101.1 The Beat DJ slams 'The Tennessean' on the air
Hip-hop/R&B station 101.1 The Beat Jamz says midday personality AG is also known at “Your Friendly Neighborhood Gizzle.”
But AG wasn’t very friendly to The Tennessean today.
AG was talking about an upcoming autism awareness program around 10:50 a.m. when he suddenly mentioned that he didn’t think The Tennessean covered positive stories in the African American community.
AG — who served as president of 100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee for years — suggested The Tennessean only covers shootings in the African American community.
AG (real name: Adrian Granderson) referred to the autism event again and then said:
“If we wanna get some coverage from The Tennessean, we better go and get someone shot. This is ridiculous.”
The station ownership group’s big boss, Tom English, thought that was over the top.
“I understand to a degree the frustration the African American community feels about the lack of positive news being reported in all major media. When you work as hard as AG has over the years to advance the cause, without seeing the kind of recognition positive organizations like 100 Black Men, Nashville Minority Business Center and others deserve, it tends to wear you down,” Tom said in a statement to me.
“That being said, the comments made on the air were totally over the top. We will deal with this internally but I personally apologize to The Tennessean for the remarks.”
I’m supposed to be talking with AG soon.
I have e-mailed The Tennessean’s editor, marketing guru and columnist Dwight Lewis, who often writes about issues in the African American community. None of them have yet responded.
UPDATE
AG e-mailed me this response.
“I wanted to take a few moments to briefly respond to your blog and the statement that I made earlier on the air.
“I want to first recognize and acknowledge the misstep in fully articulating my point earlier this morning. ‘…We better go and get someone shot’ was a poorly verbalized expression of a much bigger issue. An issue that goes far beyond The Tennessean and it was unfair of me to single them out.
“However, this problem supercedes those seven specific words. Those words were verbally surrounded by the color of the situation with no malice intent, only a call for action and change in how African American issues, events, and causes are covered in mainstream media.
“The fact is that I have toiled and given my life to helping others while seeing those positive events fall silent in lieu of negative images and happenings. Our children deserve to see the total picture.
“My prayer is that we do not lose the message in the mistake of a few choice words. While I regret those seven words specifically, my cause remains true, which is to continue to pursue more involvement from our community media resources - including the voice that I have - to make sure that OUR Nashville community continues to be the shining example of philanthropy, social awareness, and prosperity that I have come to know and love.
“Peace & Blessings,
“Adrian ‘A.G.’ Granderson, Middays, 101.1 The Beat Jamz”
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