Press Release - LULAC Highlights Strength of Diverse Community Effort, Gains 2nd Seat on Clear Channel Advisory Board

Contact: Lizette Jenness Olmos, (202) 365-4553 mobile

June 4, 2010

Radio Station General Manager Apologizes for the Insensitivity of the Promotion

Washington, DC – The League of United Latin American Citizens,  called on Ohio radio station WTVN-AM and its parent company Clear Channel Communications to apologize for the distasteful contest held last week urging callers to win a free trip to Arizona and “spend a weekend chasing aliens and spending cash in the desert.” LULAC along with other national organizations will file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).   A coalition of Columbus community members including LULAC Ohio joined together in rejecting the insensitive promotion and advertisement on Clear Channel's WTVN 610 Radio Station, which depicted Mayor Coleman on a Green Card in a trip giveaway to Phoenix, Arizona last week.  Organizations that came out against this action include: LULAC Ohio, LULAC – Columbus Councils, NCLR, Reform Immigration for America, Empleos y Employment, Ohio Hispanic Coalition, Casa de la Cultura Hispana, Colombianos en Ohio, The Horn of Africa Rescue Committee (SomaliCommunity), Victoria Motors, University Area Enrichment Association, DJVU Latin Fusion, Jewish Family Services of Columbus and Latino LeaderShift Initiative.   On June 2nd, Station Manager of WTVN, Brian Dytko, went on air to publicly state, "We do not condone violence of any kind. We apologize for our actions here. We are always striving to engage our community on important issues of the day and sometimes we do a better job than others, but we always take the input of our community seriously." “We stood up to racial profiling and bigoted messaging inferred by WTVN’s promotion,” said LULAC National President Rosa Rosales. “This is clearly the chilling effect of what is happening in Arizona with SB 1070. We believe that our community must respect and protect all people. We will file a complaint with the FCC and ensure that threats made against the community are dealt with urgently.”   “LULAC will continue to engage and develop our long-term relationship with Clear Channel” said Ohio State Director Jason Riveiro. “We have an advisory board with Clear Channel in Cincinnati and we will now be present on  the advisory board in Columbus. This will help to ensure that these types of hurtful and insensitive issues do not reoccur in the future.”   LULAC will have a meeting with Brian Dytko, General Manager of the station next week.

The League of United Latin American Citizens, the oldest and largest Hispanic membership organization in the country, advances the economic conditions, educational attainment, political influence, health, housing and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide.