| Radio show staff suspended over tsunami song
27/01/2005 - 15:52:50
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The entire staff of a New York radio show has been indefinitely suspended for broadcasting a joke song mocking victims of the tsunami tragedy.
Hip-hop station Hot 97 sparked outrage and thousands of complaints for repeatedly playing the offensive track.
The parody, sung to the tune of 1985 famine relief song, We are the World, makes jokes about child slavery and children watching their mothers die.
The lyrics include the line: “You can hear God laughing: ‘Swim, you *****es, swim’.” Another makes light of how the killer tsunami “washed your whole country away” and makes reference to “screaming chinks”.
Initially, station chiefs docked a week’s wages from each of the show’s seven-member staff, pledging to donate the funds to tsunami relief.
But the continued backlash from media watchdogs and local politicians forced them to pull the programme, suspending DJ Tarsha Nicole Jones and her team on the Miss Jones morning show.
Station owner Emmis Radio said in a statement: “(We) will not tolerate such derogatory and racially insensitive comment.
“The station has a long-time reputation for community involvement and support.” Emmis Radio president, Rick Cummings, branded the song “morally and socially indefensible”.
He added: “All involved, myself included, are ashamed and deeply sorry.”
The move follows the sacking of Sky Sports football pundit Rodney Marsh after he made offensive comments about the disaster on air.
Meanwhile, a New York travel agent was forced to pull an advert at the last minute. The deal offered “Special Tsunami Fares” complete with a picture of people fleeing a giant wave. |
I don't get outraged too often.....................but...........
listen to the song here
...why did they think it would be funny? | |
