Monday, May 16, 2011

2011-05-16 "'N-word' tagging stuns Ozcat radio in Vallejo" by Sarah Rohrs from "Vallejo Times Herald"
[http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_18073431]
The founder of Vallejo Ozcat, the community-based FM radio station, made a disturbing discovery Saturday morning -- racist epithets scrawled on his son's vehicle and the business' mailbox and doorway.
The graffiti involved liberal use of the "N" word, and included "N---- radio station" written on a Suburban and "No N----" across the mailbox slot in the 1100 block of Georgia Street. A sign written on the back of a flier and stuck near the door contained another epithet.
The tagging occurred between 3 and 7 a.m. Saturday, said David Martin, who is African-American.
"This saddens my heart. We are not a black or white radio station, but a community radio station," Martin said. "I'm shocked."
An Ozcat radio board member said an emergency board meeting would take place today to discuss the incident and what should be done. The station will not be intimidated, said the board member, who gave only her DJ name -- Golden Lady.
DJ Damon Williams said the tagging was probably done by someone with no knowledge of the radio station's mission or the people behind it.
Martin said the station had not been targeted by racist taggers before and he has no idea who is behind them.
The tagging, Martin stressed, would not discourage him from the radio station's mission of presenting a full range of musical styles and celebrating the community's diversity. "This gives me the strength to push on," he said.
The station plays a diverse array of musical types and styles representing many cultures and styles. The station also gives local musicians and art groups a venue.
The Vallejo Police Department received a report on the Ozcat radio graffiti and would be looking into it, Lt. Lee Horton said.
"Obviously, we'll do whatever we can to catch them," Horton said. "We'll do our best."
Horton added that other parts of Vallejo were hit with graffiti Friday night.
Formerly broadcast only on the Internet, Ozcat was granted full programming rights by the FCC and secured the call letters KZCT and a place on the dial at 89.5.

No comments:

Post a Comment