After both local and national backlash in the press, CAVE-FM Manager Paul Lotsof is defending his decision to air a Public Service Announcement that advises people how to hide pictures that may be determined to be child pornography. In his editorial, Lotsoff, who pulled the PSA this week says, “I’m delighted with the exposure that we have received. If nothing else it has really put tiny Benson on the map even though our city officials probably don’t appreciate any of this.” We have copied his editorial in its entirety here…
“I’m CAVE MANager Paul Lotsof. For many years I’ve been seeing and hearing news reports about people who got sentenced to horrible prison sentences when their only crime was possession of pieces of paper or in more cases the person was caught with dirty pictures on his computer. About two years ago the thought occurred to me that as a broadcaster maybe I could do something to help these unfortunate people who are in many cases doing life in prison and maybe help keep other people out of prison. I came up with a one minute public service message which I aired late at night. It started out by explaining that Arizona has a law about possession of child pornography that is the most stringent in the nation in that it carries a mandatory ten year prison sentence for each image found. In the second half of my message I suggested that if for any reason a person has such material he take measures to prevent having to spend years behind bars.”
JOHN GARZIGLIA SAYS THIS IS A FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUE
“For about two years the only response I got from this message was an occasional complaint that the message was depraved. But nothing much happened until a few days ago when someone recorded the message off the radio and posted it on Facebook. Suddenly it exploded. I began getting phone calls from television stations in Tucson. Then TV stations in Phoenix and from the Phoenix based Arizona Republic newspaper. Then national news services began to contact me. Even the BBC in London has done a report on my announcement. And the calls from news organizations keep on coming. I’m delighted with the exposure that we have received. If nothing else it has really put tiny Benson on the map even though our city officials probably don’t appreciate any of this.”
STATION INVESTIGATED FOR PORN PSA
“Judging by the posts on Facebook and other web sites it is clear that a lot of people have managed to misunderstand what I said in my one minute announcement. Many people seem to think that I have expressed the opinion that child abuse is fine and dandy. I never said that. These same people think I said that production of child pornography is fine and dandy. I never said that. Others think that I believe that dissemination of child pornography is fine and dandy. I never said that. Still others think that I’m telling people to break the law. I never said that. Some conclude that I must be a pedophile. I am not a pedophile and I don’t have any child pornography in my possession and have a hard time understanding why anyone would want it. But I do understand that there are some folks out there who do like this material and I feel some sympathy for their plight.”
“I feel that my announcement has served its purpose but it also has caused a lot of misunderstanding and strained emotions. That’s why I have taken it off the air.”
“Now let’s say a few words about the self appointed guardians of the public morals. These are the people who have pointed their fingers at me. These are the people who have demanded that this station be shut down because we are immoral. These are the people who use the strangest tactics to spread their moral values. These moralists try to get their way by using threats and intimidation. These moralists have threatened our employees and have threatened our advertising clients. These moralists object to pornography but you should hear the obscene messages that they leave on our answering machines. These moralists have threatened to come and get me. These moralists are nothing but mobsters and raving hypocrites. They use the most unethical tactics to promote their moral values. In the name of upholding the law they break the law.”
“If you are one of our many supporters and you receive threats from these mobsters you can report it to the proper authorities or simply hang up on them.”
“To those who continue to support CAVE-FM I extend my most sincere thank you. We will not be intimidated by an angry self righteous mob and I plan to keep CAVE-FM on the air and serving the public as we have done since 1983.”
You can reach Paul Lotsof by e-mail at [email protected]
