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<DIV id=storyHeadline><H1>Hot 97 under fire over 'coconut' comments</H1></DIV><DIV id=leftColumn><DIV id=storyBody><H3>Critics demanding the station fire personality Miss Jones</H3><H4>
Eyewitness News' Sandra Bookman</H4><P class="firstParagraph setTextSize"><SPAN class=dateline>(New York -WABC, February 15, 2006)</SPAN> - You've probably heard about the radio station Hot 97 and it's controversial personality Miss Jones. She made another outrageous comment, so outrageous the New York City council is taking action.<DIV class=setTextSize id=bodyText>Eyewitness News reporter Sandra Bookman is live from the West Village.
Critics of Hot 97 say that there have just been too many of these incidents and tonight they are supporting the city council's condemnation of what they call the station's latest bigoted remark, but they are also demanding the station get rid of its program director and they're demanding that the personality known as Miss Jones be fired.
Yvette Clarke, (D) City Council Member: "I am really just fed up with what Hot 97 continues to do."
Members of the New York City council and community activists are once again taking popular hip hop radio station Hot 97 to task. And once again it's about comments made by on-air personality Miss Jones, this time for referring to transit union president Roger Toussaint as a "dumb coconut who probably doesn't have a green card."
Rosa Clemente, R.E.A.C. Hip-Hop Coalition: "We understand Miss Jones is a symptom of their sick racism and their need to make money and ratings."
Hot 97 has a history of courting controversy. Remember the infamous "Smackfest"? Last year the station brought in a studio camera for the contest, in which women slapped each other for money until they drew blood.
Before that there was the song that made fun of tsunami victims.
Once again, Miss Jones was involved, and in fact, was suspended after the incident. The company that owns Hot 97, Emmis Communication, donated more than a million dollars to tsunami relief. But critics say Hot 97 continues to broadcast racially and culturally insensitive remarks.
John Liu, (D) City Council Member: "They keep trying to make more and more money by spewing hate over our public airwaves with no accountability."
Miss Jones did apologize about those remarks about Roger Toussaint several weeks ago. A spokesman for the station said he would have no comment on today's development, but critics of Hot 97 say they may now try to pressure the station's advertisers to try and force some changes. </DIV></DIV></DIV>
Eyewitness News' Sandra Bookman</H4><P class="firstParagraph setTextSize"><SPAN class=dateline>(New York -WABC, February 15, 2006)</SPAN> - You've probably heard about the radio station Hot 97 and it's controversial personality Miss Jones. She made another outrageous comment, so outrageous the New York City council is taking action.<DIV class=setTextSize id=bodyText>Eyewitness News reporter Sandra Bookman is live from the West Village. Critics of Hot 97 say that there have just been too many of these incidents and tonight they are supporting the city council's condemnation of what they call the station's latest bigoted remark, but they are also demanding the station get rid of its program director and they're demanding that the personality known as Miss Jones be fired.
Yvette Clarke, (D) City Council Member: "I am really just fed up with what Hot 97 continues to do."
Members of the New York City council and community activists are once again taking popular hip hop radio station Hot 97 to task. And once again it's about comments made by on-air personality Miss Jones, this time for referring to transit union president Roger Toussaint as a "dumb coconut who probably doesn't have a green card."
Rosa Clemente, R.E.A.C. Hip-Hop Coalition: "We understand Miss Jones is a symptom of their sick racism and their need to make money and ratings."
Hot 97 has a history of courting controversy. Remember the infamous "Smackfest"? Last year the station brought in a studio camera for the contest, in which women slapped each other for money until they drew blood.
Before that there was the song that made fun of tsunami victims.
Once again, Miss Jones was involved, and in fact, was suspended after the incident. The company that owns Hot 97, Emmis Communication, donated more than a million dollars to tsunami relief. But critics say Hot 97 continues to broadcast racially and culturally insensitive remarks.
John Liu, (D) City Council Member: "They keep trying to make more and more money by spewing hate over our public airwaves with no accountability."
Miss Jones did apologize about those remarks about Roger Toussaint several weeks ago. A spokesman for the station said he would have no comment on today's development, but critics of Hot 97 say they may now try to pressure the station's advertisers to try and force some changes. </DIV></DIV></DIV>
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