As some readers know, newsman Bill Becker gives each of the publishers of the various local newspapers once-a-week opportunities to comment during his Morning Magazine show on US 1 Radio (104.1 FM). My slot is on Wednesday at 8:45. I consider Becker one of the best newsmen in the Keys and I have told him so. But I have also chided him about his on-air editorializing— while his station supposedly has a policy against endorsing political candidates or taking sides on issues.
On Becker's program this week, I commented on the fact that the County Commission, after almost a year of trying to take over our independently-elected Mosquito Control Board, has finally given up. And I pointed out that our newspaper, standing virtually alone, had opposed the takeover idea from the very beginning. And I expressed my amusement that Commissioner George Neugent, right on television, had actually given Key West The Newspaper credit for the Commission's failure.
This apparently infuriated Becker, who has been editorially bashing the Mosquito Control Board for the last three years, ever since the majority of that body "unfixed" the job that had allegedly been "fixed" for Key West Mayor Dennis Wardlow back in 1963. Wardlow is, apparently, one of Becker's heroes.
In frustration, Becker changed the subject, suddenly deciding to question the "accuracy" of our political endorsements as predictors of election results. "People read your endorsements and, then, vote the opposite way," he said.
In reality, of course, two of the three candidates we endorsed in the recent City elections either won outright or won a slot in the runoff election. So Becker's on-air commentary was wrong. And I told him so. I patiently explained to him, again, that our political endorsements are not meant to be predictors. They are our recommendations, based on our analyses of candidates' records, their stand on various issues and the baggage they carry with them into the campaigns. And here at KWTN, we are certainly not unaccustomed to supporting underdog candidates and issues.
And I again challenged Becker: "If you are going to take issue with the endorsements of other media, why don't you at US1 Radio come out of the closet and start endorsing candidates on your own?"
"That's a management decision. I don't have anything to do with that," Becker copped out.
"OK," I said, "if your station won't officially take a stand, why do you continue to `unofficially' editorialize on the air in favor of candidates and issues you like, and in opposition to candidates and issues you don't like?" The longrunning Mosquito Control Board controversy is a good case in point.
Becker denied that he editorializes on the air. Whatever.
In any event, we hereby challenge Bill Becker and the management of US1 Radio to muster up the backbone to start officially endorsing political candidates and to start taking sides on issues facing our community. Failing that, they should stop their unofficial on-air editorializing, endorsing and side-taking while piously claiming that they don't.
I'll see you on the radio, folks. Or maybe not.