What Were They Smoking?

By Daniel Forbes, Salon. Posted November 28, 2001.

Rick D. Day, the executive director of Texas NORML, the marijuana rights group, swears he had no intention of lighting up a joint on his new radio show at KTRA-AM in Dallas/Ft. Worth. So it presumably wasn't concern over any on-site combustibles that caused the Clear Channel Communications station to walk away from the contract it signed with him.

But what puzzles Day about the imbroglio, now in its third week, is that it was Clear Channel's idea in the first place. A KTRA salesman, David Becker, approached him with the idea. It's not a good time for advertising in any medium, and Becker was apparently eager in a slow economy to develop new sources of paid programming. Never mind that any show with Day behind the microphone would push a pro-pot agenda.

Newly promoted to the Dallas office, Becker hit upon the idea of approaching Texas NORML. (The acronym stands for National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.) Various other political organizations air their views on radio stations nationwide, so why not, he figured. Says Becker, who confirms the signed contract with Day, "Yes, I did approach him first." It was his understanding that Day would discuss responsible marijuana use by adults, Becker says, adding, "It's not tits and ass, it's not strippers."

But the KTRA programming department now fears that Day might concentrate on how to obtain pot or achieve a quality high, says Becker, and that's what caused the holdup. His boss, Clear Channel local sales manager Mike Scott, has assured Becker the show will run, once it gets over these "speed bumps," he says, but right now programming and sales are "wrestling" over it.

Day and Clear Channel signed a contract in mid-October, and the hourlong show, dubbed "Club Cannabis," was set to debut the first Sunday in November at 7 p.m. Day agreed to pony up $15,600 to buy a year of Sunday-night slots. Clear Channel would get four minutes for its own advertising for each show, and Day, provided he agreed "to conform to basic FCC rules regarding advertising and broadcast content," could pretty much do what he wanted with the rest.

As he informed KTRA, Day planned segments on such topics as: "Libertine Lifestyles," "Drug Czar Bizarre" and even "Mister Greenbud's Groovy Garden." In the interest of journalistic balance, a "Spotlight on Stoner Stupidity" was also planned.

Before such ruminations could be foisted on the good citizens of Dallas/Ft. Worth, Day ran into what he calls "obfuscation and delay." The Nov. 4 debut date came and went, as did the following Sunday night. On the morning of the third Sunday, Nov. 18, Day says he received an e-mail from Scott that canceled that debut as well. "Anyway, politics have appeared," the note said. "I have been asked to 'hold off' on your show for a couple of weeks. It's my understanding that someone high up in the Programming area of the company has expressed concern over the content of your show. I need to get an overview of your topics, etc. to the powers that be next week before we can proceed."

Judging at least from the e-mails Day says Scott has sent him, Scott genuinely seems to want to get the show on the air. After apologizing about the "delays and roadblocks," Scott wrote: "Obviously, we won't be doing a show tonite, but if you are willing to jump through some hoops, I will make sure we fight the good fight."

For his part, Day says, "Mike Scott has been going to bat for me like I'm his No. 1 client. I can't fault anything Scott or Becker have done -- they could have blown me off a long time ago."

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