General Question
What are your thoughts on this racist radio show host?
Details here for your convenience:
From the sound of it, racist radio host Bob Romanik is declaring defeat as the Federal Communications Commission advances its effort to revoke the license of the Belleville-based stations that carry his programming. Entertainment Media Trust, the official name of the broadcast licensee, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and liquidation of assets.
Romanik has long tried to avoid on-air commentary about his deepening FCC troubles, refusing to engage when callers raise the subject. But since the bankruptcy filing on Wednesday, Romanik has declared verbal war on the FCC and various politicians, including Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who have urged action to shut him down. On Monday, he declared, “FCC, kiss my ass, … you scumbag, (expletive), rotten bastards.”
More than 15,000 complaints have been filed against him, Romanik acknowledged. Many if not most of those complaints regard his filthy on-air language, which during a typical daily broadcast can include upwards of 50 usages of the N-word along with constant racist, sexist and homophobic taunts. He leveled several on Monday against St. Louis and Missouri black politicians. An announcer states before each broadcast that Romanik’s stations represent “white awareness radio,” or WAR, while his Killer Klassic Kountry (KKK) nickname for station KQQZ-AM suggest he is openly trying to provoke a race war.
“I don’t know how much longer you’re going to hear me,” Romanik stated, citing a “full-court press” against him by the FCC. License revocation is so rare, it was last used about 25 years ago.
Much as Romanik’s detractors would like to see his racist language silenced, the FCC action is predicated on much more mundane legal principles. The FCC alleges in court documents that Entertainment Media Trust lied about the true nature of Romanik’s involvement in the ownership and control of the stations. Romanik asserts the government is out to curtail his First Amendment rights, but the real issue is that he is a two-time felon — which negates his eligibility to own and operate under an FCC license.
Substantial financial records submitted for review by a federal administrative law judge provide a convincing case that Romanik tried to hide his true role in the four stations licensed to Entertainment Media Trust.
Many of the financial documents subpoenaed by the FCC have been redacted from public view, but ample publicly available evidence exists to demonstrate that Romanik has repeatedly intermingled his personal finances and political activities with those of the radio stations.
It’s entirely possible that the bankruptcy filing is a flimsy ploy designed to convince the federal judge that the stations’ closure and liquidation of assets are imminent and, therefore, license revocation would be redundant. But revoking the license, rare and radical as such an action might be, is essential to send a clear message that wanton abuse of the public airwaves will not be tolerated.
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