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BeforetheFEDERALCOMMUNICATIONSCOMMISSION
Washington,D.C.
IntheMatterof )
)
ApplicationforRenewalof ) FileNumber:
BroadcastStationLicenseof ) BRH20140130AGC
)
EmmisLicenseCorporationofNewYork )
EmmisCommunications )
)
ForRenewal
of
Station
License
WQHT,
)NewYork,NewYork )
OnMay31,2014,IreceivedacopyofEmmisLicenseCorporationofNewYorksOPPOSITION
TOPETITION
TO
DENY.
This
opposition
fails
to
address
key
issues
introduced
in
the
original
petitiontodeny,andinstead,seekstoredirectthecruxoftheoriginalobjectionintotheareaof
contentasopposedtokeepingtheintendedfocusoncommunity.
Assuch,IaskthattheCommissionconsiderthefollowing:
Hiphop,asdemonstratedbyexamplesintheoriginalpetition,iswidelyrecognizedasa
cultureandacommunitythatsubscribestothatculture.
Hiphopcultureandcommunityarewidelyrecognizedasconsistingofseveralsubcultures,or
elements,includingBboy/BGirl/danceculture,graffiti/artculture,rapmusicculture,DJ
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cultureandaspecializedknowledge/understanding/perspectivethatcomesfromyearsofliving
andparticipatinginalifestylewiththoseinfluencerseverpresent.
ItisaratheruniquephenomenonofAmericana,anddeservestobetreatedassuch.
Asstatedintheoriginalpetition,whileIcertainlyhaveobjectionsthatrelatetothecontentand
programmingatWQHTHot97,itisnotthecruxoftheargument.
Bystating,falsely,thathiscomplaintsrelatesolelytomattersthatarepursuanttotheFirst
Amendment,theCommunicationsActandsettledprecedent,committedtoEmmiseditorial
discretionand
therefore
outside
of
the
Commissions
proper
inquiry
in
evaluation
WQHTs
licenserenewal,theapplicantattemptstomisleadthisCommissionintobelievingthatmy
objectionrevolvesaroundmypersonalprogrammingpreferencesnotbeingmet.
Thisisnotthecase.
Emmisrecognizestheexactissuebysummarizingmysingularobjection:(1)doesnot
provideadequateprogrammingdirectedatthehiphopculture,(2)focusesdisproportionately
onhiphopmusicascomparedtotherelatedculture.
Intheirentireresponse,theydonotrefutetheseclaims,norprovideanyadditionalinformation
whichwoulddemonstrateotherwise.
Thereremainsnorepresentationof,orattentiontotheBboy/Bgirl/danceaspectofhiphop
cultureandcommunity.
Thereremainsnorepresentationof,orattentiontotheartistic/visual/graffitiaspectsofhiphop
cultureandcommunity.
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Thereremainsnorepresentationof,orattentiontothesignificantDJaspectofhiphopculture
andcommunity,otherthanthenarrowspectrumofradioandclubDJs.
Thereremainsnexttonorepresentationof,orattentiontoanyissuesspecifictohiphop
cultureandcommunityatlarge.
Thereremainsextremelylimitedunderrepresentationof,orattentiontorapmusicoutsideofa
verynarrowsliceoftheoverallspectrum.
Thereremainsextremelylimitedunderrepresentationof,orattentionto,thelocalhiphop
musicand
cultural
community
within
the
broadcast
radius
of
the
station.
Whileprogrammingchangescouldcertainlyensurethisbalanceismet,contentchoices,again,
arenotthecruxoftheobjection.
Toclarifyonceagain.
Themostbasictenetofanapplicantmustfollowistoservethepublicinterest.
Indeed,intheFCCsPublicandBroadcastingguide,andinthedecisionscitedinthe
applicantsopposition,itisclearthatalicenseegenerallyhasdiscretiontoselectwhatits
stationbroadcastsandtootherwisedeterminehowitcanbestserveitscommunityoflicense.
However,byattemptingtoredirectthecontextoftheobjectionssetforthinmyoriginal
petitionas
matters
of
content,
the
applicant
is
attempting
to
obfuscate
the
fact
that
they
are
in
actualityattemptingtodefinetheirowncommunityoflicense.
Byprovidingnoassurancesorexamplesthattheentiretyofhiphopswiderculturalcommunity
isbeingserved,andinfact,hidingbehindtheirassertionthattheydontreallyhaveto,the
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applicantcontinuestodemonstrateanegregiousviolationoftheveryfirstobligationofa
licensee.
Asevidencedbytheirowncitation:
Licenseeshavebroaddiscretionbasedontheirrighttofreespeechtochoose,ingoodfaith,theprogrammingtheybelieveservestheneedsandinterestsoftheircommunities.BystatingthattheyareWhereHipHopLives,WQHTHot97isclearlydefiningtheirintended
audience,clearlyclaimingwhichcommunitytheyarepurportingtoserve.Yet,theextreme
lackof
attention
to
wide
swaths
of
that
community,
and
therefore
an
enormous
amount
of
its
needsandinterests,demonstratesotherwise.
Assuch,theyshouldnotingoodfaithbeallowedtocontinuetobroadcastwhile
demonstratingsuchdiscriminatorybehavior.
IftheFCCistoleaveprogrammingdiscretiontothelicensees,thenoneoftheonlyprotections
citizenshaveagainstlicenseesabusingthepowerofthepublictrustisthattheymustserve
thepublicinterestoftheircommunity.
Butifthestations,andthecorporationswhorunthem,areallowedtodefinetheirown
communities,asEmmisisattemptingtodointhiscasedespitewidelyaccepted,culturally
acceptedstandards,thentheFCCwouldbeconcedinganenormousamountofcontrolintothe
handsoftheentitiestheyarechargedwithregulating,erodingthatpublictrust,settinga
potentialprecedentwhichcouldbeextremelydamagingtothepublic.
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Asanindividualwhoisapartoftheactualhiphopcommunity,Ispeakformyselfandmany
otherswhenIstatethatIshouldnothavethewideexpansivenessofmyculturalaffiliation
stifledbyanentityofthepublictrust.Ishouldnothaveaspectsofmycultureandlifestyle
ignoredbyanentitythatcapitalizesoffofafraudulentattachmenttomyculture.WithWQHT
Hot97holdingsuchapowerfulvoiceinourarea,theiractionspresentanimminentand
ongoingmenacetohiphopcultureandcommunityasawhole,myselfincluded.Theiractions
aredamaginganddiscriminatory,anddiscountawellestablishedsegmentofthepopulationof
NewYorkCityanditssurroundingareas,myselfincluded.
Assuch,grantingofthechallengedapplicationwouldcontinuetocausedirectinjurytomyself
andothers,injurywhichcanbedirectlytracedtothechallengedaction,injurywhichwouldbe
preventedorredressedbythereliefrequested.
ItisforthesereasonsthatIbelieveIhaveindeedestablishedaprimafaciecasethatthe
renewalofWQHTslicensewouldbeinconsistentwithSection309(k),andattheveryleast,
presentedenoughsubstantialandmaterialquestionoffacttowarrantahearing.
BasedontheoriginalPETITIONTODENYandtheadditionalstatementsinthisresponse,Iagain
requestthattheCommissiondenytheapplicantsrenewaltobroadcast.
Respectfullysubmitted,
By___________________________________
