Former
Kbeach DJ loses show
By Sonya Smith
On-line Forty-Niner
Kbeach
disc jockey Gerry Wachovsky says his freedom
of speech has been impeded upon by the cancellation
of his radio show, the Alan Shadeway Show.
A third year business major, Wachovsky’s
show aired during the 2001 to 2002 academic
year and was to continue airing this fall
until it was cancelled during the summer.
“I heard that [the show] entailed ‘Howard
Stern-type’ content,” said second year psychology
major and production director for Kbeach,
Ray Hernandez. Hernandez added that the
show contained a lot of cussing and inappropriate
language, but he admitted Wachovsky was
very dedicated and worked very hard on the
show.
Wachovsky said his show was inspired by
Howard Stern and Tom Leykis along with the
television show, “Politically Incorrect”
with Bill Maher. He said he mixed addressing
issues with comedic bits such as one game,
“Who Wants to Marry an Islamic Fundamentalist?”
The Associated Student Adviser for Student
Media, John Trapper, said Wachovsky’s show
was canceled because of the quality and
because of his failure to be a team player.
Trapper said while he was not the deciding
factor in Wachovsky’s cancellation he permitted
it.
“It is unfortunate because I feel Gerry
has talent,” Trapper said.
Trapper said the students in charge of Kbeach,
Crystal Gomez and Neil Rivas, contacted
him and wanted to get rid of Wachovsky entirely.
Trapper said that he stressed that they
should find another way to use Wachovsky.
Hernandez said he heard that Wachovsky did
not represent what Kbeach wanted as their
image.”
Wachovsky said when his show was cancelled,
Wachovsky was given the option of either
pre-recording his shows so that they could
be edited for content or record short radio
bits to add to other shows.
“We made a genuine offer that he could come
back full-scale in spring 2003,” Trapper
said. “He would rather fight than change.”
Wachovsky said, “ I just wanted to hear
one complaint about [the show, but instead]
they gave me the run around.”
Trapper said he could not furnish the complaints
because they had been made by his peers
at Kbeach as a collective group.
Wachovsky took the matter to the Media Board,
who gave him the opportunity to plead his
case. Trapper said that Wachovsky did more
damage than good when pleading his case.
Wachovsky lost the case, but he still feels
as though his freedom of speech has been
restricted.
“You
should be able to speak your mind,” Wachovsky
said.
Trapper, who is also the advisor for the
Union publication, said he is not censoring
and such a notion is outrageous.
Trapper said Wachovsky sent e-mails to Kbeach
posing as other people in order to save
his show. Wachovsky said he simply e-mailed
his listeners, urging them to support his
show by sending Kbeach e-mails.
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