Some Issues Too Hot for Air America Minnesota?

Part 1 of 2

Former employees of Air America Minnesota AM 950 say that on-air discussion of gay marriage, abortion, and gun control are taboo, according to this week’s CityPages. Air America Minnesota faced similar criticisms last year, when an internal memo barring certain topics on-air was leaked to local bloggers.Three employees have left the station objecting to what they see as micromanagement and censorship from station-owner, Janet Robert. Carla Kjellberg tells Citypages that she caught flack from Robert for discussing gay marriage on air:

Other people who have been associated with Air American Minnesota voice similar concerns. Carla Kjellberg, a local attorney who hosted a weekend show called It Takes a Village until earlier this year, says that some of her segments seemed to offend Robert. “I certainly knew that there were some shows that I did that might have ruffled some feathers,” Kjellberg says, citing in particular a program that dealt with gay marriage. “I never heard this directly from Janet Robert,” she notes, however. “She never said a word to me. It was just the feeling I got.”

Former Minnesota Matters host, David Schultz, echoes Kjellberg’s concerns relating to his departure from the station :

After another contentious meeting, Schultz and Air America parted ways by mutual agreement. Schultz, however, remains bewildered as to why Robert is running a progressive radio station when her own political beliefs seemed to skew right-center. “One day she turns to me and says that ‘I’m a pro-life, anti-gay marriage, fiscally conservative Democrat,’ and I’m thinking to myself, what the hell is that?” Schultz’s comments echo those voiced by Coleman when he quit the station a year ago. The Star Tribune columnist complained that gays, guns, and abortion were verboten and that he was chastised for criticizing DFL candidates such as Sen. Mark Dayton. “If I’m going to be put on a leash, I’m leaving,” Coleman told City Pages at the time.

Nick Coleman’s departure from the station last summer generated a lot of noise from local blogs. Flash at Centrisity was leaked an internal memo that backed up Coleman’s story:

6. Certain Subjects Prohibited
JR Broadcasting will not permit discussion of the issues of gun control, abortion, or gay marriage. It is the policy of JR Broadcasting that discussion around these issues tend to be more sensationalistic than substantial. In order to provide for reasoned, substantial discussion of other issues, JR Broadcasting prohibits discussion of gun control, abortion, or gay marriage. Exceptions to this policy can be obtained prior to broadcast by request in writing to the station Manager.

Janet Robert denies having close editorial control over the show’s programming. I’ll have Robert’s response in part 2 of “Some Issues Too Hot for Air America Minnesota”