Disney gets plug pulled on blogger after criticism
Cory Bergman January 5th, 2007
It all started when blogger Spocko rightfully criticized Disney-owned, ABC-affiliated radio station KSFO for some of its ultra-right-wing commentary. (For example, the hosts demanded that callers mock Islam, called for public hangings of New York Times editor Bill Keller and suggested that a Sears’ Diehard battery be attached to an African-American’s testicles.) Spocko recorded some audio clips from the radio station’s air and posted them on his site to support his criticism. He also sent letters to the radio station’s advertisers, which were being mocked by the hosts, to let them know what was going on. So what does Disney do? Fire the hosts? Nope. They roll out their lawyers and send a cease-and-desist order to Spocko’s blog host, which pulls the plug on him. Unbelievable. Read more about it on DailyKos, which has the letters. UPDATES: The clips that were pulled down are now spreading like crazy. A Technorati search of “spocko” shows 370 results, most of which have been posted in the last 24 hours. And there’s a video slide show on YouTube expressing solidarity with Spocko and featuring some clips from the radio hosts.
29 Comments Add your own
1. Blogical Thought | January 5th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Sounds like you’re admitting he commited unlawful acts of reproducing copywritten information, putting it on his site and into public domain without permission.
I read where it was stated he was given an opportunity to simply take the copywritten information off his site, within 7 days and he chose not to do it…..clearly his focus was on obtaining the unlawful material and not the expression of his opinion.
So, you have an anonymous blogger who has stolen private ma terial, advocated that others not have the freedom of speech because he doesn’t agree with their views and has basically not only been advocating for facism, but commiting facist acts by trying to deny Americans free speech rights which don’t blend with his own views of what is acceptable.
In actuality, what ethical people do is simply turn off the tv, change the radio station, write their opinion on a particular peice, not buy the CDS with offensive material, not buy the games with the offensive material and not steal protected private material and disseminate it publicly.
This sounds an awful lot like the tactics used by the extremist Muslims….who won’t allow anyone else to express or exercise rights of free speech unless it follows the extremist Muslim lines….dang those terrorists!
We know this not to be in compliance with the Koran. We also know it not to be within the philosophies of a democratic country like the U.S. We do know these type of actions are exercised in repressive countries and led to the rise and fall of Nazi Germany.
The anonymous blogger needs to realize we are a nation of laws…and the rights we have are for everyone, not just for those who shares his views.
Reality time, son. You live in the good ole USA……….not some extremist country.
The anonymous blogger has some real issues, some with his own value system and being able to adjust to life in a country where EVERYONE has rights, not just him.
2. Safran | January 5th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
It took only one post to prove Godwin\’s Law this time! Nice. I believe that\’s a record.
The gentleman in question isn\’t quite on par with the Nazis or terrorists. I dare say they had slightly more power than he. In fact, he is behaving wholly American, by voicing his dissent and sharing his concern with others.
What\’s so classic about this is that Disney\’s actions are going to have worse results than if they had done nothing. At DailyKos now, in the comments, people are offering help, posting names at advertisers companies to contact, and sharing information about the station.
There\’s no question this stuff is fair use - but we do need a court ruling to establish the right for bloggers. SLAPP suits (Click on my name for Wikipedia definition & history) are simply too much for bloggers to bear.
But the justice comes in the free market. There\’s nothing bloggers like more than spreading the word about corporate misbehavior.
3. thegrossepointechannel | January 5th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
please, i have a pocket full of cash this weekend. tell me which advertisers/corporations i should not spend a dime with.
i’ll tell a few friends while i’m at it.
4. thegrossepointechannel | January 5th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
i wonder is SEARS has a claim for defamation of goodwill in regards to its DIE HARD line against disney.
5. nakedeye | January 5th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
“….rightfully criticized”?
True the blogger criticized. to insert the modifier is to reach an editorial and emotional conclusion that doesn’t stand the test.
i find that which was criticized hateful and objectionable but to say the person who criticized it had “right” on his side is leap of language that you need to guard against.
6. thedetroitchannel | January 5th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
hey, who wants to bet we bomb iran this weekend?
7. Cory | January 5th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Hey nakedeye, get lost. If taking a stand against racism is a “leap of language,” so be it.
8. Steve Safran | January 5th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
Yeah, we are really going out on a limb on this one.
LR has always offered opinion and analysis. I am going to go so far as to say this is one of our lesser leaps of editorial bravery.
9. Andrew Munster | January 6th, 2007 at 5:26 am
You are allowed to use small bits of copyrighted material to prove a statement, this is call fair use.
10. Andrew Munster | January 6th, 2007 at 5:30 am
Does USA have the principle of fair use in it’s copyright laws, We have in Australia And most commonwealth nations…
11. thewashingtonchannel | January 6th, 2007 at 7:40 am
what “laws” do you speak of, andrew?
my mail is now being opened by the president.
12. Safran | January 6th, 2007 at 8:35 am
We do indeed have “Fair Use” in the copyright laws. The problem, of course, is that the laws were written before the internet. Compounding that, there are no specific “amounts of time” delineated for broadcast or web clips, so it really needs some court test before we have guidelines.
Broadly speaking, the clips should be short enough to make the point, but not so long that someone could listen to them in lieu of the original work. If I posted a :20 second clip of a song here in the context of a news story, I’d be fine. Nobody would keep coming back to listen to it instead of the original. So the copyright law (probably) takes into account the length of time the clips takes to prove its point.
Then there’s the issue of “what constitutes a journalist,” although there are court cases that have been applied to rappers who sample music. It’s all still fuzzy. click on my name for a link to a good Wikipedia roundup.
13. nakedeye | January 6th, 2007 at 9:51 am
not getting lost. yet. if you’re a journalist you have to watch your language and watch where you leap.
and do note i found the racism hateful. i also found your use of the determinative “rightfully” equally hateful coming from someone who is a journalism professional.
and if “get lost” indicates a limited desire for LR dialogue, so be. Lost I am and so is another UU.
14. Zeno | January 6th, 2007 at 10:56 am
For anyone else who might be following this, BlogicalThought has been trolling about in the wake of this story, lone defender of the jack-boot tactics of ABC/Disney on behalf of its right-wing KSFO affiliate. Visit Online Blogintegrity for a lengthening list of BlogicalThought’s trollfest.
15. thedetroitchannel | January 6th, 2007 at 11:19 am
nakedeye, far be it from me to take sides; i am chastised enough around here.
i can’t imagine cory (or my nemesis, safran) ever telling anyone to “get lost” in the real sense.
the banter around here is too damn good for that.
now, get real.
16. joewo | January 6th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
KSFO is linking to the ACTUAL cellphone execution of Saddam Hussein on the ksfo.com homepage. Is this part of the new Disney plan to show Saddam Hussein being executed on the homepage of their radio stations? What kind of low brow people listen to this station? I will send the homepage image to as many KSFO advertisers as I can find.
17. Cee | January 7th, 2007 at 7:46 am
I thought that when the LEft won the last election that maybe the lefty nutroots would chill out a bit, but it’s still consirpacay theory 24/7 there. You don’t have to play attackdogs anymore … why dont you focus your energies on making sure your newly elected leaders do thier jobs, because if they dont, it’s going to be a short return to power.
As far as this total “non” story, this is opnion radio and its always going to be opnion radio, many of these clips are taken out of context and anyone with half a brain knows its all joking around.
BUT - I hear this same crap and drivel on Air America, I hear and see on these lefty blogs and radio shows all the time calls to kill or hang Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld. Whats the difference?
When both sides realzie the tone has got so bad, then maybe things will change, but for now, its as equally vile on both sides. Dont fool yourse3lves otherwise and enough of the faux outrage when every kos blogger on the web wanted Bush hung instead of Saddam.
Spare me the whining ..
18. thedetroitchannel | January 7th, 2007 at 8:06 am
disney owns air america?
19. Ed | January 7th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
It’s always amusing, and a little bit scary, when the psychopathic political “bloggers” spill over into the real world. It’s a bit like catching a glimpse of something unsavory happening in a dark alley as you drive down the street.
20. Anonymous | June 26th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Indo-Diver
21. Markos | July 9th, 2007 at 1:25 am
interesting
22. Michail | July 9th, 2007 at 3:06 am
Interesting…
23. Kristion | July 9th, 2007 at 5:50 am
interesting
24. Makarios | July 9th, 2007 at 7:42 am
Cool.
25. Aniketos | July 9th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
Nice!
26. Lazaros | July 10th, 2007 at 4:51 am
Sorry
27. Grigoris | July 10th, 2007 at 5:46 am
Cool.
28. Dionyssios | July 10th, 2007 at 7:41 am
Nice…
29. Panayotis | July 10th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Nice!
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