NHMC Files Petition to Deny KFI AM License Renewal

Brian Pacheco

Social Media and Communications Strategist, NHMC

Washington, D.C. - The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC), the nation's leading non-profit, non-partisan, media advocacy and civil rights organization for the advancement of Latinos, on Friday filed a 351-page petition to deny the renewal of the broadcast license of Clear Channel's KFI AM 640 in Los Angeles, at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington, D.C. NHMC's petition contends that KFI and Clear Channel have demonstrated a pattern of abuse using their broadcast license by airing repeated instances of hate speech that target the many diverse communities of Los Angeles. NHMC further alleges that this pattern of abuse fails to serve the public interest and that evidence exists to suggest that KFI has engaged in news distortion.

To read the petition to deny, visit: https://www.nhmc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/KFI-PTD-NHMC-Final.pdf

"For too long, KFI and Clear Channel have used their broadcasting privilege to demonize and degrade the many diverse communities throughout Los Angeles, causing great harm to all of us along the way. However, as they actively sought to alienate entire segments of the community, they actually succeeded in alienating themselves from the community and, therefore, have rendered themselves incapable of providing the service that their license demands. They have failed to respond to the outrage that they have caused the citizens of Los Angeles and there is no recourse left but to strip them of their license. We hope that the FCC will act with haste to grant our petition and open up a license for somebody that will take to heart their responsibilities as a broadcaster," said NHMC President & CEO Alex Nogales.

In 2012, NHMC led a campaign for the removal of KFI's "The John and Ken Show." The campaign, which was supported by over 40 local and national organizations, resulted in over twenty advertisers pulling support from the show, including AT&T Wireless, Verizon, Vons and Ralph's.

"The John and Ken Show" is known to habitually use unsubstantiated claims, divisive language, flawed argumentation and dehumanizing metaphors against people of color, people of certain religions and LGBT people to shock and anger their audience.

NHMC-commissioned studies have found that hate speech on commercial talk radio promotes hatred toward people of color, certain religious groups and LGBT people. Furthermore, the studies revealed that hateful rhetoric in radio not only harms the targeted group, but it can also negatively impact listeners' health, regardless of race, ethnicity, nativity, or ideological alignment with the speaker.

For more information about NHMC's campaign against KFI's "The John and Ken Show," visit: https://www.nhmc.org/johnandken

To read NHMC's report designating KFI AM as a hate radio hot spot, visit: https://www.nhmc.org/american_hate_radio_nhmc.pdf

About NHMC The National Hispanic Media Coalition is a non-partisan, non-profit, media advocacy and civil rights organization established in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. Its mission is to educate and influence media corporations on the importance of including U.S. Latinos at all levels of employment. It augments the pool of Latino talent with its professional development programs. It challenges media that carelessly exploit negative Latino stereotypes. It scrutinizes and opines on media and telecommunications policy issues. Learn more at https://www.nhmc.org. Receive real-time updates on Facebook and Twitter @NHMC.