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From what I heard on the station (I listen to KTAR everyday), ASU said that there were "several complaints" about the station, but have eventually whittled it down to one student that complained twice: Once in October, likely due to the illegal-immigrant debate, which KTAR is definitely against, and the same student more recently, complaining as to why the station is still being played on ASU's shuttles.
That's all still speculation/rumor though, as ASU is witholding information on why they made their decision, even though they are covered under the Freedom of Information Act. KTAR already filed a request for more details under the FIA.
Quote:
First Amendment Debate over ASU ban of KTAR-FM
April 14th, 2008 @ 6:37am
by KTAR Newsroom
The chairman of the Radio and Television News Directors Association says Arizona State University is messing with a First Amendment constitutional right by banning News/Talk 92-3 KTAR from being played on student shuttle buses.
``If it hasn't been a practice discouraged in the past, it seems to me that the issue now is not that anything is playing on the radio, it's that these particular comments on KTAR are being subjected to scrutiny because of the content. I think that's where you're getting into a First Amendment issue," Ed Esposito said.
Coach America, the company that contracts with ASU to provide shuttle service on eight campus routes, said one student complained to the university twice about offensive content during the talk show hosted by Darrell Ankarlo.
Bus drivers told KTAR-FM they received a memo with their paychecks last Friday that said they should tune in to a ``more generic" station or not play the radio at all.
Esposito said ASU can't ban just one station because someone didn't like what they heard.
``It's not that there was a radio program airing on the bus, it's this particular radio program, and I think that's where you get into some really sticky free speech issues."
KTAR-FM's news department contacted ASU officials for comment. The university said it would have no comment until after the weekend. A comment could come as early as today.
KTAR management wrote to Coach America on Friday and said the ban violates free-speech rights on a taxpayer-funded campus and taxpayer-funded bus.
ASU should have asked some questions before it banned KTAR-FM, Esposito said.
``Why wouldn't they go to the trouble of bringing in the talk show host because it seems as though this is some kind of First Amendment star chamber we're in where they're making decisions without doing a full investigation first?" Esposito asked. ``That kind of seems backward in this whole concept of what kind of due process we have to hear complaints, encourage debate and talk these things out... This is, literally, like shoot first and ask questions later."
Esposito added, ``If someone happened to be reading a book or newspaper that someone didn't care for on the bus, would they also have the right to kick that rider or ask them to put that newspaper or that magazine or that book away?"
``What makes it even more surprising is that this is a bus company that is doing business in a place that's a bastion of thought and debate and speech, it's just incomprehensible."
Ankarlo said the bus ban flies in the face of ASU's stated policy that is strongly committed to academic freedom and free speech.
``What better joke is there than a major U.S. institution like ASU saying, `We don't value your opinion and we don't want you, a U.S. citizen, to give your opinion on our tax-dollar supported campus,'" Ankarlo said. ``For the college and the bus company to shut us off because they don't like what we're saying, you talk about an attack on the very process of learning in this country. I have to tell you, it's an embarrassment to the state."
He added, ``Taxpayer dollars support the university, the university allegedly tells the bus company, `shut Ankarlo up.' I have a First Amendment right to say what I want to say, I learned that in college."
The bus driver who told KTAR about the ban said he has listened to the station for two years. He said students ``are supposed to be mature adults who have open minds."
ASU Law Professor Paul Bender said he believes the restrictions violate the First Amendment.
"The fact that they are discriminating among stations on the basis of what they said... deciding to censor some speech because you disagree with it, that's unconstitutional," said Bender.
Bender said an exception could be provided if the university had a "really, really, really strong reason for doing that."
Students on ASU's Tempe campus said they were upset at the decision and considered it censorship.
"I'm going to be honest with you. I don't agree with probably 50 percent of the things Ankarlo says, maybe even more, and I still listen to it," said Casey, a student who called into KTAR-FM's Mac Watson Show. Casey said he regularly rides the buses in question and confirmed News/Talk 92.3 KTAR is always played on the overhead speakers.
"The reason I listen to [KTAR-FM] is I will never be able to defend what I believe, unless I know what other people believe. I think it's part of my education that I need to understand other people's point of view."
Casey said he doesn't understand ASU's move.
"It makes no sense to me. I don't think it was at all rational and I'm pretty upset because if someone complained about content, that's just part of life. No one's going to agree with everything."
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I actually agree with it. Being held hostage to a constant political message on a public school's bus is akin to gov't funded propaganda. I also agree they should just turn the radio off. Sheesh. Read a book and wear your iPod.
I actually agree with it. Being held hostage to a constant political message on a public school's bus is akin to gov't funded propaganda. I also agree they should just turn the radio off. Sheesh. Read a book and wear your iPod.
Nor should they be playing Air America or KFYI.
KTAR is definitely a right-leaning talk radio station.
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I actually agree with it. Being held hostage to a constant political message on a public school's bus is akin to gov't funded propaganda. I also agree they should just turn the radio off. Sheesh. Read a book and wear your iPod.
Triple
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oderint dum metuant (Latin for 'let them hate, so long as they fear').
Well, in truth I'm actually not a total hawk, but I'm not a dove either -- I'm more like an angry pigeon flying over the political arena after a really big meal. -Abba Gav
I actually agree with it. Being held hostage to a constant political message on a public school's bus is akin to gov't funded propaganda. I also agree they should just turn the radio off. Sheesh. Read a book and wear your iPod.
Constant?
You'd change yer mind if you were trying to listen to a or game.
You'd change yer mind if you were trying to listen to a or game.
I take the bus to work. No audio. No nothing. Most of the time I don't even get a seat. It's public transportation and I think the public should be required to provide their own time-passing device -- privately, without "sharing" with me.
If it's against the rules to bring a "boom box" on the bus to blast people with whatever, the bus drivers shouldn't have any special priveleges either.
The school could sell radio time blocks to help fund public education. Every parent would be informed of which company "this bus ride was brought to you by" and could decide to accept it or drive their kids to school themselves.
a 
or 
game. 
PRAY TO THE FOOTBALL GODS FOR SALVATION
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