From: ACTION ALERT Moderator
Subject: ACTION ALERT: KBRT-AM Radio
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 1997 08:31:41 -0500 (CDT)


[ submitted by glaad@glaad.org ]

** SUMMARY **

Christian Radio Host Urges Death to Gay People

On the August 29 show of Crosstalk on Christian-owned KBRT-AM in Costa
Mesa, California, host Rich Agozino suggested that homosexuality should be
punishable by death. According to his interpretation of the Bible, Agozino
said that, "Lesbian love [and] sodomy are viewed by God as being detestable
and abominable....Civil magistrates are to put people to death who practice
these things." He also urged listeners and callers to write to state
legislators calling for laws that would sentence lesbians and gay men to
death. When asked to comment on his host's execution-style morality,
KBRT-AM station manager Ed Personius claimed Agozino was just encouraging
people to follow the "word of God." Don Crawford, Jr., general manager of
Crawford Broadcasting West, of which KBRT is a subsidiary, was unavailable
for comment, but an assistant confirmed that Crawford Broadcasting was
"Christian owned and operated."

At a September 11 meeting, the Orange County Human Relations Commission
passed a resolution urging people to: 1. Write the station manager at
KBRT-AM;  2. Write Don Crawford, owner of the station; 3. Warn both that
Agonizo's call for a death penalty on the basis of sexual orientation
"foments deep fear in the gay and lesbian  community" and "promotes
violence against gays and lesbians in Orange County," adding that both KBRT
and Crawford "are responsible" for any increase in violence against
lesbians and gay men in the near future.; and 4. Send a complaint to the
FCC.

In addition, people who are within the broadcast area of KBRT should note
several sponsors and ask them if they feel it is "Christian" to urge death
to gay people when one of the Ten Commandments states "Thou Shalt Not
Kill," and urge advertisers to take their business to a station more
interested in promoting genuine Christian love and inclusiveness.

** ACTION **

Contact:

 Don Crawford, Owner/President, Crawford Broadcasting, P.O. Box 3003, Blue
Bell, PA 19422, phone: 215.628.3500, fax:  215.628.0818;

 Ed Personius, Station Manager, KBRT-AM, 3183 Airway Avenue, Suite D,
Costa Mesa, CA 92626, fax:  714.754.0735;

 Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 1919 M Street NW, Washington, DC
20554, phone for AM Radio Complaint Division: 202.418.2795, e-mail address
for complaints: enf@fcc.gov.

---
_____________________________________________________________________________

* ACTION-ALERT is a moderated mailing list.                                 *
* To subscribe to ACTION-ALERT, send mail to:    majordomo@vector.casti.com *
* In the mail message, enter ONLY the words:         subscribe action-alert *
* To unsubscribe to ACTION-ALERT, send mail to:  majordomo@vector.casti.com *
* In the mail message, enter ONLY the words:       unsubscribe action-alert *
* Words in the Subject: line are NOT processed!                             *
* List Information:    http://www.qrd.org/qrd/electronic/email/action-alert *
_____________________________________________________________________________