From: idfriedm@hertz.waterloo.edu (id friedman)
Subject: Re: Radio Host Fired After Jewish Prote
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 20:48:14 GMT

In article <1483500289@igc.org> Arab World and Islamic Resources <awair@igc.org> writes:
>
>From: Arab World and Islamic Resources <awair>
>Subject: Radio Host Fired After Jewish Protest
>
>July 1st was the last program on KALW-FM (San Francisco Bay Area)
>regularly hosted by Colin Edwards, who for several years on that
>station has given valuable information and commentary on the
>Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  I spoke with him over the phone
>today about what had happened at the station and I am posting this
>week's SF WEEKLY article about his firing.  The latest news is
>that the station manager Daniel del Solar, who made the decision
>to fire Edwards, has announced his resignation.  An investigation
>into Edwards firing has been called by school board member Tom
>Ammiano.  (The San Francisco school district runs the station.)
>
>(A correction should be made to this article that while Edwards
>worked for many years doing a great number of programs for the BBC
>and other broadcasting systems around the world, he had never been
>a BBC Middle East correspondent on staff.)
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Controversy at KALW
>RADIO HOST FIRED AFTER JEWISH PROTEST
>
>by John Roemer
>
>(Reprinted from SF WEEKLY, July 15, 1992, p.8)
>
>Outspoken radio commentator Colin Edwards has been fired from
>KALW-FM after a months-long protest campaign by the Jewish
>Anti-Defamation League and the threat of a lawsuit by state
>Senator Quentin Kopp (I-S.F.)
>
>Edwards announced on his last show July 1 that "the station has
>received many objections to my remarks from the Israeli Consulate
>General and Zionist organizations and individuals....It was not my
>decision to stop."
>
>Edwards, an Oxford-educated, former BBC Middle East correspondent
>who now lives in Oakland, angered pro-Israeli listeners by voicing
>provocative opinions and airing dirty historical linen on his
>five-minute Wednesday morning program.  He spoke of how Yitzhak
                                                         ^^^^^^^ 
>Shamir and David Ben Gurion colluded with the Nazis during World
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>War II.  He described recent Israeli arms dealing with the
^^^^^^

Evidence? Perhaps they paid some money to save Jewish lives, something
the "civilized" countries couldn't be bothered doing!

>government of South Africa.  And he talked about the present-day

 Did he describe that Arab dealings with South Africa are much, much
 greater than Israel's?
 
 Did he describe that dealings with S.A of US, Canada, U.K, Etc.. are
 much greater than those of Israel?



>policy of "Israeli aggression" against Lebanon.

 
 Did he talk about the fact that Israel occupies about 2 to 5% of the area
 of "Lebanon" that Syria does? 

 Does he talk about all of the terrorists could by the I.D.F trying to enter
 Israel through the security zone?





>
>He also outraged Kopp last November by an on-air reference to Kopp
>having served in the Israeli armed forces reserve during a trip
>the then-supervisor took to Israel in 1985.  Kopp threatened to
>sue, insisting he had merely been a non-military volunteer.
>
>The Kopp incident spurred the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) into
>action, Assistant Director Nancy Diner said last week.  "We
>started transcribing [Edwards'] shows to check for accuracy.  We
>wrote many protest letters to the station."
>
>Diner said that although it was not the ADL's intention to force
>Edwards off the air, one member of the group recently compiled a
>list of Edwards' alleged inaccuracies and took them to station
                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


Let' see the list, and judge whether they were alleged or not.

>manager Daniel del Solar in a personal effort to get Edwards
>fired.
>
>Del Solar denied the campaign against Edwards figured in his
>decision to end Edwards' four-year-old program.  "he was getting
>boring," del Solar said.
>
>But producer Alan Farley confirmed that outside pressure provoked
>the firing.  "Edwards' commentaries have drawn a lot of flack from
>the Israeli consulate and elsewhere in the Jewish community," he
>said.  "Our station manager finally got tired of dealing with
>it."
>
>Loyal listeners, upset at the decision, jammed the station
>switchboard with irate calls for half an hour after Edwards
>announced that the July 1 program was his last, Farley said.
>
>The San Francisco school district runs the station, and school
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 And I imagine that you just love seeing your tax money go to a 
 station that spews virulent anti-Israel propaganda. ( As opposed to
 legitimite critism).






>board member Tom Ammiano called for an investigation into Edwards'
>firing.  "I am concerned about censorship," he said.  "It's not up
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


Are you implying that if I am a media person and I make highly inflamattory
comments about a certain group at public expense, I should necessarily
be alowed to continuously do so.

Censorship is when I put out a leaflet, newspaper, etc.. and it is declared
illegal. Employees can be fired.                               

>to del Solar to decide these things.  The board sets policy.  We
>don't want to look as though we cave in to pressure, although we
>always do."
>-------------------------------------------------------
>
>KALW's phone number is 415-695-5740.
>
>
>Jennifer Smith
>awair@igc.org
>AWAIR: Arab World And Islamic Resources and School Services
>2095 Rose Street, Suite 4
>Berkeley, CA  94709
>