Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Toronto's CHUM FM denies global warming

An open letter to 104.5 Chum FM:

Dear Chum FM and the Roger, Rick & Marilyn Show,

I was listening to your morning show today and was pleased to hear you reporting on the fact it was Earth Day. But then I was dismayed to hear you spend a full minute of the newscast giving airtime to the people who deny global warming exists. I don't see what this was intended to accomplish. Any sane person can see that we have a problem with pollution in our world. Even George W. Bush has acknowledged that global warming is a serious problem. And yet you felt that a few lunatic scientists who are funded by oil companies deserved more time in your broadcast than the people trying to clean up our city and our planet.

Your newscaster followed the positive Earth Day news with the line: "But of course, there's always a contrary opinion." Really? If you did a story about a Holocaust remembrance ceremony, would you feel the need to let a Holocaust-denier go on for 60 seconds as "balance?" Sure, there's always a contrary opinion. But there isn't always a logical contrary opinion that deserves airtime. The oil companies have tried to make it look like there's a "debate" in the scientific community on the subject. But anyone who's looked into it knows this is misinformation. You can always find someone who's willing to present a shoddy argument for a fee. But I don't see why this would earn them 50% of your newscast on a story about the environment.

I feel that you should apologize on air to your viewers for diminishing the important work that people are doing for Earth Day and for using your station's clout to promote dangerous, unfounded opinions that can only result in more deaths from smog and climate change. I am very disappointed in your station and in the usually positive and responsible Roger, Rick & Marilyn Show.

Sincerely,

Josh Rachlis

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Get your face or message on a giant billboard in Ontario!


Get your face or message on a real, huge billboard in Ontario! Seriously! Just to go to http://www.jamesready.com, upload your photo or message, and it will most likely appear on a billboard!!!

The photo here is some guy Matt who sent in that picture. If he can get a billboard, YOU can. And no, what you send in doesn't need to have anything to do with beer.

If you’re my friend, I’ll make sure you get your stuff on a billboard! You see, I’ve been asked to use my internet social networking connections to raise participation in an exciting marketing initiative for James Ready Beer. (Translation: People at work said “Hey! You have over 800 Facebook friends! Help us out!”)

James Ready is an inexpensive beer that asks consumers to “Help us keep James Ready a buck a bottle.” As such, they have bought up some real live billboards around Ontario but don’t have any fancy, expensive ads to put on them.

So they’re asking people to email in a digital photo or just a message and they’ll put it on a giant billboard. They haven’t gotten enough responses yet. Maybe because people don’t believe it’s real. So if you send something in, it will most likely be made into a billboard.

Got a photo of your sports team? Want to ask a girl out? Are you making a movie that you’d like to promote? Want to show off your new haircut?

Just go to http://www.jamesready.com and send in what you want on the billboard. It’s that simple! And you can message me after so that I can help ensure that it does get up there.

You can do it no matter where you live. But if you live in one of these areas, even better, because this is where the billboards will be:

Peterborough
Ajax
Pickering
Georgetown/Halton Hills
Brantford
Chatham-Kent
Sarnia
Barrie
Orillia
Belleville
Kingston
Oshawa
Hamilton
St. Catharines
Niagara
London
Windsor
Sault Ste. Marie
Sudbury
North Shore
North Bay & District
Thunder Bay
Kitchener
Cambridge