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This month, with the ten-week public Internet voting period nearly over, the Radio Hall of Fame got wind of a more troubling protest. A statement arrived from the gay advocacy group Truth Wins Out, along with several hundred e-mails, demanding that the list be purged of a nominee no one had mentioned up to that point: Focus on the Family, the radio ministry of right-wing pundit James Dobson.
This is not a controversy DuMont needs. He's been struggling for years to reopen the Museum of Broadcast Communications, which he founded in 1987 and ran from 1992 to 2003 at the Chicago Cultural Center. The museum's new home at State and Kinzie has been stalled out in mid-rehab since May 2006. DuMont, who blames the state for withholding $6 million he says it promised him, continues his fund-raising efforts, and the $500-a-plate hall of fame induction dinner, scheduled for November 8 this year, is one of them. So he watched with concern as TWO rallied opposition to Dobson in the gay community and Dobson, who can reach 2.5 million supporters with a single e-mail blast, fought back.
The contest closed July 15 with more than 70,000 votes cast. When they were tallied, Focus on the Family had won the nationally syndicated broadcasters category, beating out Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Bob Costas, and Howard Stern. DuMont announced that the public had made its choice and the hall of fame would stand by it.
But it wasn't over for the anti-Dobson forces. They've mounted a new campaign to get the museum to disqualify Focus on the Family before the induction.
It might be worthwhile to approach some of the past inductees and see if any are aware of Dobson's pending honor, if they feel it detracts from their career, and if they would withdraw from the Hall of Fame rather than be linked to Dobson.
posted by Anonymous, at
7/31/2008 3:20 PM
Dobson received more votes, therefore he deserves his spot in the Radio Hall of Fame. It is nice to see a man of noble charcter and Bibical values receive such an honor.
posted by Anonymous, at
7/31/2008 7:31 PM
"It is nice to see a man of noble charcter and Bibical values receive such an honor."
I normally do not get involved in public debate. However, your news releases inspired me to vote for Dr. Dobson for the Radio Hall of Fame.
I am honestly trying to understand why Dr. Dobson has drawn such ire from your website.
I would be proud to be linked with James Dobson. Your criticism is grossly out of balance. I have been listening to his program for more than a decade and his counsel has been a factor in me becoming a better man.
The Focus broadcast is geared to a specific audience and no one is forced to listen to it. It happens to be, however, very popular and Dr. Dobson has rightly earned his spot in the radio hall of fame.
When the topic of homosexuality comes up on the Focus program, I have yet to find anything that would warrant loud public protest. A common objection seems to be the Focus "Love Won Out" ministry. I see no evidence that they are trying to bother people who aren't interested and I would be very interested to learn otherwise. Therefore, why are people who are not interested in something complaining about a ministry they are not interested in? It is a child-like and juvenile protest.
My fear is that people won’t take you seriously, and it will hamper our ability to get along in a diverse society. There are critical issues at-stake and you are making a silly protest that most people will snicker at or ignore. Worse, I fear it will make a common problem (disparaging people with same-sex attraction) worse because you are not acting like responsible adults.
posted by Anonymous, at
7/31/2008 10:19 PM
