Letter: City’s radio support creates conflict of interest

[Regarding the press release “Community Radio Stands Strong in Defense of Free Speech Against Attacks,” March 30, Xpress website:]

The Asheville Coalition for Public Safety promotes First Amendment rights. It came to our attention that a show called “The Final Straw” was being hosted by 103.3 Asheville FM. We listened to the show and couldn’t help but notice the sideline sponsors listed, many of which are businesses located downtown and on major business corridors, including the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville. The center is managed and owned by the city of Asheville.

We feel it is a conflict of interest for one city entity to sponsor a station that promotes a “weekly anarchist show” with what appears to be a very anti-police agenda. We believe the city of Asheville should avoid sponsoring a show that attacks another very important city staff department, especially one that relies upon the police for events and downtown public safety. The program bills itself as “a weekly anarchist and anti-authoritarian radio show.”

Asheville is composed of mostly small businesses, many of which have been under attack with petty and violent crime. Currently, our beleaguered Asheville Police Department is down by 40%. ACPS supports most of the programming but wishes 103.3 to understand that it’s misleading to ask for support from businesses without their understanding that they are also financially supporting the “The Final Straw.” There has been a recent outcry from businesses with expressed interest in more police presence downtown.

As long as this station platforms a negative narrative toward local law enforcement, sponsors and the public should be made aware so they can freely understand exactly what their donations support.

We noticed that they removed the recent show hosting the Aston Park protesters bragging how they looked forward to throwing another party in the park to celebrate when the trial is over. We also noticed the station removed the sponsors entirely. The episode was aired for public consumption, in which anyone was able to access and judge for themselves and form their own opinion.

The Asheville Coalition for Public Safety supports law enforcement and all first responders. We represent many longtime businesses and people in all neighborhoods in Asheville. We seek to find common ground with all types of voters to support the desperate need to hire back local law enforcement. We hope that 103.3 will join us and support our local officers and discontinue supporting attacks on professionals who put their lives on the line to protect our city.

— Bailey Stockwell
Asheville Coalition for Public Safety
Asheville

Editor’s note: Xpress contacted Asheville city government with the points related to Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville and received the following response from Chris Corl, general manager of the facility: “The Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville is not, and has not been a sponsor of ‘The Final Straw’ radio show. The venue is an underwriter of Asheville FM, a locally based, nonprofit, independent radio station. Independent radio is an important asset of a well-rounded community. As an event space hosting nearly 300,000 attendees annually, we work in lockstep week in and week out with the Asheville Police Department and provide full support for all APD initiatives. Additionally, we are grateful for the officers and local first responders who volunteer to work extra shifts to help us provide a safe environment for our guests at concerts, performance art, sporting events, trade shows and community events. We will continue to underwrite independent radio in Asheville and have voiced our concerns to Asheville FM.”