Washington, D.C., April 6, 2011 - Today, more than 30 organizations sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski, urging him to swiftly act on the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's (GLAAD) complaint against Liberman Broadcasting and KRCA Los Angeles for broadcasting the program, José Luis Sin Censura. The program often contains indecent, profane, and obscene material, offensive language, nudity, and on-air verbal and physical attacks against women as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. The letter filed today by organizations including the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and the United Church of Christ, calls on the FCC to enforce consequences for the violations described in the complaint.
Liberman Broadcasting has not responded to the complaint and has refused to clean up its programming, despite overwhelming community outcry about its violation of FCC rules and its likelihood to incite violence against women and LGBT people. A number of episodes that have aired since GLAAD and NHMC filed the complaint last month have contained similar and sometimes even more egregious violations. Liberman Broadcasting has self-rated many of these episodes as TV-14, or suitable for fourteen-year-olds, making it impossible for even the most vigilant parents to block the program using the V-chip or similar technologies. GLAAD and NHMC released an online video today documenting additional content that has aired since the filing. To view the video: www.nhmc.org/joseluissincensura.
GLAAD and NHMC's complaint was filed over one month ago and has generated an enormous outpouring of public support. Thousands participated in an online action to e-mail the FCC and support the complaint. To participate please visit: www.nhmc.org/joseluissincensura. A video containing clips of the show has been viewed over 300 times per day, garnering over 10,000 views.
The original FCC complaint documented over twenty episodes that aired between June 18 and December 7, 2010. The program contained images and language of the nature that is never displayed or is bleeped out of pre-taped English-language programs of the same nature, including the words "pinche" ("f*cking" in English) and "culero" ("assf*cker"), anti-gay language, including epithets such as ""maric"n," "joto" and "puñal" (or "f*ggot"), and anti-Latino slurs, such as "mojado" ("wetback"). The program frequently featured blatant nudity and female guests have been shown in violent fights. Hypersexualized images of women's breasts and genitals while stripping for male guests and audience members also make up routine offerings. Guests and audience members were often incited to engage in verbal and even physical attacks, especially against people perceived to be LGBT. Many episodes showed the audience standing and shouting anti-gay epithets and profanity at guests.
"If this action has taught us one thing, it is that members of our communities have been outraged by this show for years. And for years, they have attempted to get the ear of those with power to ask them to exercise their responsibility for protecting our children and our communities from this egregious content, not just in English but in Spanish as well. What these passionate individuals lacked was a spotlight and a megaphone - and we intend to provide them with both," said Alex Nogales, President and CEO of NHMC.
"This show serves no role except to fuel a climate of intolerance and violence against our community," said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. "The FCC has an obligation to stand up against this offensive program, which has no place on our airwaves."
Other organizations signing the letter include: Asian American Justice Center; Bienestar; Center for Media Justice; Center for New Community; Council for Hispanic Ministries, United Church of Christ; Equality California; Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN); Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU); HONOR Fund; Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE); The Hispanic Federation; Human Rights Campaign (HRC); The Latino Equality Alliance; League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); Maria Luna, Democratic District Leader 71 A.D. New York; Media Alliance; Media Justice League; Media Literacy Project; National Center for Lesbian Rights; The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force; National Puerto Rican Coalition, Inc.; Nosotros; Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); Puerto Rico Para Tod@s; Southern Poverty Law Center; The Trevor Project; UNID@S; United Church of Christ, Office of Communication, Inc.; United States Hispanic Leadership Institute; Sue Wilson, Broadcast Blues; and Women's Media Center.
José Luis Sin Censura airs twice daily, Monday - Friday, in thirty-seven markets throughout the country. The show is produced and distributed by Burbank, CA-based LBI, Liberman Broadcasting, Inc. and airs on Liberman's EstrellaTV network.
To view the change.org petition or the video cited in this press release, please use the following links:
www.glaad.org/jlsc
www.nhmc.org/joseluissincensura
About NHMC: The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) is a non-profit, media advocacy organization established in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. Its mission is to improve the image of American Latinos as portrayed by the media, increase the number of American Latinos employed in all facets of the media industry, and advocate for media and telecommunications policies that benefit the Latino community. For more information, please visit www.nhmc.org .
About GLAAD: The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org .
