Tell WRCL- Club 93.7 FM It's Unacceptable to Exploit the Residents of Flint
Last month, 93.7 FM posted several videos of people fighting in Flint's Evergreen Regency Townhouses on their corporate website. 93.7 FM thought it was entertaining and acceptable to exploit poor people of color living in an under-served community to drive traffic to their site.
Many of us who live in Flint and/or the surrounding area did not. So we made a petition....with very specific "asks" of the station:
1) Release a GENUINE public apology: Artimis’ official apology stated that the station was removing the video “due to the negative response.” This kind of insincere opening to an “apology”, and the subsequent tone of deflection and unwarranted levity, leads us to believe that 93.7 FM’s leadership is more concerned with damage control and public relations than it is about truly atoning and taking accountability. Though the leadership at 93.7 FM and Townsquare Media may not be knowledgeable enough about the dynamics of race, class, power, and privilege to recognize it, the “5 Times Cooler Heads Did Not Prevail” post was racist and classist. The apology should reflect genuine atonement and either an understanding of or an expressed interest in learning why the promotion of these videos was harmful to the community.
2) Invest in and promote positive programming in Evergreen Regency Townhouses: As an act of restorative justice and a means of rectifying the situation, we ask that leadership from 93.7 FM meet with a committee consisting of the neighborhood leadership within the Evergreen Regency and representatives from several nonprofit entities who provide services in the Evergreen Regency to explore the ways in which 93.7 FM and its parent company, Townsquare Media, can either create and/or support existing programming in the Evergreen Regency. Currently, there are several agencies doing direct, grassroots organizing and providing much needed services and support to the people living in Evergreen Regency. 93.7 FM can either provide financial and/or promotional supports to these organizations and/or devise its own customized programming. By focusing on and supporting solutions in a distressed community, 93.7 FM and Townsquare Media are being presented with the opportunity to re-position itself as an invested corporation who looks at those in need and asks, “how can we help?” rather than “how can we exploit?”
3) Issue a public statement of increased investment in and commitment to Flint: While it is true that 93.7 FM does provide some PSAs and coverage for positive, educational, and informational events in the city, many in the community agree that the station can and should do more. Additionally, on-air personalities should be put on notice that the slightly veiled racist, sexist, and classist rhetoric they frequently engage in on-air will no longer be tolerated and that continued practices that denigrate and demonstrate lack of concern for listeners will, through community organizing efforts of concerned citizens, result in decreased listenership.
We are asking you to read it, sign it, share it, and join us in holding the radio stations that do business in our community accountable to the people.
Tell WRCL- Club 93.7 FM It's Unacceptable to Exploit the Residents of Flint
Last month, 93.7 FM posted several videos of people fighting in Flint's Evergreen Regency Townhouses on their corporate website. 93.7 FM thought it was entertaining and acceptable to exploit poor people of color living in an under-served community to drive traffic to their site.
Many of us who live in Flint and/or the surrounding area did not. So we made a petition....with very specific "asks" of the station:
1) Release a GENUINE public apology: Artimis’ official apology stated that the station was removing the video “due to the negative response.” This kind of insincere opening to an “apology”, and the subsequent tone of deflection and unwarranted levity, leads us to believe that 93.7 FM’s leadership is more concerned with damage control and public relations than it is about truly atoning and taking accountability. Though the leadership at 93.7 FM and Townsquare Media may not be knowledgeable enough about the dynamics of race, class, power, and privilege to recognize it, the “5 Times Cooler Heads Did Not Prevail” post was racist and classist. The apology should reflect genuine atonement and either an understanding of or an expressed interest in learning why the promotion of these videos was harmful to the community.
2) Invest in and promote positive programming in Evergreen Regency Townhouses: As an act of restorative justice and a means of rectifying the situation, we ask that leadership from 93.7 FM meet with a committee consisting of the neighborhood leadership within the Evergreen Regency and representatives from several nonprofit entities who provide services in the Evergreen Regency to explore the ways in which 93.7 FM and its parent company, Townsquare Media, can either create and/or support existing programming in the Evergreen Regency. Currently, there are several agencies doing direct, grassroots organizing and providing much needed services and support to the people living in Evergreen Regency. 93.7 FM can either provide financial and/or promotional supports to these organizations and/or devise its own customized programming. By focusing on and supporting solutions in a distressed community, 93.7 FM and Townsquare Media are being presented with the opportunity to re-position itself as an invested corporation who looks at those in need and asks, “how can we help?” rather than “how can we exploit?”
3) Issue a public statement of increased investment in and commitment to Flint: While it is true that 93.7 FM does provide some PSAs and coverage for positive, educational, and informational events in the city, many in the community agree that the station can and should do more. Additionally, on-air personalities should be put on notice that the slightly veiled racist, sexist, and classist rhetoric they frequently engage in on-air will no longer be tolerated and that continued practices that denigrate and demonstrate lack of concern for listeners will, through community organizing efforts of concerned citizens, result in decreased listenership.
We are asking you to read it, sign it, share it, and join us in holding the radio stations that do business in our community accountable to the people.
Tell WRCL- Club 93.7 FM It's Unacceptable to Exploit the Residents of Flint