I live in San Antonio, the home of Clear Channel Communications the company that employs Rush Limbaugh. His show is broadcast here on WOAI, a station with the nickname "Blowtorch" since its signal at night can be heard widely across the American southwest and northern Mexico. When I moved to San Antonio in 1993, the station actually had a liberal host of its afternoon drive show and attempted to maintain a neutral political stance on most issues. Rush was broadcast on another station at the time. (That station, KTSA, had local hosts who considered Rush too liberal.) Since then, however, WOAI has tacked to the extreme and now features Beck, Hannity, and Limbaugh. It's drivetime host features a man who fills in for Beck and parrots the right wing talking points of the day. To my great sadness, the station also broadcasts my beloved San Antonio Spurs and Texas Longhorns. I absolutely hate to have to listen to Beck, Hannity and Rush promos during those games. And, after this week it's even worse.
As I have written about before, I am the father of an absolutely wonderful daughter who is now 17. And as she has grown, I have had first hand experiences with the consequences of right wing politics and policies as, well, this is modern Texas. My daughter is a swimmer. Swimmers practice constantly. When my daughter was really serious about it, she practiced 4 to 5 times a week, most days two 90 minute sessions, year round. During practices and meets she of course wears a swim cap. As she entered high school she would break out on her forehead pretty badly along the area where she wore the cap. So we took her to a dermatologist. Guess what the dermatologist prescribed for the acne? The pill. My 15 year old daughter took the pill and it worked. The acne cleared up. (My insurance kicked in for the prescription, so I guess I could send Limbaugh some video of my daughter swimming if he would like.) So, his comments really make me angry, beyond angry. I want something done about it. Reading Jeff Seeman's diary about the Cleveland Cavaliers suspending their advertising on Rush's program, I decided to try something I had tried in the summer.
In the summer after Beck compared the children murdered in Norway to Hitler Youth, I wrote a letter to head football coach of Texas Mack Brown asking that the athletic department consider pulling their games from Clear Channel. I got a really nice phone call back from a representative of the company that has the contract to produce and broadcast Texas athletics. She sympathized with my feelings, but basically told me Clear Channel was the only viable option for broadcasting Texas games. I appreciated her taking the time to call me, but I told her I thought it was horrible that my university was associated with such hate.
As I tend to have to listen to some games on the radio because of work and family duties, I noticed this year that Clear Channel would run promos for Rush, et al, during Texas games. I sent emails asking Clear Channel to stop that practice but they did not respond. But because of this controversy, I've decided to try again. This time my letter is going to the President of the University. Here is what I wrote:
President Powers:
I am a proud graduate of the University of Texas, Class of 1991. I am also a great fan of UT athletics. My 17 year old daughter who is set to graduate with high honors from her high school next year will have the University of Texas as one of her top choices. My father is a graduate of the Law School and my mother holds a graduate degree from the University in economics. Simply put, I bleed orange.
I am sure you are aware that UT athletics is broadcast throughout the state on Clear Channel radio stations including here in San Antonio the home of that company. I am also sure you are aware of the controversy surrounding Rush Limbaugh and the comments he made directed at a student at the University of Georgetown, and frankly all women. Unfortunately, Clear Channel is the company that pays Mr. Limbaugh and broadcasts his show throughout the country. Unfortunately, that station chooses to run advertisements for his show during radio broadcasts of UT athletics. I do not think the University of Texas should be associated with that kind of hate and a company that chooses to pay someone millions of dollars annually to spread such ugliness. Yes, Mr. Limbaugh has freedom of speech and so does Clear Channel, but the University of Texas has the same right. And it could send a profound message if it would disassociate itself with such hateful rhetoric.
I wrote coach Mack Brown a letter in the summer prior to football season after Glenn Beck compared the children killed in Norway by a lone gunman to the Hitler Youth. I asked then that the University reconsider its association with Clear Channel. I received a nice phone call from a representative of the company that has the contract to broadcast UT athletics. She stated to me that the University really did not have a choice when choosing a radio station to broadcast games since Clear Channel was the only company with the capability to cover the entire south Texas area (and I imagine all throughout the state). But this has really gone too far. My daughter has taken birth control pills before, not because she is sexually active, but because the medication helped her with her acne of all things. That medicine is used for women who have debilitating cramping and is a preventative measure for women at risk of developing ovarian cancer. It is time for the University to take a stand and tell Clear Channel that it is no longer willing to support companies that wish to associate with such vulgar, hateful rhetoric. I would appreciate if, like the Cleveland Cavaliers organization has done, you would ask Clear Channel to suspend its advertising of Rush Limbaugh's program during Texas athletic broadcasts.
Thank you for your consideration of my request in this matter.
Hook 'em,
William Baker
I think if you feel the same way about this you should join me. Given Clear Channel's size, there is a pretty good chance they might broadcast your favorite sports team's games. We shouldn't sit back and let Clear Channel, our universities, and our professional teams not feel some heat for associating with Rush.