Hispanic Group Demands CC VP Suspension For "Discrimination"

The CINCINNATI INQUIRER reports that a local Hispanic group, offended by promotional/marketing campaigns of CLEAR CHANNEL Talk WLW-A/CINCINNATI, have made new demands to the station in order to prevent its call for a boycott. One in particular calls for the suspension of CLEAR CHANNEL VP/Market Manager CHUCK FREDRICK for two weeks without pay.

The new demands come in response to two separate incidents: WLW ran "The Big Juan" billboards last MAY that featured a Hispanic man and a donkey, then ran radio spots during a CINCINNATI REDS game in mid-AUGUST that mockingly offered advice on "Speaking to An Illegal Alien." 

When THE LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS complained that those campaigns revealed "blatant discrimination," CLEAR CHANNEL EVP/Eastern Region TOM SCHURR issued a statement that promised not be rebroadcast the spots, and that a local advisory board will be formed to work with the LEAGUE to "provide station management with input on community issues and concerns."

That apparently wasn't enough, as the LEAGUE came up with new demands on WEDNESDAY (8/29). Besides FREDRICK's suspension, the group demanded that:

* CLEAR CHANNEL provide diversity training for all 700 of WLW's employees

* The station offer a public apology for the spots at a press conference, "with a detailed explanation on how WLW will prevent such incidents in the future"

* WLW air four 15-second announcements every day during Hispanic Heritage Month, from SEPT. 15 through OCT. 15.

CLEAR CHANNEL and FREDRICK have yet to publicly respond to the new demands.

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