California State Senator, NY and Jersey APAs Demand Firing of CBS Radio Hosts
April 24, 2007
SACRAMENTO — California State Senator Leland Yee and media watchdog groups last Tuesday turned the heat up on CBS and New York Station WFNY to fire two suspended radio hosts for making harassing, racist, anti-gay and sexual calls to Chinese restaurant employees.
Yee’s demand came after CBS suspended without pay radio hosts Jeff Vandergrift and Dan Lay – known as “JV and Elvis.”
The two New York radio hosts were former San Francisco Bay Area radio personalities who called the restaurant on April 5 ostensibly to order food.
During the six-minute segment, one woman is harassed as a DJ said, “Should I come to your restaurant so that I can see you naked… that way I can see your hot Asian spicy ass.”
Another worker was referred to as “a very nice Chinese man… probably can’t drive for shit, but who cares.”
Other references are made to ordering “shrimp flied lice” and describing a worker’s body part as a “tiny egg roll.” Another worker was called “faggy.”
“While I commend CBS for hearing our concerns, if they truly have a zero tolerance policy, Vandergrift and Lay should be immediately fired,” said Yee. If they are not fired, said Yee, “I hope advertisers respond as they did in the Don Imus case.”
Imus was fired from MSNBC and CBS radio for his recent sexist and racist remarks made towards a Rutgers University women’s basketball team.
Yee cited that failing to fire “JV and Elvis” would be a “double standard” against Asian Americans in light of Imus’ racist references to African Americans and women.
Yee said that the Asian Americans and those insulted by the “JV and Elvis” comments deserved an “immediate apology from CBS.”
The Organization of Chinese Americans and four New York and New Jersey chapters representing more than two million APAs also denounced the episode and demanded firings and apologies.
“The blatant racism, sexism and homophobia in this segment and in the DJs’ other work is appalling,” said Ginny Gong, OCA National President.
The Organization of Chinese Americans, Coalition Against Hate Media, civil rights and community organizations were expected to protest on Friday, April 27 at CBS Headquarters in New York.
So far, only Vandergrift apologized twice last Monday. CBS, according to spokeswoman Karen Mateo on Tuesday, said it was broadcasting reruns and that the suspensions would be “until further notice.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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