer.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio

Exactly how many classical music hosts does MPR have?


17 posted on 09/11/2020 7:35:47 AM PDT by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio

Just do your job and promote wokeness on your private time.


18 posted on 09/11/2020 7:36:04 AM PDT by Savage Rider
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio

Don’t hire jagoffs.


19 posted on 09/11/2020 7:36:30 AM PDT by karnage
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego

“The Last DJ” - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Well you can’t turn him into a company man
You can’t turn him into a whore
And the boys upstairs just don’t understand anymore
Well the top brass don’t like him talking so much
And he won’t play what they say to play
And he don’t want to change what don’t need to change

And there goes the last DJ
Who plays what he wants to play
And says what he wants to say
Hey, hey, hey

And there goes your freedom of choice
There goes the last human voice
There goes the last DJ

Well some folks say they’re gonna hang him so high
Because you just can’t do what he did
There’s some things you just can’t put in the minds of those kids
As we celebrate mediocrity all the boys upstairs want to see
How much you’ll pay for what you used to get for free

And there goes the last DJ
Who plays what he wants to play
And says what he wants to say
Hey, hey, hey
And there goes your freedom of choice
There goes the last human voice
And there goes the last DJ

[Instrumental break]

Well he got him a station down in Mexico
And sometimes it will kinda come in
And I’ll bust a move and remember how it was back then

There goes the last DJ
Who plays what he wants to play
And says what he wants to say
Hey, hey, hey
And there goes your freedom of choice
There goes the last human voice
And there goes the last DJ


20 posted on 09/11/2020 7:37:31 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-51 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson