Radio Hall of Fame responds concerning James Dobson
As you probably are aware, James Dobson of Focus on the Family was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame and will be awarded today.
I contacted Bruce DuMont, Chairman of the Radio Hall of Fame and expressed my discomfort with their decision.
Mr. DuMont was kind enough to reply.
Here is the reply:
I understand the passion and anger behind your recent e-mail to me. I also understand why you find Dr. James Dobson objectionable. But to more fully understand the controversy, I feel you need to better understand the nomination and induction process of the National Radio Hall of Fame.
Since 1992 the Steering Committee of the NRHOF (a project of the Broadcast Communications) has nominated individuals and programs for induction based on a criteria of on-air tenure and broadcast accomplishment.
Historically, these nominations have been mailed to dues-paying members of the Museum and hundreds of established leaders of the radio industry for voting—and the actual induction. If you were not included in these two groups you could not vote.
Earlier this year some NRHOF Steering Committee members thought that requiring voters to be “dues-paying Museum members” was too restrictive— too much like a membership enhancement program --- than a fair way to assess a nominee’s popular support. So, the Steering Committee recommended a change to an online voting process believing such a change would expand the voting base and raise greater visibility of the NRHOF and bring greater weight to its eventual inductees.
Since voting began in 1992 the RHOF Steering Committee has never taken a nominees political or religious views into consideration when making a nomination. Radio is an industry predicated on free speech --- Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family and Howard Stern (who were nominated in the same category) do not see the world the same way. Past Radio Hall of Famers Franklin D. Roosevelt and Rush Limbaugh have provided different tones and messages via the airwaves…and Paul Harvey is different from Garrison Keillor.
The Steering Committee has also never encouraged or discouraged any nominee from campaigning for votes. Focus on the Family led such a public online effort to turn out “its” vote. The Committee is aware that other nominees did the same thing and there is nothing wrong with such an exercise. Howard Stern urged his listeners not to vote for him.
The 2008 public online voting period opened with a national publicity campaign on May 1 and it ended on July 15. On July 9 – six days before the voting ended --- the NRHOF received the first indication of any displeasure in the nomination of Focus on the Family. We received many e-mails claiming the NRHOF was “endorsing” Dobson’s views. We are not.
On July 17 the Steering Committee obtained the final results from its independent online vote tabulating service--- and it showed that Focus on the Family finished first in its category. The Steering Committee discussed the protest but ratified the vote.
Some e-mails suggested all previous Radio Hall of Fame inductees will be tarnished by the addition of Focus on the Family. I sincerely hope you do not think less of past inductees, including such luminaries as Edward R. Murrow, Norman Corwin, Susan Stamberg, Tom Joyner, Richard Durham, and Bob Edwards.
You should know that the NRHOF Steering Committee will review its voting process before the next selection period. A review was always part of our plan and I will personally urge an end to open online balloting. But for the integrity of the process, the results for 2008 will stand, with your protest and concerns noted.
As a broadcaster, journalist, Chairman of the NRHOF and Founder and President of the Museum of Broadcast Communications I have been a public figure for over four decades and always treated the gay and lesbian community and its leaders fairly and objectively. My second wife, the late Kathy Osterman championed gay rights. Kathy is an inductee into the Chicago Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame.
I am fully aware of the pain Focus on the Family has caused you and many in the gay community; But the Radio Hall of Fame induction is not about political or religious philosophy --- or my personal opinion.
Sincerely,
Bruce DuMont
Chairman
National Radio Hall of Fame
I contacted Bruce DuMont, Chairman of the Radio Hall of Fame and expressed my discomfort with their decision.
Mr. DuMont was kind enough to reply.
Here is the reply:
I understand the passion and anger behind your recent e-mail to me. I also understand why you find Dr. James Dobson objectionable. But to more fully understand the controversy, I feel you need to better understand the nomination and induction process of the National Radio Hall of Fame.
Since 1992 the Steering Committee of the NRHOF (a project of the Broadcast Communications) has nominated individuals and programs for induction based on a criteria of on-air tenure and broadcast accomplishment.
Historically, these nominations have been mailed to dues-paying members of the Museum and hundreds of established leaders of the radio industry for voting—and the actual induction. If you were not included in these two groups you could not vote.
Earlier this year some NRHOF Steering Committee members thought that requiring voters to be “dues-paying Museum members” was too restrictive— too much like a membership enhancement program --- than a fair way to assess a nominee’s popular support. So, the Steering Committee recommended a change to an online voting process believing such a change would expand the voting base and raise greater visibility of the NRHOF and bring greater weight to its eventual inductees.
Since voting began in 1992 the RHOF Steering Committee has never taken a nominees political or religious views into consideration when making a nomination. Radio is an industry predicated on free speech --- Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family and Howard Stern (who were nominated in the same category) do not see the world the same way. Past Radio Hall of Famers Franklin D. Roosevelt and Rush Limbaugh have provided different tones and messages via the airwaves…and Paul Harvey is different from Garrison Keillor.
The Steering Committee has also never encouraged or discouraged any nominee from campaigning for votes. Focus on the Family led such a public online effort to turn out “its” vote. The Committee is aware that other nominees did the same thing and there is nothing wrong with such an exercise. Howard Stern urged his listeners not to vote for him.
The 2008 public online voting period opened with a national publicity campaign on May 1 and it ended on July 15. On July 9 – six days before the voting ended --- the NRHOF received the first indication of any displeasure in the nomination of Focus on the Family. We received many e-mails claiming the NRHOF was “endorsing” Dobson’s views. We are not.
On July 17 the Steering Committee obtained the final results from its independent online vote tabulating service--- and it showed that Focus on the Family finished first in its category. The Steering Committee discussed the protest but ratified the vote.
Some e-mails suggested all previous Radio Hall of Fame inductees will be tarnished by the addition of Focus on the Family. I sincerely hope you do not think less of past inductees, including such luminaries as Edward R. Murrow, Norman Corwin, Susan Stamberg, Tom Joyner, Richard Durham, and Bob Edwards.
You should know that the NRHOF Steering Committee will review its voting process before the next selection period. A review was always part of our plan and I will personally urge an end to open online balloting. But for the integrity of the process, the results for 2008 will stand, with your protest and concerns noted.
As a broadcaster, journalist, Chairman of the NRHOF and Founder and President of the Museum of Broadcast Communications I have been a public figure for over four decades and always treated the gay and lesbian community and its leaders fairly and objectively. My second wife, the late Kathy Osterman championed gay rights. Kathy is an inductee into the Chicago Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame.
I am fully aware of the pain Focus on the Family has caused you and many in the gay community; But the Radio Hall of Fame induction is not about political or religious philosophy --- or my personal opinion.
Sincerely,
Bruce DuMont
Chairman
National Radio Hall of Fame
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