June 7, 2009 10:06 PM BST
A SMALL VICTORY FOR TRANS AMERICANS?
I remain skeptical, and will wait to hear what they have to say, but today at 11:50 AM PDT, the following was released. See the original post at:
http://www.robarnieanddawn.com/
Here is what it says, if you don't feel like navigating there:
"TO OUR LOYAL ROB, ARNIE AND DAWN FOLLOWERS,
WE HAVE FAILED YOU. AS A SHOW, AS PEOPLE, AS BROADCASTERS, WE HAVE SIMPLY FAILED ON ALMOST EVERY LEVEL.
WE PRESENTED OUR OPINIONS ON A VERY SENSITIVE SUBJECT IN A HATEFUL, CHILDISH AND CRUDE FASHION; AND THEN, GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO RETRACT THOSE REMARKS, WE DEFENDED THEM.
SINCE THEN, YOU, OUR LOYAL LISTENERS, HAVE MADE IT CLEAR TO US THAT WE WENT TOO FAR. THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING. NONE OF YOU SAID THAT WE COULDN’T HAVE OPINIONS, YET SO MANY OF YOU SAID THAT THE WAY WE GAVE THEM CROSSED THE LINE. FURTHER, YOU SAID THAT OUR ATTEMPT TO MASK OUR COMMENTS AS “JOKES THAT WOULD BE UNDERSTOOD BY OUR AUDIENCE,” WAS UNACCEPTABLE. I WOULD SAY NOW THAT IT WAS WORSE THAN THAT, IT WAS COWARDLY. YOU HAVE MADE THAT CLEAR.
WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO VARIOUS GROUPS AND ASKED FOR A CHANCE TO MAKE THIS RIGHT; TO RESPOND, WITH THEIR PARTICIPATION, TO THE EDUCATION THAT OUR AUDIENCE HAS PROVIDED US. THAT OPPORTUNITY HAS BEEN GRACIOUSLY GRANTED THIS THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE 11TH. AT 7:30 A.M.
THE WORD APOLOGY APPEARS NO WHERE IN THIS LETTER FOR A REASON. WE ALREADY HID FROM DOING THE RIGHT THING ONCE AND WE’RE NOT GOING TO MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN. APOLOGIZING IN A WRITTEN, POSTED STATEMENT IS A FORM OF COWARDICE. WE WILL SAY WHAT NEEDS TO BE SAID THIS THURSDAY.
ON A FINAL, PERSONAL NOTE, AS THE LEADER AND OWNER OF THE SHOW, I HAVE MADE THE DECISION THAT WE NEED TO REFRAIN FROM BROADCASTING NEW EPISODES UNTIL WE CAN ADDRESS THIS ON THURSDAY . WE WILL RETURN TO THE AIR AT 7:30 A.M. JUNE 11TH.
ROB WILLIAMS
ROB, ARNIE AND DAWN"
Hopefully it will be a resignation. I cant see how they could expect to continue to work in the public media with this level of gross lack of judgement and loss of credibility.
June 8, 2009 10:43 PM BST
I am waiting to see. Could be another insincere, lame attempt at self preservation. One can only hope that the station GM just tears up their contract and sends them packin'.
June 8, 2009 11:10 PM BST
Robyn, if nothing else its a start. Lets hope they do the decent thing and say SORRY.
Lol xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anna-Marie
Kim Pearson of Trans Youth Family Allies and Autum Sandeen of GLAAD will be appearing on the Thursday show, so we'll see what will happen.
June 11, 2009 10:34 PM BST
I have listened to about an hour of today's show. It is archived at:
http://www.krxq.net/pages[...]809.php
Rob and Arnie seem to have been enlightened to some degree. Kim and Autumn did a great job of reaching out. If so many as one listener is affected positively, it will have been worthwhile.