r j 1l M 1 , VJ - t c a v. a Monday, February 27, 1934 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol. 83 No. 108 r x C'J rrcic sees pront as root oi media racism By John Keopinan Discrimination in television and radio can take many forms. It can be forcing anchorwomen to wear certain clothes and makeup. It can be teaching a black reporter to talk white." Or it can be programming which projects negative images about certain racial, sexual or cultural groups. According to some members of Thurs day night's symposium on discrimina tion in the media, profit motives and the subsequent overuse of media con sultants are largely responsible. Dave Marsh, a rock music critic for merly with Rolling Stone magazine, said he rejected the idea of profit as a motivator of radio broadcasting. No one, he said, owns the air waves. "As I see it, I own one 215 millionth of the airwaves in the country," he said. Marsh was one of sevel panelists at the symposium, sponsored by the UNL Civil Liberties group at the UNL Law College. Others were Dennis Egan, attor ney for newsanchor Christine, Craft; Ben Gray, from KETV Omaha and host of Kaleidoscope; Robert McMullen, assis tant professor of broadcast journalism at UNL; Tim Munson, a second-year UNL law student; Dean Lambert, music director of KXSS-FM in Lincoln; and Lynn Ireland, folklorist for the Nebraska State Historical Society Marsh said media consultants point to the success of radio personalities such as Gary Dee of Washington, D.C., who is a controversial figure because of many racial and ethnic remarks he had made. Consultants urge stations to hire someone like Dee, Marsh sid. He said consultants today urge sta tions to program in what he calls "nar roweasting" or segmented broadcast ing which caters to a specified audience. The stations work in that manner, cal ling it Album-Oriented Radio, he said, which should be called Apartheid-Oriented Radio since it effectively separ ates the listening audience. "It means that racism is just another way to make a buck," he said. The most disgusting example of media discrimination is Music Television (MTV), Marsh said. When MTV began broad-' casting two years ago, its producers said their idea of rock'n'roll did not include music by black artists. Until a few members of the press demanded that the policy change, he said, the ' music itself didn't matter, only that the musicians were black. "It has now changed to the point where if you're Michael Jackson, you might get on," he said. Marsh explained how rock'n'roll e volved from a mix of white country music and black rhythm and blues and gospel, which helped tear down many racial barriers in the 1950s and '60s. "It's ironic that the same rock'n'roll music that led the way in bringing down the walls, is now helping put them back up," he said. The role of media consultants played an important part in the Christine Craft case as well. As Craft's attorney, Egan won two jury trials for which Craft is to be awarded $325,000 for fraud. Egan said Craft was fired on the advice of media consultants who sup posedly conducted a phone survey of viewers who complained about her looks and the fact that she "wasn't deferential enough to men." He said Craft also was subjected to a clothing calendar and her hair and makeup were subject to the approval of the station manager. . Egan, disputed the consultant's phone survey by citing evidence that Craft's popularity steadily rose during the several months she was there. He said Craft ofjected to the appearance changes since that was one of the agreements she had made with the station before accepting the job. McMullen, a broadcast journalism professor who was once station man ager of a TV staton in Green Bay, Wis., said he thought Craft deserved "every thing she gets" because the station management handled the affair so badly. The problem in the Craft case, he said, was that the station was nearly taken over by the consultants they were given too much leeway. If used properly, McMullen dl, media consultants can help a station improve ... r i v l V ' 'A . '. i its ratings. Gray said the same consultants used by Metromedia, Craft's former emplo yers, were used recently by an Omaha station. He said the consultants urged the station to stop covering city hall and city political functions because "it's boring to the average people; they don't understand it." "I wish there was some way we could get rid of all the consultants," he said. "I wish we could put them all into a room with a keg of dynamite and blow them all up." Gray said he had never seen a black consultant and until four years ago, the Nielsen and Arbitron raters never bothered to check the viewing habits of black families. He also said black reporters are taught to "talk white" and generally appear as white as possible to be accepted by white viewers. He rejected those practices, noting they are discri minatory. Television is supposed to inform "using the most competent people avai lable," he said. "It shouldn't matter what they look like." Soviet defector lectures tonight Dr. Igor Glagolev, a Soviet defector, will discuss the policies of the Cher nenko regime at 9 p.m. tonight in the Nebraska Union. Glagolev published several books while he was associated with the Soviet regime as a consultant with their SALT nego tiations team. He has recently pub lished the study "Modern Kremlin Stra tegy" and is currently preparing a book on the leadership in the Soviet state. Glagolev's speech is sponsored by the Nebraska Young Americans for Freedom. In another speech tonight, Newman Dalton, a retired armed forces officer, and Jeff Ross, social action officer at Offutt Air Force Base, will discuss the role of blacks in the military. The 7:30 p.m. discussion will be in the Nebraska Union Rostrum. It is part of the Black History Month Celebra tion sponsored by the UNL-Tri-Culture Council. Brushing Up David TroubaDaiiy Nsbrsskan Four-year-old Jorja Morrow, daughter of Ed and Sandy Morrow, 1218 S. Cth St. Lincoln, seems to be ghing Tocth Fairy Carrie Simmons the brush-off. Simmons, a senior in dental hygiene, wasj ust one of the attrsctior.3 at the dental carnival Saturday afternoon et UNL's College of Dentistry. M : T 9 Forty delegates are expected to attend the Nebraska State Student Associa tion's seventh annual conference, which begins 10 a.m. today at the Capitol. The conference is designed to encou rage student organization among the four member NSSA schools, said Deb Chapelle, NSSA executive director. "NSSA is designed to represent stu dents, not the campuses" Chapelle said. "It is to provide students a pers pective through cooperation and coordi nation of effort." The need for students to realize their role to their respective campus is vital, Chapelle said. "NSSA is a tool for students to util ize," she said.' Jeff Luke of UNL and Andy Cun ningham of UNL will present work shops today, while state Sens. Jerome Warner of Waverly and Tom Vickers of Farnam are invited to attend another workshop. RickLombardi, NSSAlegislative direc tor, will lead the discussion for the first workshop, which will examine the deci sion making process. The conference activities will move to the St. Paul's United Methodist Church Tuesday. Donald Clifton of Selection Research Inc. will give the keynote address. NSSA was organized in 1981. Its charter members are UNL and Peru State. UNO and Wayne State joined the next year. "Every year we get better," Chapelle said. "I see nothing but better times ahead." The conference workshops are open to the public, Chapelle said. Mayor Roland Luedtke will give the opening proclamation. , j :: .... ?l.,;';SsUi V. Inside Decline in enrollment may result in a shortage of teachers Pega 6 Agnes of God, presented this weekend at Kimball, is a some times confusing portrait of a nun accused of murder Pags 9 The UNL women's track team captures its fifth consecu tive conference title . . . Paga 12 Index Arts and Entertainment 8 Classified ...13 Crossword 13 Editorial. 4 Off The Wire 2 Sports 12