USA for Indonesia

"USA for Indonesia" is a parody sung to the 1985 tune "We Are the World," which was performed by USA for Africa; a parody of charity supergroup songs, it ridicules the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake. "USA for Indonesia" was aired on WQHT-FM (Hot 97), a New York City radio station, during the week of January 17, 2005. The show's producer, Rick Del Gado, wrote and produced the song, while shock jock Miss Jones introduced it. This was a response to jolt the ratings when former Hot 97 morning hosts Star & Buc Wild arrived at rival station WWPR-FM. The lyrics were deemed derogatory and offensive to many listeners, notably Asian Americans.

While the song was aired, co-host Todd Lynn, a Black American, muttered, "I'm gonna start shooting Asians." Miss Info, an Asian American co-host of Korean descent, extricated herself from producing the song and informed her co-workers that it was wrong for it to be played. Miss Jones and the other co-hosts immediately berated Miss Info for distancing herself from the antics and accused her of acting superior because she was Asian. Within about a week many listeners, politicians and civil rights groups held a protest rally outside Hot 97. New York City Councilmen John Liu and Charles Barron talked to media and press reporters about this fiasco and demanded that some severe disciplinary action be taken against Hot 97 and their parent company Emmis Communications. Councilwoman Letitia James noted "If you're going to profit from hate, it's going to cost you and it's going to cost you dearly." The week following this protest rally, rap pioneer Afrika Bambaataa and other listeners held another protest rally, targeting Hot 97's misappropration of the hip hop culture and demanded a format change. Simultaneously, Sprint and McDonald's as well as "New York Newsday" pulled their advertising from the station, resulting in the station's financial losses.

On February 1, 2005, Emmis Communications terminated Del Gado and Lynn and placed the other morning team members on a two-week suspension. Miss Info was the only member that wasn't disciplined to this fiasco but took a leave of absence without management's approval. Miss Jones and her staff agreed to donate two weeks of their salary to the tragedy. Emmis also donated their share of $1 million to the relief. Councilman Liu considered the amount too little for an apology and demanded $10 million from the company's revenue. The outrage has continued to grow despite the apology.

British parliamentarians signed an early day motion sponsored by Linda Perham, MP in the House of Commons in the Palace of Westminster, deploring Hot 97's racist tsunami song.

EDM 638 stated: "That this House deplores the racist Tsunami Song aired on Hot 97 radio station in New York; calls upon Richard Cummings, President of Emmis Radio, to take firm action against those who aired the song beyond the temporary suspension; and commends the heartfelt tsunami song composed by British Sri-Lankan Nimal Mendis."

References

* [http://www.asianmediawatchdog.com/missjones/about.html Asian Media Watchdog - One of the high profile groups that organized Tsunami Song protest]
* [http://www.asianmediawatch.net/missjones/ Asian Media Watch - Media watchdog]
* [http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050126/dew027_1.html Yahoo Business News]
* [http://www.ukchinese.co.uk/ UK Chinese - "Chinese Community ask George Bush and Tony Blair to take action against Hot 97"]
* [http://www.island.lk/2005/02/13/features2.html/ Sunday Island Sri Lanka - "Two tsunami songs mentioned in the British parliament with kudos to Nimal Mendis by Nan"]
* [http://www.house.gov/pelosi/press/releases/Jan05/TsunamiSong012605.html House of Congress Press Release from House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi: "Pelosi Condemns Broadcast of ‘Tsunami Song’"]
* [http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2005/thefirenexttime/special_casestudies_1.html What Happens When Shock Jocks Go Too Far?] , from "P.O.V." at PBS.org