My latest column in the Jewish Post and News provides some historical background on the training to engage in this form of broadcasting that I received under the mentorship of the late Yoram Hamizrachi East.
http://www.jewishpostandnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=470%3Awhat-yoram-hamizrachi-taught-me-about-social-activism&catid=47%3Afp-roknewsflash&Itemid=53
Shout-outs off the top of the show include the instructors and students at two institutions I had the pleasure of speaking to this week: the radio class at Academy of Broadcasting under John Copsey; and the Writing Partnerships Practicum course in the Rhetoric, Writing, and Communications department at the University of Winnipeg, at the invitation of Associate Professor Jennifer Clary-Lemon. Her class blogs at http://writingpartners.wordpress.com/ .
Our focus on this episode is the colouring book-like booklet distributed to the media on short notice last Friday by Winnipeg police chief Keith McCaskill, long on fluff and filler like:
“The fact that you’re planning is more important than the plan."
As I said to the classes I spoke to, if a Grade 10 student tried to regurgitate self-serving quotes and artsy pictures in a class project like McCaskill did, they would be awarded an F.
Forced by statistical fact of an increase in violent crime to croon a Petula Clark hit to explain where he intends to target resources - hello Stefano Grande - McCaskill adopted what could be a new phone number representing the lowball targets he has for a crime-reduction strategy - 9-3-3 - for approval at city hall "where normally supportive politicians damned the long-awaited plan with faint praise."
The Free Press also reported on how the presentation did not address breaking the backs of gangs "that seem to invade every safe space" by going after "the kingpins"; nor did the material explain how the Chief wants to work with the MLCC to address alcohol-fueled violence after working WITH the Liquor czars to pursuade the NDP to expand the hours socials held in neighborhood halls can sell booze.
Rounding out the show is a recap of two accounts from the blogosphere of last week's Downtown Biz safety forum being hijacked by anti-cop, anti- Biz anarchists:
http://thecoldcoldground.
http://uniter.ca/blog/entry/6934/(NB - it has come to my attention that one of those stories is being disputed, which I will raise when taping the next installment.)
And of course given the circumstances, a special reflection on our time at Kick-FM and growing the audience, the dishonest conduct of Red River College censors under Stephanie Forsyth towards community radio and free speech - lying about Sam Katz and Vic Toews for instance - and what our listeners are saying about the show and the direction this city has taken in the past year with no one on radio holding the oligarchy to account in our stead, are part of the commentary. Here it is:
http://tgctspod.podbean.com/2011/11/22/fifth-anniversary-episodechief-mccaskills-colouring-em-crime-reduction-plan-booklet-reviewed/
