27 JUL 2006: [RESOLVED!] Email STL radio station about dangerous anti-cycling comments

[Update 6 August 2006: This situation has been resolved. The DJs have apologized, the station has agreed to run bicycling PSAs and invite bicycle advocates to a show to discuss bicycling and road safety, and they indicate that this will not happen again on their station. Many thanks to all those who wrote the station and to the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation for taking the lead in discussions with the station.]

Cyclist Dan S wrote on STLBiking.com:

Last Thursday, July 21, 2006 at approximately 4:40 in the afternoon on my drive home I tuned into 105.7 THE POINT. This is not a station I regularly listen to but stopped and listened because the DJ’s Thom and Jeff were discussing cyclists. When I tuned in they were having a discussion about the type of outfits that cyclists wear (never heard that before). The discussion then turned to how cyclists want to be treated like other vehicles while at the same time blowing through stop signs/lights, cutting through traffic etc. Both DJ’s talked about experiences they had had when this took place then one of the DJ’s I am not sure which stated the next time he sees a cyclist do this he will "open his car door on them" and hit them, then "pound" on them (beat them up). At this point the DJ’s read an email about the subject stating it was from someone who had a friend killed while cycling and that advocating hitting someone was wrong the DJ’s changed their toon a bit but still managed to ridicule the e mailer. The discussion did not take long maybe less than 5 minutes. They then went to commercial for 20-25 minutes and when they returned the topic had changed and to my knowledge hasn’t been brought back up.

Now that being said this is the action I took. I wrote a letter to the GM of the station (follows) to their sponsor Hardees and to StlBikeFed. To this date Wednesday July 26, 2006 I have not received any thing from the station. I have received an email from Hardees stating they will forward my letter on to Management. StlBikeFed has called the station twice and written letters to the station and left a message on the listener line for the DJ’s. No response as of yet.

I wanted to go through the correct channels in handling this before I mentioned it on stlbiking.com. Apparently I am the only one who heard it in the cycling world so it's my word against theirs. If you would like to send a Professional letter to the station you can do so by visiting their website at a http://data.leasedomains.com/Station/info.aspx

Keep in mind that as Dan says, at this point no recording or transcript of the program is available. Therefore the exact statements and context cannot be verified.

Nevertheless it seems appropriate to write the station and politely and persuasively make these points:

• This is a serious issue.
  
• The station should issue a recording or verified transcript of the show in question so that the comments and their context can be fully understood by everyone.
  
• Intentionally striking a bicyclist with a door or "pounding" on them is assault.
  
• Inciting drivers to these acts is itself illegal and against the station's duty to operate on the public airwaves in the public interest.
  
• Unless the station releases a recording or transcript of the show and takes appropriate action complaints can and will be filed with the FCC.
  
• Depending on the exact nature of the comments, appropriate action on the part of the station may include:
  • Reprimand to the DJs involved.
    
  • Public apology
    
  • Pro-active steps to educate the public that bicyclists are legal users of the public roadways and about what steps drivers can take to safely operate with bicyclists.
  Bicyclists have been too often assaulted by drivers in ways similar to those described by these DJs. Such incidents have happened in the St. Louis area. The media has played a part in creating an environment where such violent acts are tolerated and even encouraged.
  
  105.7 The Point must take steps now to reverse this trend.