By Bradley J. Fikes
KFI talk show hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou don’t just talk. They report. They’ve done in-depth reporting on the Arizona illegal immigration law. They’re openly advocates of the law, which puts them at odds with most of the media, such as the Los Angeles Times. (MP3 clip, 2:29)
I’m going to present here one aspect of their coverage of the law and the boycott against the state. After my description, I’m linking to MP3 audio clips from their show presenting highlights of how John & Ken tackled the story.
If you just want the audio clips, scroll way down.
Great Oak Band Letter- screencap Sunday afternoon, May 16
On May 4, John & Ken reported that “a high school in Temecula” (later identified as the Great Oak High School band) had canceled its trip to the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona as a protest against the law, according to Kristen Jarnagin, spokeswoman for the Arizona Hotel and Lodging Association and Arizona Tourism Alliance. They interviewed Jarnagin while on location in Phoenix.
Jarnagin originally said “Temecula High School,” but when John questioned that, she amended it to “a high school in Temecula.” John and Ken vowed to find out the identify of that high school.
Here’s the exchange when this was first announced: (Click here for the audio, 40 seconds):
KRISTEN JARNAGIN: Today we actually got a cancellation out of Temecula High School. Today, a band that was going to come and march in the Fiesta Bowl parade. So they don’t get to come anymore.
CROSSTALK —-
JOHN KOBYLT: — Wait a minute —
KEN CHIAMPOU: John & Ken Show booms into Temecula! —
JOHN KOBYLT: Wait a second – Temecula High School?
JARNAGIN: It was a high school in Temecula —
JOHN KOBYLT: — A high school in Temecula . . . and are they not coming to Arizona at all?
JARNAGIN: Their kids don’t get to play in the Fiesta Bowl Parade now.
The exchange is on the John & Ken podcast for the 5:00 hour, available in MP3, beginning at the 30 minute mark. This is an 8 megabyte download. For the impatient, I have shorter audio clips in the timeline further down in this post.
Toward the end of the segment, John and Ken said again they would look into “this high school in Temecula.”
The next day, John & Ken re-interviewed Jarnagin to confirm that the cancellation was indeed because of the boycott, and not for any other reason. Jarnagin said her group only counts cancellations made specifically due to the boycott, and those taking the cancellations don’t inquire into the reason. Only if the group brings up the Arizona law on its own is the cancellation counted as part of the boycott.
John & Ken also said they had found out the high school involved was Great Oak High School. They also read an email from Melanie Norton, a Temecula Valley Unified School District spokeswoman, saying that the cancellation was for financial reasons, not a boycott. She also complained that their show’s listeners had bombarded all high schools in the district with phone calls.
However, John & Ken found the actual truth to be more complicated. The band indeed had trouble raising money, but they’ve amassed evidence suggesting that the band director, Jerry Burdick-Rutz, also spoke in opposition to the law. They’ve said they’ve received emails confirming this, and talked to people on the air who have said this. Others have told the talk show hosts on the air this was a strictly financial decision.
So how to discern the truth? The most obvious way would be to get Burdick-Rutz on the air to tell his side of the story. However, J&K say he’s not agreed.
Another way to find out would be to offer to raise money so the band could make its trip, and see if the school district bites. The duo said they’d rally KFI listeners to donate enough so that the students could go.
However, John & Ken say they’ve received conflicting responses from various school officials.
— On Friday, May 7, John & Ken said they had received a tentative sign of interest from the school district for help with the fundraising.
— But the next Monday, May 10, they said the school district turned down the offer, because the band was going to save money by going to local competitions.
— Still later, the school district said the band had decided to eschew the Fiesta Bowl because it wanted to save money to appear in London at the Olympics, in 2012.
The North County Times turned up independent evidence confirming that the Arizona law was a factor, a letter on the band’s Web site saying the Arizona law created security issues.
On Wednesday, May 12, Temecula Mayor Jeff Comerchero appeared on the John & Ken show to talk about the situation. He said school administration officials assured him that they want to go to the Fiesta Bowl competition, if the money could be raised. Comerchero said he and his four colleagues would chip in $10,000 from a discretionary city fund.
John & Ken also read various emails, including one a listener said was forwarded from the band director’s wife, Carrie Burdick-Rutz, giving a hard to believe reason for canceling the Fiesta Bowl trip (MP3, 23 seconds). Here’s the transcript of the clip:
KEN: She heard back from Carrie Burdick-Rutz, who said, “Maybe there are some other factors which John & Ken have not cared to look into. The band just returned from our national DC Memorial Day parade, 2009 . . .”
JOHN: They just got back?
KEN: I don’t know what that means.
JOHN: That’s almost a year ago!
KEN: “. . . Which cost each member nearly $2,000 to attend.” Yeah, that was about a year ago.
JOHN: They just got back? That’s a slow plane!
That’s the story up until last week.
There’s a grain of salt you have to take with some of John & Ken’s reportage, because it includes people who aren’t fully identified, such as parents and band members. I’d like to see reporters track down these people, and get them fully on the record.
Now here are some audio clips from the John & Ken show where you can hear for yourself how the story evolves. For your listening ease, I’ve kept most of them to no more than 6 minutes; some are much shorter.
—————————
TIMELINE WITH MP3 AUDIO CLIPS
MAY 4
Kristen Jarnagin says a high school in Temecula boycotted Fiesta Bowl (40 seconds)
Lengthier clip of Kristen Jarnagin explaining boycott (5:45)
John & Ken vow to investigate “this high school in Temecula” (7 seconds)
MAY 5
John and Ken investigate, doubt school’s story (5:02)
Father of band member says cancellation was financial, not boycott (3:21)
Jarnagin repeats that cancellation was boycott (8:17)
Anthony, band parent, says it was just financial. (1:46)
Great Oaks staff member says it was just financial (2:28)
Another caller says it was just financial (0:45)
J & K read from what they say is a student email that it was boycott-related (1:15)
J&K discuss crediblity of boycott claims (5:45)
MAY 7
Why J&K think student email is true (1:17)
J&K say they’ll raise money to help send band to Fiesta Bowl (4:04)
Mother of former band members says cancellation was political (2:12)
Temecula school district ponders offer (0:34)
MAY 10
School district says band wants to go to 2012 London Olympics (0:35)
Another email says band cancellation was political (0:58)
Letter on band site mentions Arizona law as safety issue (3:55)
Will juniors and seniors raise money so sophs and freshmen can go to London? (0:17)
MAY 12
Email about the role of Burdick-Rutz’ wife, Carrie Burdick-Rutz. (2:22)
Temecula mayor Jeff Comerchero says district wants band to go to Fiesta Bowl Part 1 (3:32)
Temecula Mayor Jeff Comerchero, Part 2 (3:08)
DISCLAIMER: This post represents my own opinion, and not necessarily that of my employer, the North County Times.
Bradley, please keep us updated on this situation. I listen to J&K when possible, and I think they have been doing a remarkable job nailing the press where necessary, and attempting more than any others to actually get to the bottom of these issues pertaining to AZ. Thanks for this reporting.
Will do, Dana. Thanks for reading!
California will bitterly regret this boycott since Arizonans hate California to begin with. San Diego is already starting to face the possibility of a reverse boycott this summer when thousands of Arizonans normally spend part of the summer in San Diego to escape the heat. Many of them also go to Rocky Point in Mexico and if I were the Rocky Point visitors bureau, I would be headlining the California boycott for the next couple of months when it is hot in Tucson and Phoenix.
California cannot afford to piss off a local source of tourists but they don’t understand money and business anyway.
Reverse boycott? That’s interesting. Can you cite any contacts on that? This looks like a business story.
I saw the story yesterday but can’t remember where. I’ll look and you might try Google. It was a San Diego visitors bureau type saying they disagreed with the LA boycott and hoped, etc, etc. All he well off Tucson folks spend a month or so in SD every summer. Goldwater had his boat in Newport Beach. Cindy’s sister-in-law’s family has a condo on the strip north of Point Loma. It’s appreciated to over a million. Others in her family have a home at Rocky Point, a big destination for Tucsonites to get to water. Much closer than SD and very nice.
I e-mailed some links to your NCT e-mail.
Those Californians who are boycotting, Mike K, are way too smug and arrogant in their self-righteousness of the boycott and belief that this state is still the envy of everyone else to ever believe any would snub us.
The politicians can only think of votes and contributions from lobbyists. They don’t do economics or even psychology, except how to lie. I spent eight years on the commission on legislation of the state medical association. That was enough time close to those people. We had Jesse Unruh at a weekend retreat with us one time. He, at least, was funny. Few of them are.
Bradley, here is more to this story.
Dear Mayor Villaraigosa,
I was dismayed to learn that the Los Angeles City Council voted to boycott Arizona and Arizona-based companies — a vote you strongly supported — to show opposition to SB 1070 (Support our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act).
You explained your support of the boycott as follows: “While we recognize that as neighbors, we share resources and ties with the State of Arizona that may be difficult to sever, our goal is not to hurt the local economy of Los Angeles, but to impact the economy of Arizona. Our intent is to use our dollars — or the withholding of our dollars — to send a message.” (emphasis added)
I received your message; please receive mine. As a state-wide elected member of the Arizona Corporation Commission overseeing Arizona’s electric and water utilities, I too am keenly aware of the “resources and ties” we share with the City of Los Angeles. In fact, approximately twenty-five percent of the electricity consumed in Los Angeles is generated by power plants in Arizona.
If an economic boycott is truly what you desire, I will be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements so Los Angeles no longer receives any power from Arizona-based generation. I am confident that Arizona’s utilities would be happy to take those electrons off your hands. If, however, you find that the City Council lacks the strength of its convictions to turn off the lights in Los Angeles and boycott Arizona power, please reconsider the wisdom of attempting to harm Arizona’s economy.
People of goodwill can disagree over the merits of SB 1070. A state-wide economic boycott of Arizona is not a message sent in goodwill.
Sincerely,
Commissioner Gary Pierce
The first comment is good too, “It doesn’t matter as California pays in IOUs anyway.”
California will regret this.