Is radio diverse enough? What can be done to bring all communities together in dialogue over the airwaves – the original dream of the founders of radio 100 years ago?
One good sign: on March 7, Clear Channel Los Angeles announced the launch of its Diverse LA program on talk station KTLK(AM) 1150. Yesterday, less than a week after the announcement, the first episode of the brand new KTLK AM 1150 broadcast went live. L.A. radio veteran and political commentator Morris O’Kelly, executive producer of the show, opened it by announcing: “This is Diverse LA… for the next three weeks the Diverse LA team is going to hold up a mirror to Los Angeles. We don’t really know each other… but Diverse LA is going to change how we talk to one another, listen to each other and how we understand, love and appreciate one another.”
Every day from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, for the next three weeks O’Kelly and Clear Channel Los Angeles will bring the people of LA a series of broadcasts that examine issues of special concern to African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans and people of color.
Greg Ashlock, Los Angeles Market Manager for Clear Channel said, “these 45 hours of prime programming will feature local hosts and guests discussing a wide variety of issues associated with the spectrum of experience of all Angelenos.”
Politic365 spoke with O’Kelly about the exciting new venture.
“It is news, entertainment, information. It is all the things we talk about in our daily lives, but it’s coming from perspectives of people within Latino, African American, LGBT communities. We don’t look alike, we don’t think alike, we don’t act alike, we don’t vote alike, so why should our radio sound alike? If we want to talk about ethnic redistricting why can’t it come from an ethnic perspective? The people it’s directly affecting?”
O’Kelly continues, “to some people, the issues are controversial, but Diverse LA is specifically a vehicle where we can push the community to think about these issues in a different want. Free speech is a dialogue, not a monologue. We want to offer information, but also be sincere enough to listen to the response in return.”
Earlier this year KTLK added former KNBC Channel 4 News anchor David Cruz to its line up.
“How can we create dialogue and find common ground? My goal is to find a new way to talk with each other,” Cruz stated about his show, which airs daily 3:00-6:00 pm.
Diverse LA has been met with some backlash. Some see its addition as placation in an on-going dispute over Hispanic groups’ call for the termination of shock jocks John and Ken, known for their racial coding and race baiting, on sister station, KFI.
O’Kelly responds that, “there is nothing wrong with caring how people from minority communities are addressed on radio, represented on radio and more importantly depicted on radio, but it’s also important to know that we should be the ones within the community adding to that dialogue via our own platforms.”
He continues, “some people have wrongly assumed Diverse LA is specifically a response to the negatively surrounding KFI in recent weeks. The truth of the matter is that Clear Channel has had a diversity plan in place for months as evidenced by the advent of David Cruz.”
To be sure the series reaches the widest possible audience, other Clear Channel Los Angeles radio stations will help promote the series and link to it on their websites.
According to KFI/KTLK Program Director Robin Bertolucci, “this will be a launching pad for discovering talent for future opportunities. This is a great way to hear potential talk show hosts and guests in a live environment.”
O’Kelly echoes that sentiment, “this is not a three week talent show. Something tangible, specific and substantive will result from the series. This lets everyone know there is a cadre of trained professionals from news reporters to commentators to on-hair hosts who can adequately represent these diverse communities and there will be a platform for them to be heard.”
Shows will be archived online after each broadcast at www.KTLKAM1150.com.
This show makes a lot of sense considering the diversity of LA. Diversity in the media is extremely important to promote the views of a demographic that might not otherwise be expressed or even thought of.
First off, let me just say that it is great to see one diverse media platform cover another diverse one. I tuned into the show yesterday and today, and I love it! I thoroughly enjoyed "Mad as Hell Mondays," and love the fact that Mo'Kelly is a diverse brother! Los Angeles, like most major coastal cities, is extremely diverse in terms of race, ideology, culture, political views etc., and it's about time that there is a radio program that reflects the diversity in the area and gets people to think, as well as engage and participate in political discussion. Keep it up, DiverseLA!
At the outset of this article, Ms. Barnette asks if radio is diverse enough. The answer, of course, is no. However, Clear Channel is making a step in the right direction. People of color need, and appreciate, a voice. We also want to see our issues explored and discussed in a meaningful and productive way. Although I do not live in LA or on the west coast, I will definitely be tuning into program via the internet in the hope that one day a similiar program will be broadcast in Washington, DC or at least on the east coast.
Great initiative to serve a diverse population. I cant wait to hear about the community response and the "tangible, specific and substantive" results coming from this show.
Great article! It is refreshing to hear stories about the positive things that can be done with media. Kudos to Clearchannel for making this opportunity available to the community.
“Free speech is a dialogue.” Well stated. Glad to hear there are still voices from all parts of the community with something important to say that we can relate to. Will definitely be checking out some of the archives.
Oh brother what a crock of crap!! All the people crying for diversity makes me SICK!!!!! There is plenty of diversity on the radio in LA. There is over 80 radio stations here with every conceivable host on the air. How about a white guy hosting on 92.3 fm?? How about an asian guy dropping tunes on KROQ???
You people want “diversity”??? Go out and find it instead of essentially forcing a station to do it because you’re crying over a couple of its hosts!!! Grow up people!!!!
Its really useful to discuss these kinds of changes by mentioning the fact that it is an avenue for finding talent and adding value to the station. If people get used to hearing about diverse perspectives from this angle I think it help to flesh out public opinion, especially on initiatives like Clear Channels.
Diverse programming is exactly what diverse communities like LA need — great way to serve the community
This radio diversity thing is a total ruse by Clear Channel. KTLK has been a ratings loser since they went all out with left wing programming years ago. Nobody is listening to that stuff. Also, KTLK's signal strength is weak. In other words, half the people in the L A Metro area can't even hear the station. Radio programming is DICTATED by MARKET FORCES, which equal ratings. You can complain and moan about John & Ken all day long but as long as their ratings remain high then your feelings about the show mean nothing.
Asia for Asians, Africa for Africans, White countries for everyone?Asia for Asians, Africa for Africans, White countries for everyone????????
Everybody
says there is this RACE problem. Everybody says this RACE problem will
be solved when the third world pours into EVERY white country and ONLY
into White countries.
The Netherlands and Belgium are more
crowded than Japan or Taiwan, but nobody says Japan or Taiwan will solve
this RACE problem by bringing in millions of third worlders and quote
assimilating unquote with them.
Everybody says the final
solution to this RACE problem is for EVERY white country and ONLY White
countries to "assimilate," i.e., intermarry, with all those non-Whites.
What
if I said there was this RACE problem and this RACE problem would be
solved only if hundreds of millions of non-blacks were brought into
EVERY black country and ONLY into black countries?
How long
would it take anyone to realize I'm not talking about a RACE problem. I
am talking about the final solution to the BLACK problem? And how long
would it take any sane black man to notice this and what kind of psycho
black man wouldn't object to this?
But if I tell that obvious
truth about the ongoing program of genocide against my race, the White
race, Liberals and respectable conservatives will just say that I'm a
naziwhowantstokillsixmillionjews.
They say they are anti-racist. What they are is anti-White.
Anti-racist is a code word for anti-White.???????
Asia for Asians, Africa for Africans, White countries for everyone?Asia for Asians, Africa for Africans, White countries for everyone????????
Everybody
says there is this RACE problem. Everybody says this RACE problem will
be solved when the third world pours into EVERY white country and ONLY
into White countries.
The Netherlands and Belgium are more
crowded than Japan or Taiwan, but nobody says Japan or Taiwan will solve
this RACE problem by bringing in millions of third worlders and quote
assimilating unquote with them.
Everybody says the final
solution to this RACE problem is for EVERY white country and ONLY White
countries to "assimilate," i.e., intermarry, with all those non-Whites.
What
if I said there was this RACE problem and this RACE problem would be
solved only if hundreds of millions of non-blacks were brought into
EVERY black country and ONLY into black countries?
How long
would it take anyone to realize I'm not talking about a RACE problem. I
am talking about the final solution to the BLACK problem? And how long
would it take any sane black man to notice this and what kind of psycho
black man wouldn't object to this?
But if I tell that obvious
truth about the ongoing program of genocide against my race, the White
race, Liberals and respectable conservatives will just say that I'm a
naziwhowantstokillsixmillionjews.
They say they are anti-racist. What they are is anti-White.
Anti-racist is a code word for anti-White.
[…] fixtures to Clear Channel’s KFI programming line up, after an O’Kelly produced show, Diverse LA, aired on sister channel KTLK for the last three […]