The following post was sent as a letter to the Station Managers and offending hosts of KHYH 92.5 The Block FM on Tuesday August 11, 2009.
There is a big difference between me blogging about my opinion on breastfeeding and a television or radio media personality voicing their opinion on breastfeeding. People come to my blog to read about breastfeeding. People listen to the radio to hear songs, the news and some witty banter between hosts. It is my strong opinion that they don’t tune in to listen to a host’s personal opinion about how someone chooses to live their lifestyle.
Radio and television news announcers, dj’s, show hosts and all other media personalities should NOT be allowed to voice their personal opinions on air, on Twitter, or on any other form of media when representing their employer. Even specific talk radio hosts should remain neutral. Let the listeners have the opinions. Hosts can facilitate. It almost feels silly even to have to say this. The media personalities I see and listen to do keep their opinions to themselves. If they didn’t, can you imagine the on-air arguments between the anchors? What a gong show that would be! We’d never get to the news! Yet, this is what Tim Mihalsky of 92.5 KYHY Block FM and 1490 WWPR has chosen to do, and so far it appears he’s getting away with it.
It all started Sunday evening when Tim was at a Dodgers Game, tweeting live for Block FM, in Los Angeles, CA. He made a comment about a woman in front of him who was breastfeeding. “The lady in front of me is breastfeeding her baby at a Dodger game. No shame,” he wrote at
At first he tried to pass it off as a joke but then defended his tweet saying she should go “in the back” and that other people with him (his mom and pregnant sisters) agreed with his opinion. He says he actually supports breastfeeding and wants his kids to be breastfed but that he wouldn’t let his wife bare breastfeed them at a Dodger’s Game because he doesn’t want anyone seeing [her 1/2 inch of breast]. (What are you going to do then? Leave her at home? Make her go to the car? The bathroom? What if your baby won’t take a bottle? What if your wife hates pumping?) Okay, whatever, it’s your family and your perogative. That’s fine and dandy for you, although I do hope you give your wife a say in the matter.
The next day his co-host Cassie R Williams comes on air to talk about her views on the matter. She supports breastfeeding but think that “whipping out bare breasts in public for any reason, is rude.” She thinks there’s a classy way to breastfeed in public and that this woman at the Dodgers Game wasn’t classy. Although she wasn’t there to see it for herself.
This is exactly the kind of problem I’m talking about. One person’s definition of classy and another’s might be different. We shouldn’t be forced fed a host’s opinion when you and I weren’t even there. Let each person make up their own mind. Quietly. The fact that radio hosts choose to judge anyone’s way of doing something, is inappropriate, because they as radio personalities are influencing and shaping social perception on that subject. That’s not their job! Their job is to deliver the news and play some songs. Stick to the job description!
I’m used to seeing anti-breastfeeding in public tweets. I’m usually not that phased by them. There’s alot of ignorance out there about a woman’s right to breastfeed in public and there’s a lot of people who, one way or the other, just don’t support it. There’s a number of lactivists on twitter who catch these ignorant remarks and give the twitter user a piece of their mind, often sending them a link to their State’s legislative policy. I’ve nicely tried to educate a few of them myself, but I prefer to stay out of the drama. I’ll nip you, but I don’t often bite. If it appears obvious that someone isn’t going to listen or change their mind, I’ll usually back off. Pick your battles. I prefer the less messy ones, but I do support my fellow twitter lactivist friends who get fired up. It takes all kinds. I admire your stalwart passion ladies!
Anyway, this is one ignornant twit (pun wasn’t intended but it fits!) that I won’t ignore. Why is it that a radio or television host can’t express political or religious views, favoritism, or opinions about one’s race or appearance, but they can express judgement about a woman’s right to breastfeed in public? The only other things I’ve ever heard media personalities express judgement on is the weather and celebrities. You can’t change the weather, although as an aside, you can choose not to express your opinion about it. I often wish news personalities would refrain from their declarations about how great the hot weather is and how we should all take advantage of it today. It takes away from the importance of rain, climate change, global warming… I know it’s a downer but I like it when the news makes me think about important issues. I like knowing that three weeks of sun means that our water resevior is dangerously low and that people need to take shorter showers and stop watering their lawn. It’s their job to inform us of this, isn’t it?
As far as celebrities go, the pitiful black sheep of society, they get into the biz knowing that their every move will be scrutinized. But a breastfeeding mother shouldn’t have to worry about this. She shouldn’t be the fodder for misogynist jokes, ridicule or criticism! She’s feeding her child its most important first food! Why is that so funny/bad/wrong/shameful? Why is that something to judge? Breasts are for breastfeeding people! Get over it already! Do you make ignorant remarks about cows feeding their calves when you drive past a farm? When babies are drinking from a bottle? Why for some people is breastfeeding the equivalent of 5th Grade potty humour?
My husband was telling me that this is unfortunately becoming the new way to diseminate the news. “Info-tainment” he called it. Everyone is moving closer towards the Shock Rock of Howard Stern. And sports announcers are some of the worst. “They broadcast to the men,” he pointed out to me. On-air locker room talk. Oh, how delightful.
Tim and Cassie do a morning show. Morning shows are famous for their slightly off beat, good natured humour. At least that’s the way the morning shows are over in my neck of the woods in British Columbia, Canada. Never have I heard any host make a rude, judgemental comment about someone’s fully legal behaviours. When you start spouting your negative opinion on a woman’s right to breastfeed in public, you’re just looking for a fight. Or ratings. I guess it’s all the same. Unless someone loses a job.
This is not how I want my radio.
If you are as annoyed as I am, please write to the managers of the stations at manager@1490wwpr.com and info@925kyhy.com and send a copy to the offending host at buzz@theblockfm.com. You can also use Feminist Breeder’s letter if you want.
Related posts:
- Breastfeeding Songs To Save Lives
- Guest Starring…Breastfeeding Moms Unite!
- Long Term Breastfeeding Moms: Are We Damaging Our Kids?
Tags: twitter
That was really unfortunite. But I guess not too surprising considering his job. I’m sure he knew what he was doing. Look at all the press it is getting him.
Thanks for bringing another voice to the issue.
So far, I’ve been told the station manager’s respose to it was “women in california only pretend to breastfeed so they can show off their fake breasts.”
So you can see the maturity runs deep through that entire station. They will hang themselves in time.
[...] posted here: Not Appropriate For On-Air Radio Hosts To Voice Personal Opinions … Related [...]
While I completely agree that this whole exchange was revolting, in the U.S. radio show hosts give their opinions on everything. The more controversial the opinion, the more traffic is driven to the station, the more advertising is sold. This is why I opt out by not listening to radio that is just opinion, unless it is commentary from someone I think has, by virtue of education and experience, something to teach me or make me think. “Shock jocks” are the rule and not the exception here in the U.S. For me, the best way to fight this is to not listen and to not buy the products sold by the sponsors. When Don Imus made his now famous racist remarks on air, he was fired (albeit briefly) because of pressure from sponsors who thought their product sales would suffer.
I have to disagree about whether radio show hosts should be allowed to express opinions. I don’t see the difference between blogs, television, and radio. It is all media. The “opinions” may actually be encouraging illegal conduct, like inciting violence, in which case the expression may be illegal. If the expression doesn’t violate the law or incite others to do so, in the US it is likely legal.
A clarification on the original Tweet that started this: Mihalsky didn’t use a hashtag. He used the word “breastfeeding.” I set my Twitter search to pick up only use of the hashtag – meaning #breastfeeding or #bfing – rather than every use of the word “breastfeeding.” I miss a lot of the negative remarks that way, which is fine by me.
Thanks @JakeAryehMarcus for clarifying the hashtag thing. I have mine set to pick up all words that say breastfeeding – #hashtag used or not.I guess that’s why I have the joy of seeing all the negative comments. Oh well.
Thank you also for clarifying that “U.S. radio show hosts give their opinions on everything.” I really didn’t know that. I recently discovered that Mihalsky and his co-host do a commentary type of morning show and realized that that kind of shut me down right there but I do still believe that media personalities who broadcast to anyone flipping through channels (tv or radio) should not talk smack – violate the law, like you say, and get away with it. It comes down to morals I guess, but it is a sad reflection of our culture that immoral conduct and hurtful, slanderous opinions can be a form of entertainment. I just don’t think it’s fair that breastfeeding women, already cornered into a minority social position, should be made to feel any more shame or discomfort with their right to nip than so many women already do. God, even I, the cheerleader for breastfeeding in public feel uncomfortable sometimes in front of some people. It’s people like Mihalsky who feed that discomfort. I just think it sucks and that he should keep his opinions to himself and his inner circle. Not his listeners.
@TheFeministBreeder – I’m encouraged by your zen/positive attitude throughout this whole ordeal, especially considering you’re getting dragged through the mud.
I haven’t felt this angry before about someone’s ignornant tweet. I guess we all have our buttons.
I don’t want to confuse the issue or bum anybody out, but my feelings are far from zen and are nothing close to positive. This incident gave a new voice to a long-time stalker of mine, and her behavior has become criminal (so is what TheBlockFM has posted on their site about me, according to California CyberStalking laws, btw.) I am not zen. I am petrified. The whole thing knocked the wind out of me, and paralyzed me the way my flashbacks of being raped always have.
Trust me, there’s something like anger, but anger doesn’t encompass the violation and threat I feel after this incident. I’m not sure how to act/feel/function. It’s all I can do to keep my composure at work.
@FeministBreeder – Sorry. I was referring to what you wrote on your blog earlier “I’m surprisingly zen about the whole thing actually. ” It sounds like things are shifting as you begin the process of dealing with bringing the authorities on board to deal with this. I know the stuff with the radio station will eventually blow over but the threat and violation you are feeling right now. I’m just really sorry this has happened to you. I wish I had something better to say.
Sending as many positive vibes as possible to @feministbreeder. I can’t imagine how scary it must be for her.
When I listened to that radio program and read the bios of the hosts, I had to think, “And I should care what they have to say … why?” I didn’t see any education or experience that would make my listening to them worthwhile – certainly not concerning breastfeeding.
I rarely respond to Tweets I see that express negative opinions about breastfeeding in public or breastfeeding generally. If a law or fact is wrong, then I have something to say. Otherwise, I don’t think I am going to change anyone’s mind.
I was a guest on a radio call-in show during which the host called everyone opposed to public breastfeeding “knuckle-draggers.” He was supporting me and pending public breastfeeding legislation I was asked to discuss, but I thought it was offensive to insult callers – even callers who disagreed with me. I wouldn’t participate in that format again. I can hurl insults with the best of them but I don’t find it productive. Sadly, info-tainment has replaced news in the U.S.
Yes, my feelings on this changed intensely last night after I got confirmation that the stalker was behind the whole post on their site. Before that, I could chalk it up to some immature kids playing a juvenile (while intensly inappropriate) prank – but after confirming it was “her” – this went to a whole new level. This proves she’ll stop at nothing. It’s a really complicated thing to work out in my head.
I am perusing thru this great impressive letter and all the info in this post, twitter and @feministbreeders blog. (although SO sorry BTW..scared for you! I don’t even know your whole back story with stalker… or totally clear on all the things stalker put up on Block FM) I haven’t sorted thru all the BlockFM site stuff. I hope I am not missing anything. While I agree and understand that that Tims viewpoint and opinion are part of the sadly current drama of a new fav term of mine “Info-tainment”.. (could also be “info-tainted-ment”) and his right for freedom of expression of opinion are just as legal as a mother’s right to breastfeed in public– I still am upset that he’s portraying his opinion in the WAY he has. I hope I am explaining myself well enough. I can’t deal with all the “talk show” hosts that only let people really talk if they share the same opinion of the host. What bothers me is Tim has this large platform to inluence the young men of America and I personally feel it’s irresponsible to proclaim how important breastfeeding is yet not understand it well enough to know it needs to be supported EVERYWHERE– including in public… and not “in the back”. Some of the guests on the show talked rediculously about exhibitionism. Tim’s view is only a reflection of the American culture (and many other cultures). This isn’t a new fight at all. Wish we can embrace it like they do in Mongolia right?? It is something we can keep trying to change.
I have to agree that the station magnents must “love” the high traffic and ratings.. sad as that is.
“So far, I’ve been told the station manager’s respose to it was ‘women in california only pretend to breastfeed so they can show off their fake breasts.’”
I’m just dead-in-my-tracks gobsmacked by this one.
[...] for her to breastfeed her child in public. And a radio talk show personality made a public crusade against breastfeeding in public. These are just a few of the recent examples of what breastfeeding women face when they step [...]
[...] North America we are fortunate to have the freedom of speech; however, I believe that some people have abused this right and used it to immorally and shamefully attack breastfeeding mothers, [...]