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Indian panel rejects radio deal

By Michael Futch

The vote came Friday during the commission’s quarterly meeting in Raleigh.

The commission accepted an apology on April 16 from WDCG “G-105” for the racially charged comments broadcast on the morning show “Bob and the Showgram” two weeks earlier. In late April, the commission decided to go forward with drafting a partnership with the Clear Channel Communications station.

“I heard a couple of people say, ‘You people had sold the tribe out.’ It wasn’t that at all,” said Furnie Lambert, one of four Lumbee Indian representatives on the commission. “An agreement had not been reached. It was just a possible memorandum of agreement. Everything fell through today.”

The station suspended the “Showgram” cast without pay for three days. Clear Channel had agreed to offer free advertising and internship opportunities for American Indian students on all four of its Triangle radio stations. Previously, WDCG general manager Dick Harlow had agreed to provide assistance through the company’s lobbyists on a proposed bill in Congress that would give full federal recognition to the Lumbees, according to Greg Richardson.

Richardson, who is executive director of the N.C. Commission of Indian Affairs, could not be reached Friday.

Lambert said 18 commission members met and rejected the offer.

According to a news release from the N.C. Department of Administration, “members and guests expressed strong feelings about the derogatory comments, which were made during ‘Bob and the Showgram.’ The broadcast generated an intense response among North Carolina’s tribes and organizations, collaboration among other minority groups, as well as supportive feedback from agencies outside the state.”

Harlow attended Friday’s meeting, restating apologies made by the station and “Showgram” host Bob Dumas. Harlow, according to the news release, maintained that the on-air remarks by Dumas had been made in character and were never intended to offend. Harlow said Dumas would not be fired and that the show’s edgy format would not be changed.

Attempts to reach Harlow were unsuccessful.

“I think the thing that put the icing on the cake,” Lambert said, “was when he said that this guy, Bob Dumas — he talked about when he gets on the radio station, he’s playing the part of a character. It’s not the real Bob Dumas. Then he said he’s just a redneck from Georgia. That threw everybody for a loop. He had been saying what a great guy he was. That wasn’t too kosher, I don’t think.”

After that, Harlow excused himself from the meeting, Lambert said. “He was visibly upset,” he added. “I think he may have realized what he had said.”

The news release said commission members agreed to support ongoing efforts by partner groups to draw attention to WDCG’s broadcast policies, to boycott its advertisers and to encourage a formal investigation by the Federal Communications Commission.

Despite the state agency’s rejection of the offer, the door has not been slammed on negotiations, Lambert said.

“He (Harlow) may come back to the table.”

Staff writer Michael Futch can be reached at futchm@fayobserver.com  or 486-3529.

Originally posted and written for The Fayetteville Observer