Tuning Out the Ugliness : Clinton and NOW laud KACE’s leadership

Music industry big shots scoffed when KACE, a black-owned FM radio station in Inglewood, decided to no longer air rap music that glorifies violence or denigrates women. What could a single station with a relatively small market share accomplish? Plenty, now that President Clinton is paying attention.

In a recent nationwide radio address on crime and violence, Clinton praised KACE for refusing to contaminate the airwaves. He said: “In recent weeks, I’ve spoken to leaders from the religious community and the entertainment community about the obligation we all share to fight violence with values. . . . I was proud to hear that the Inner City Broadcasting Corp. of New York, which owns five radio stations throughout the country, will no longer play songs that advocate violence or show contempt for women. And I understand that two stations in Los Angeles, KACE, owned by former Green Bay Packer Willie Davis, and KJLH, owned by Stevie Wonder, have also adopted this policy.”

THE FUTURE: The President added, “Whether we are ministers or movie makers, business people or broadcasters, teachers or parents, we can all set our sons and daughters on a better path in life, so they can learn and love and lead decent and productive lives.”

When the White House takes note, others pay attention. The Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization for Women on Wednesday gave KACE its first annual media award “for helping to improve the quality of women’s lives.”

KACE indeed deserves recognition for being in the lead. The station announced its ban several months ago. More recently, another L.A.-area FM station, KPWR, the highest-rated English-language broadcast station in the Southern California market, instituted a similarly responsible policy, rejecting lyrics that show contempt for women or advocate violence. More stations should voluntarily exclude such lyrics.

Rap music doesn’t always offend. Some songs present positive messages such as respect for women. But these are atypical, unfortunately.

THE HISTORY: In the beginning, rap was dominated by an infectious beat and lyrics that were a series of rhyming boasts about who could play the best music. The beat remains but, now, at least in some quarters, the lyrics are hate-filled, misogynistic, racist and violent. Some songs promote marijuana, drinking, even murder. Such messages often are aimed at impressionable young radio listeners.

Will some listeners tune out because of the new policies of responsibility at some stations? KACE program director Rick Guzman explained why his station was willing to risk losing listeners: “There simply comes a time when you have to put the ratings game aside and the money aside. Dr. Martin Luther King (Jr.) didn’t become a zillionaire doing what he was doing, but he was doing the right thing.” As President Clinton noted, KACE, too, is doing the right thing.

We hope more stations will get the message--and that more people will tune in.