MPBN Censorship: "Public radio, of all places, should be the first venue to welcome opinion" Barbara & Herb Jacobowitz

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0222/p20s01-algn.html?page=1

February 22, 2007 profile on The humble Farmer radio program in the Christian Science Monitor.

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http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0305/p08s01-cole.html

Letter in March 5, 2007 Christian Science Monitor

Protect free speech

Regarding the Feb. 22 article, "A farmer who tills the airwaves":

As Maryland listeners of Robert Skoglund's radio show on public radio in Maine, we were delighted with the article. We are particularly fond of the "over-the-top" Maine accent and sensibilities that "the humble Farmer" conveys. (It is a Maine-produced program after all.)

However, we were very alarmed at Maine public radio's reaction to Mr. Skoglund's opinions. Public radio, of all places, should be the first venue to welcome opinion of all varieties. We hope that Maine public radio will reconsider its unfortunate position and allow Skoglund, and all of us, to return to the quirky, authentic, Maine-inspired program that so many people love.

Barbara and Herb Jacobowitz

Silver Spring, Md.

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Anti Censorship Organizations:

http://www.thefileroom.org/documents/AntiC.html

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Making a Difference With Humor on Public Radio. An article for the University of Rochester Review by Robert Karl Skoglund.

http://www.rochester.edu/pr/Review/V69N1/gazetteRVP.html

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Radio Friends Write:

http://www.thehumblefarmer.com/FriendWrite.html

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http://knox.villagesoup.com/AandE/story.cfm?storyID=87854

Jay Davis, Village Soup, Camden, Maine: follow up on Christian Science Monitor article on MPBN censorship.

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on Saturday, March 03, 2007 at 2:49 PM -0500 wrote:

I will no longer be sending donations to Maine Public Radio. I have reached this decision based on the fact that Charles Beck chose to censor the Humble Farmer and his comments. I will not support any organization that DOES NOT ALLOW FREE SPEECH.

This whole affair smells and I think Charles Beck should be severely spoken to and perhaps should resign. He is not representing the public in a fair way. He seems to be using his personal feelings to run the programming.

Will he censor Garrison Keillor next??????

I think this is disgusting.

Dear Ms. Evans Messer: Thank you for contacting The Maine Public Broadcasting Network.
We value and appreciate input from all our viewers and listeners. Your comments will be shared with our programming department. Thanks again for contacting MPBN.

Sincerely, Maurice Doyon
Audience Services Associate
Maine Public Broadcasting Network
1450 Lisbon St.Lewiston, ME 04240
Phone: 207-783-9101

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Hi humble,

... When I was trying to stop the Central American wars on the streets of Belfast, I remember working an anti-war table at the entrance to Shop 'N Save just after they moved to Starett Drive. The supermarket did not object to our presence; I suspect we asked permission to set up.

Many hundreds of people passed our table and gave us a thumbs up or down, signed our petition--had a little chat. Only one person ever got REALLY frantic over our presence.

Charles Beck, then likely the morning classical music DJ, approached the table like any inquisitive passerby. When he saw that we were soliciting people to help stop the war-- he freaked out; sputtering that he couldn't be seen associating with anyone like us--recoiling in horror, with a weeks worth of body language. I always remember the episode because I never experienced anything like that response in a public place before or since.

I have shuddered everytime Charles Beck got another promotion at MPBN--always feeling that he was hard wired only to "Big Brother".

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Would you see anything wrong in reading, on Maine Public Radio, an Encyclopedia Britannica definition of fascism in Italy in the 1920s? Can you guess what happened when The humble Farmer did?

http://www.thehumblefarmer.com/Fascism.html

Would you think one could get in trouble by saying, on Maine Public Radio, that Hitler was a rat-faced wimp? Can you guess what happened when The humble Farmer did?

http://www.thehumblefarmer.com/WarRant2.html

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Dear Representative Dill and Senator Bromley,

Over the last several years, American society has witnessed a steady decline in civil liberties including the right to free speech, right to a speedy trial and protection from illegal search and seizure to name but a few. This phenomenon has been exhibited on both the federal and state level. Reasonable people could disagree as to the extent of the erosion of protections afforded Americans under the Bill of Rights but what cannot be disputed is the fact of the erosion.

I write to you about these issues so as to frame a very disturbing incident involving MPBN and the attempt to suppress the free speech of one of their long time commentators Robert Skoglund aka The Humble Farmer. Over the last twenty eight years Robert Skoglund has provided public broadcasting radio listeners with a witty, insightful mix of social commentary and 'old fashion music'. Many have called him the Garrison Keillor of Maine. My personal feeling is that Mr. Skoglund provides a far deeper intellectual analysis of the human condition than does The Prairie Home Companion as well as significant twentieth century American music history. He has never failed to promote and support local performing artists.

Personal bias aside, the trend to direct and control the content of The Humble Farmer goes back at least to 2003 when Mr. Skoglund received a reprimand / warning based on commentary regarding Adolf Hitler. The November 3, 2006 show was not aired at all due to content deemed 'political'. The limits imposed on Mr. Skoglund are new; former MPBN management did not see fit to criticize or curtail Mr. Skoglund. In addition the negative attitude directed at Mr. Skoglund from MPBN management has been of a nature that has simultaneously threatened and cast doubt on the future of the program 'The Humble Farmer' should he not "shape up".

Robert Skoglund is an international treasure. His program is streamed on the internet and is as well received in Paris, France as it is in Miami, Florida. He is not in violation of the original mandates of public broadcasting; rather he celebrates and embodies the very creative spirit that public broadcasting seeks, or used to seek, to enable. Are you never quite sure what he might say or play next ? Now you understand the nature of the appeal.

I am requesting each of you to look further into this issue. A good place to start might be Village Soup @ http://www.blogger.com/www.villagesoup.com. The latest posting describes another perspective on this topic. The Christian Science Monitor also recently profiled The Humble Farmer. After you have read about the unfortunate turn towards suppression of speech at MPBN I hope you will further consider closely questioning MPBN representatives should they appear before you during budget negotiations. I do not consider their actions either appropriate or necessary.

I am a life long Democrat. I have been a public broadcasting supporter / listener throughout my life. I will hopefully always be a learner. I do not seek to de-fund MPBN. I do seek a modification of their behavior and the utter rejection of the 'guidelines' that management has imposed at this very late date in the history of Maine Public Broadcasting on commentary. Robert Skoglund is a teacher, a mentor and a member of the old school.

Please, let's support the guy that has done so much for Maine and at the same time get back some of the liberties to which we are entitled.

Thank you both for your time. I appreciate your interest in this matter.

Ken Brown

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From Garrison Keillor's Daily Diary...

"It's the anniversary of the rise of one terrible dictator and the end of another. It was on this day in 1933 that the Nazi Party won the majority of the seats in the German parliament, known as the Reichstag, effectively taking control of the country. It was the last free election in Germany until the end of World War II.

Six days before the election, the Reichstag building caught fire, supposedly set by a communist terrorist. The Nazis used the fire as a symbol of the chaos that they would help correct. No one knows for sure, but some historians believe that the Nazis set the fire themselves. In the days after the fire, Hitler persuaded the president to issue new restrictions on personal liberties. Men with ladders suddenly began going around the cities and covering up political posters with plain white paper. All political parties other than the Nazis were forbidden to campaign in the last few days before the vote. And the plan worked. The Nazis took a majority, handing Hitler enough votes to grant himself absolute power.

Just five days after the election, Victor Klemperer, a Jewish professor of romantic languages living in Germany, wrote in his diary: "What, up to election Sunday on March 5, I called terror, was a mild prelude. ... It's astounding how easily everything collapses. ... Since [the election,] day after day commissioners appointed, provincial governments trampled underfoot, flags raised, buildings taken over, people shot, newspapers banned, etc., etc. ... A complete revolution and party dictatorship. And all opposing forces as if vanished from the earth. ... No one dares say anything anymore, everyone is afraid."

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The two stories below are typical of what you'll hear on The humble Farmer's radio program. Click the link on his web page:

http://www.thehumblefarmer.com/ThisWeek.html

Within the next few months I will be speaking at a state association of funeral directors in one of those big states west of Texas. The man who heads up that state’s funeral directors association called me on the phone and sounded quite excited about having me entertain his group.

He said, “Let’s see, if you start telling stories at two in the afternoon, you can finish at four.”

Of course that kind of startled me. Two hours?

I said, “Perhaps you should understand something. In my business, when we talk too long, our customers can get up and walk out.”

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If you have listened to this program for any amount of time, you know that my primary purpose in chatting with you --- my goal in life—is to tell you things that will make your life more pleasant. What better employment can one find than to be able to educate one’s best friends and do it in a manner that might bring a smile to their lips? If I can’t smooth out the bumps in your road of life I can at least prepare you for the fact that they are waiting for you.

If you have ever married, I would like you to listen closely to what I am about to say.

If you have never married, I would like you to listen even more closely.

How much anguish and unnecessary suffering could be spared in this life if, during the wedding vows, the performing magistrate would say,

“Do you, Alison, promise to go through Steven’s pants and remove the Kleenex, loose dollar bills, his ipod and notebook BEFORE throwing them in the wash?”

Thank you again for listening.

Your neighbor humble