Readers of a certain age might remember Fred Grandy as the actor who played Burl ‘Gopher’ Smith, the ship’s purser, on the sitcom The Love Boat. He later served four terms, beginning in 1986, as a Republican US Representative from the State of Iowa. More recently, Fred Grandy and his wife, Catherine Mann, were radio talk show hosts on WMAL-AM in Washington, DC – an influential market, to be sure!
Of course, it won’t do to have a talk show host exposing the audience in Washington, DC, of all places, to the dangers of Islam and the worldwide jihad.
(h/t: Blazing Cat Fur)
By Cliff Kincaid | March 3, 2011
Washington, D.C. radio station WMAL is once again being accused of firing a popular talk show host because of his criticism of radical Muslims. The station, a major source of news and information for the nation’s capital, claims that popular morning host Fred Grandy resigned on his own, but Grandy tells AIM that he was essentially forced to leave after his wife, who is also outspoken about radical Islam, was cut from the program.
The growing controversy over Grandy’s departure has resulted in some Grandy supporters charging the station with being “Sharia-compliant,” a reference to Islamic law, and with bending under pressure from the Council on American Islamic-Relations (CAIR), a Muslim lobbying organization that combats what it calls “Islamophobia” in the media.
Grandy, a former actor and Republican member of Congress, told AIM, “My wife and I have used our program over the last several months to warn about the spread of radical Islam at home and abroad. Last week, Catherine (known on the show as Mrs. Fred) delivered a very tough indictment against stealth jihad, and for her efforts she was told she was off the show. I then told management without Mrs. Fred at the microphone, I could not remain either and have resigned effective this morning.”
[…]
Grandy told AIM, “We cannot affirmatively conclude CAIR or any of the prominent Islamic organizations had anything to do with this. We do know, however, in 2005 representatives of CAIR in DC were successful in getting midmorning host Michael Graham fired for anti-Islamic statements he had made on the radio and TV.”
Graham was fired from WMAL after describing Islam as a “terrorist organization” on his program and refusing to apologize or modify the description.
James Lafferty of the Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force, who insists that Grandy was “forced to walk away” from his program after the banning of his wife from the show, blames the controversy on CAIR. “CAIR frequently criticized Grandy for reading FBI reports and court documents on his radio show which labeled CAIR as ‘an unindicted co-conspirator’ in the federal Holy Land Foundation terror finance trial,” Lafferty said.
But CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper acted surprised by the news of Grandy’s resignation and responded, “What is their evidence for that claim?,” when informed that his group was being blamed for his departure.
Lafferty told AIM, “I heard from two very good sources that CAIR was involved in this and not only targeting Grandy but Sean Hannity.” He said CAIR’s strategy was to knock Grandy off the air and then go after Hannity, a nationally syndicated radio host carried by WMAL in the afternoon. Hannity also hosts a Fox News Channel TV show.
Lafferty has urged supporters of the Grandys to protest on Monday, March 7, and Tuesday, March 8, during “Call Out WMAL Days.” He wants the public to call WMAL at (202) 895-2350 and (202) 686-3100 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each of those days and tell the station, “you will not listen to their station until Fred and Mrs. Fred Grandy return.”
“America expects radio stations to be committed to free speech and the truth,” he says. “We expect WMAL to grow a backbone and stand up to CAIR and the other radicals. Call early and often.”
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 9, Lafferty wants supporters of the Grandys to meet at WMAL’s studios (4400 Jenifer St., NW, Washington, DC 20015) with signs “to demonstrate our support for Fred Grandy and his wife and their courageous stand against radical Islam.”
Read it all.
As an update to my post last night, ACT for America sends the following message from Jim Lafferty and the Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force.
Former Congressman Fred Grandy is no longer on WMAL Radio in Washington, DC because he and his wife told the truth about the threat which Shariah and Radical Islam pose to America. Fred Grandy and “Mrs. Fred” interviewed former FBI agents, experts on Shariah law and activists who are fighting radical Islamists in their communities. They told the truth about radical jihadists and their plans to gut the Constitution and destroy America.
On March 2, 2011, WMAL’s management told Grandy he needed to “tone down” any stories on radical Islam. They also told him his wife, an outspoken critic of Islamist infiltration, could not be included in future programs. Fred Grandy refused to accept those conditions and that was his last day on WMAL radio.
The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), an unindicted co-conspirator in the federal Holy Land Foundation terror-financing trial, has complained about Grandy’s outspoken criticism of their organization and other radical groups.
WMAL has a record of yielding to CAIR demands. On two previous occasions, the station removed talk show hosts who had been targeted by CAIR.
[…]
WMAL is owned by Citadel Broadcasting Company, who also owns KSFO in the San Francisco Bay Area. Recall that, in about a two year span of time, Citadel fied the on air team of Melanie Morgan andLee Rodgers.
[…]
Given this history from the former KSFO morning show, was [Citadel CEO] Farid Suleiman calling the shots in telling the Grandys not to discuss radical Islam?
Read it all.
Saturday, March 05, 2011…
Fred Grandy was “Gopher” on the old “Love Boat” TV show, later a Republican congressman from Iowa. Then he pursued a career in broadcasting as co-host of the key morning drivetime show on WMAL in Washington. He just got forced out of the job by the owner of Citadel/ABC Radio for remarks made in opposition to militant Islam. Sound familiar? I have reason to believe that was also one of two factors behind my contract-breaking abrupt dismissal as morning host of KSFO in San Francisco a year ago, the other being they thought I was making too much money. I got my pound of flesh from them via the courts.
Fred suspects CAIR, Media Matters and other Muslim groups are behind the pressure on him. I KNOW they pressured Citadel to get rid of me. Citadel CEO Farid Suleman might have given them a sympathetic ear in both cases. The sheer gutlessness of broadcast management is staggering. Personally, I’m glad to be out of it.
Originally published on 1389 Blog.
