Employees' Group Angered by KCAL Airing 'Limbaugh' : Television: Lesbian and gay workers at Disney, which owns the station, asks management to reconsider the decision to pick up the show.

Employees’ Group Angered by KCAL Airing ‘Limbaugh’ : Television: Lesbian and gay workers at Disney, which owns the station, asks management to reconsider the decision to pick up the show.

By DANIEL CERONE

Sept. 9, 1994 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Rush Limbaugh will become the newest member of the Disney family Monday night when his nationally syndicated TV show begins airing locally on KCAL-TV Channel 9, which is owned by the Walt Disney Co. But it’s hardly one big happy family.

Lesbian and Gay United Employees, a group of about 125 Disney employees, sent a letter to key executives at Disney and KCAL, asking them to reconsider their decision to pick up “Rush Limbaugh, The Television Show,” which has been airing locally on KCOP-TV Channel 13. The group claims that Limbaugh delivers damaging diatribes against gays, feminists and environmentalists.

“We are all up in arms, based on his history of hate mongering and intolerance and disregard for consciousness-informed commentary,” said Garrett Hicks, co-chair of Lesbian and Gay United Employees and an assistant in Disney’s feature animation department. “Disney has been very good with issues of diversity and tolerance in the workplace. Now they’re bringing in someone who flies in the face of all that they’re trying to establish as their corporate personality.”

But KCAL will not pull Limbaugh.

“To censor an idea or opinion because a portion of society does not agree with it would be a disservice to the public. We prefer to let our viewers make their own personal decisions and form their own opinions by watching and listening on their own,” said Stacy Okonowsky, director of media and sales promotions for KCAL.

Richard Mincer, a senior producer on the Limbaugh show, responded: “Rush is amused that people who are constantly claiming their rights are being infringed upon would seek to infringe on other people’s rights.”

Hicks said his group does not want to censor Limbaugh. “We’re not saying he doesn’t deserve a forum to speak,” he explained. “Everybody does. What we’re saying is that the match of Disney and Rush is not right. The fit is not real good.”