Supporters of The Great Canadian Talk Show include
- many graduates and former students from Red River College, as well as current students and staff members,
- Mayor Sam Katz, City Councillor Harvey Smith, the Winnipeg Police Association, social service agency leaders, educators, University professors, journalists, and broadcasters,
- musicians, business owners, working men and women, athletes, and many listeners who also value Freedom of Expression -- even if they did not agree with opinions expressed on the program.
Over 400 people support the Facebook group
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Red-River-College-Kills-Free-speech-on-929-Kick-FM/174397305909084
They do not, for one minute, believe the cover story that Kick-FM acted independently of the pressure from the Winnipeg Free Press on new president Stephanie Forsyth to silence the opinions expressed on our show, and our training of volunteers and students in the alternative media.As well they shouldn't.
When not appearing at NDP press conferences to hover within camera range of the unelected Premier Greg Selinger and Education Minister Nancy Allan, Forsyth has been receiving emails such as this one (reprinted with permission) from disgusted graduates of RRC, which Forsyth surely read and thought about very carefully:
TO: Thomson (gthomson@rrc.mb.ca), Pakorant (dpokrant@rrc.mb.ca), and Forsyth (sgforsyth@rrc.mb.ca).
SENT: November 18th @ 4:22 p.m.
Good Afternoon Ms. Forsyth,
As a former graduate of Red River College
(in 2007 [Business Admin]),
I am absolutely embarrassed
at your lack of leadership in the firing of Marty Gold.
He's helped me (and a ton more people)
with many questions and concerns that
I had regarding city issues
and I thoroughly enjoyed his talk show every
day on my drive home.
He informed me on many subjects that the
mainstream media shields us from.
Yet, you cancel his show due to
bullying from the Free Press and insult us
by claiming it has something
to do with reorganization and student air-time?
I read somewhere that you had a
"positive and supportive leadership style".
Yet, to terminate
an informative show that not only the public loved,
but our own Police
Association endorsed, makes me see you
as nothing but a hypocrite.
You claim to be about your commitment to your students,
yet you don't even consult with them
regarding his cancellation?
Marty Gold did not even receive a salary
to train the students and volunteers who cycled through
the program over the past four years.
Yet you discard him like a piece
of trash.
I know you'll blow this email off
(which I'm sure your assistant will
delete before you even read)
but I'm praying that you'll do the right thing.
Please bring both Marty and his show back.
If you have no problem
looking at yourself in the mirror
knowing you could have done something
about it but didn't, I really feel sorry for you ...
I was proud to be an alum of Red River....
now I'm embarrassed
that the president of the college would
treat someone this way.
Sincerely,
Mark Pilon 