To: Hot 97 Radio Station in NYC
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On January 21st, 2005, an offensive song/skit containing openly derogatory and racist overtones reached millions of listeners in New York City when it was broadcast on Hot 97's "Miss Jones in the Morning" radio show. While the radio show has a history of recording and playing such spoofs on a regular basis, the infamous "Tsunami Song" mocks not only the victims of the unfortunate recent natural disaster in Southeast Asia, but also all members of the Asian race in general with the racial slurs "chink" and "Chinamen."
Choice lyrics included:
- "All at once you could hear the screaming ch*nks and no one was safe from the wave there were africans drowning, little chinamen swept away you could hear god laughing, 'swim you b*tches swim'"
- "So now you're screwed, it's the Tsunami, you better run or kiss your ass away, go find your mommy, I just saw her float by, a tree went through her head, and now the children will be sold to child slavery..."
Just prior to the broadcasting of this inflammatory and extremely distasteful audio, the airwaves erupted into hostility when the popular morning show's hosts argued about playing the "Tsunami Song." The on-air quarrel started when Miss Info openly voiced that she had no involvement with either the production or publication of the song, as she personally found the views expressed in the song offensive. The show's other two co-hosts Miss Jones and Todd Lynn then launched into an abusive tirade against Miss Info for her lack of co-operation. At one point, Todd Lynn stated that he was going to start shooting Asians while Miss Jones told Info she's only complaining because "you feel superior, probably because you're Asian."
You can hear the audio for yourself at:
http://www.thesilent1.com/longer_hot97_tsunami.mp3
If you wish to make a further comment, you can send an e-mail to the program director
jdimick@hot97.emmis.com or you can write to WQHT, 395 Hudson Street, 7th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10014.
You can also contact some of Hot 97's sponsors here:
Sprint/Sprint PCS
Media Contact:
James Fisher, 202-585-1947
james.w.fisher@mail.sprint.com
Popeyes
http://popeyes.com/corp_comm.asp
Reebok
Reebok International Ltd.
PO Box 1060
Ronks, PA 17573
McDonald's
http://mcdonalds.com/contact/contact_us.html
_____________________________________________________________________
PETITION STATEMENT:
We ask that all Hot 97 employees actively involved with the production and broadcast of the ill-humoured "Tsunami Song" played on "Miss Jones in the Morning" on January 21st, 2005, be fired and blacklisted from working at the radio station permanently. In particular, Miss Jones and co-host Todd Lynn were guilty of not only producing the audio, but voicing openly-racist attitudes unapologetically on the airwaves. They have not, to this point, even made a public apology on their own behalves. This kind of behaviour is simply intolerable, and Hot 97’s refusal to address the problem at hand will not come without serious consequences for the radio station as no corporation would support such an organization.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
