Let’s hope that they’re just the first of many:
New West Broadcasting announced today that it is discontinuing the Rush Limbaugh program on KPUA AM 670 in Hilo, Hawaii effective immediately.
Chris Leonard, President and General Manager of New West released the following statement this morning:
“We have always encouraged spirited discussion about national and local issues on KPUA and from time to time those discussions may be deemed by some to be objectionable. We are strong believers in the First Amendment and have recognized Mr. Limbaugh’s right to express opinions that often times differ from our own, but it has never been our goal to allow our station to be used for personal attacks and intolerance. The most recent incident has crossed a line of decency and a standard that we expect of programming on KPUA whether it is locally produced or a syndicated program like the Rush Limbaugh Show.”
“While much of the national debate regarding this issue is now being framed in political terms, the decision for us is one of decency and responsibility. Regardless of one’s political views on the issue being discussed, we feel the delivery was degrading and the continued comments over several days to be egregious. As a result, we are discontinuing the Rush Limbaugh program on KPUA effective immediately.”
Limbaugh has also lost nearly a dozen national advertisers so far as a result of the vicious slander he broadcasted last week against Georgetown student Sandra Fluke: ProFlowers, AOL, Quicken Loans, Sleep Train Mattresses, Sleep Number, LegalZoom, Carbonite, Citrix, Bonobos and Sears.
As Media Matters has documented, Rush’s smearing of Sandra last week was hardly the first time he has subjected someone he disagreed with to degrading commentary. Limbaugh’s crude sexism has polluted America’s airwaves on a great many occasions prior to last Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Long ago, Rush Limbaugh turned his show into a three-hour version of the “Two Minute Hate” depicted in George Orwell’s 1984. It is not a civil discussion of the issues. It’s not comedy. It’s just regularly-broadcast verbal abuse. There’s simply no place for such malevolence in a healthy democracy.
If you’re interested in seeing Rush Limbaugh taken off the air in Seattle, consider doing as David Goldstein has suggested: contact the companies that advertise locally on Rush’s show, which is broadcast on KTTH, one of Bonneville International’s Seattle stations, and ask them to stop supporting Rush’s hate speech. Seven other companies already have.
One Comment
Thank you for upholding your principles by discontinuing the Limbaugh show. I agree entirely with almost everything you said except that for the majority of us this is not political. We are against this horrid man for the same reasons you outlined. You have millions of Americans and other countries behind you on this.