Citizens for Civility & Accountability in Media

KMJ PRIME-TIME: a profile

All of KMJ's prime-time commentators have a unified perspective, teaching listeners that only one view of current events is to be tolerated, and anyone who opposes that view is not worthy of respect or attention. The perspective put forward 90-plus hours each week ridicules the notion of concern for others and government for the people. Here is a partial roll call of their cast.

Rush Limbaugh (18 hrs. per week, 9 a.m.-noon Monday-Friday and Sunday)

Limbaugh's program is devoted to demonizing the President of the United States, liberals and the Democratic Party. He is anti-government, anti-women, anti-racial minorities. He consistently refers to President Obama as a "man-child" and compares him to Hitler e.g. "Hitler used the big lie to get his agenda done, Obama is using the Big Lie to move his agenda, which is to take over the country." (2/28/10). On 3/2/10 Limbaugh compared House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the terrorist group Al-Quaida: "Pelosi is doing the same thing as Al-Quaida...she is actively recruiting suicide bombers from the ranks of the Democrat congress to pass Health Care." Limbaugh has also questioned Obama's citizenship, stating that Obama and God have one thing in common, "God doesn't have a birth certificate either."

Talking about Black New York Governor David Paterson, Limbaugh said, "For the first time in his life Paterson is gonna be a massa if he chooses [New York's replacement] Congressman." He called Hillary Clinton the "sex-retary" of State.(3-10-10) He said, of the Speaker of the House, that "Mullah Nancy Bin Pelosi...is no different" than those who "convince all these people to put bombs on their kids." (3-1-10)

On his October 27, 2009 show he said that Democrats and the media criticize "so-called 'ferocious attacks'"on the President because "you can't criticize the little black man-child."

Sean Hannity (18 hours per week, Monday-Friday 2:10-5 p.m., Sundays 4-7 p.m.)

Hannity likewised is obsessed with ridiculing President Obama, referring to him repeatedly as "the Annointed One" or "Messiah". He ignorantly labels Obama as a radical socialist whose agenda is to turn the United States into a third world country. Hannity vows to use his show to "take our country back."

Hannity provides a forum for extreme conservatives. He promotes divisiveness and gives aid and comfort to those who believe the government should be rescued from the radicals by any means necessary. He has no scruples about sticking to facts, falsely stating, e.g. : Obama quadrupled our debt and deficit in a year (3-30-10); Obama's budget allocated $3 billion to ACORN (2-19-10); Muslim terrorist suspect Abdulmutallab was not interrogated (1-22-10) His sexism is on display in his attack on a women's sexual health study to be funded by the stimulus packet, "Female students...seem to be the only ones getting stimulated." (3-10-10)

Mark Levin (5 hrs per week, Monday-Friday 9-10 p.m.)

Levin makes no bones about his hatred for President Obama, liberals and the Democratic Party. He often refers to the President and Democrats as "lying bastards." He calls Obama a "Chicago pimp" and vows that "...we will do whatever is necessary to stop Obama and his crowd from destroying our country." Levin is no stranger to Fresno. In the early 80's a major community rally was held to protest Levin's appearance at Fresno City College after he published a book in which he argued that blacks were genetically inferior to whites. Levin's show is laced with profanity on a nightly basis. He is famous for belittling callers who disagree with him with a "get off the phone, you big dummy."

Some typical Levin slurs: "Let me break this down for you, folks, Barack Hussein Obama has a hate on for Israel. He always did. And he has surrounded himself with anti-Semites." (4-14-10)

Of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid: "He is the Mussolini of the Senate...one sick man." (12-21-09)

Of Former Vice President Al Gore: "...the [cult leader] Jim Jones of the environmental movement." (12-14-09)

Ray Appleton (10 hrs per week, noon-2 p.m. Monday-Friday)

Appleton's show is mainly directed to promoting Republicans and conservative viewpoints. He likes to refer to government officials as "God-damned bold-faced liars." During the water campaign in the valley last summer he stated Secretary of the Interior Ken Saalazar should be given a reception with a .45 the next time he visits Fresno.

Appleton viciously spoke against a local African-American community leader who called in to comment on an issue in the West Fresno community, calling him a liar. When the caller protested the language, Appleton said, "I don't give a damn about how you feel" and abruptly cut him off.

Inga Barks (10 hrs per week, 7-9 p.m. Monday-Friday)

Barks patterns herself after Limbaugh and Hannity. Callers who have a differing point of view are typically cut off. She shows utter contempt for the President, stating that Obama is not qualified to be president nor mentally equipped to "play with the big boys". During one fiercely anti-Obama show a caller was led to say that one way to stop the Presaident is to put a bullet in his head. Barks did not disagree. KMJ was contacted after that show with a complaint from a listener about the threat to the President. A complaint was also filed with the Secret Service, triggering an investigation. During the recent earthquake catastrophe in Haiti, a caller state that providing food for the victims was "like trying to feed a pack of rats." Barks concurred.

Chris Daniels (10 hrs per week, 5-7 p.m. Monday-Friday)

More of the same demeaning, cynical commentary. He recently suggested not sending relief support to victims of Haiti’s earthquake.