Theater Boycott Ended, Advisory Continued
Leaders of the boycott against the New Paltz Cinemas, Roosevelt Cinemas, and Lyceum Cinemas announced today that the boycott against the theaters can be considered over. The offensive radio advertisement that caused a coalition of Hudson Valley-based community groups to band together in the action against the local theater chain has been removed from the WGHQ airwaves and has been replaced by the chain's standard ads that appear on numerous other local radio stations promoting only the low ticket price rather than political content.
Steve Greenfield of New Paltz, spokesperson for the coalition, photo right, (and a Green Party of New York State Committeeperson, and Mid-Hudson delegate to the Green Party of the United States National Committee) warns movie patrons that before returning to the theaters they may wish to consider the type of hate speech the theaters are financing even with their more conventional commercial. While listening to programs on WGHQ this past Monday to check for commercial content, Greenfield heard repeated ethnic slurs by two of America['s most popular call-in hosts, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. Beck, relating a shift to the right in the recent Polish elections, declared "If the damned Polacks can figure this out, why can't we?" Limbaugh spent most of his program asserting the accuracy of Bill Bennett's recent racist gaffe that the crime rate could be lowered by aborting all black babies, and declaring repeatedly that he "applauds" Bennett for having said it. Greenfield reminds residents that advertising revenues from the movie theaters and the other commercial patrons of WGHQ, the sole radio outlet for these programs in our region, pay for spreading these hateful messages to our children and the community at large.
"While the station and its on-air personalities are free speak in any manner they wish, and Mr. Bulay is free to advertise to whatever demographic groups suit his personal and business interests, consumers must consider themselves free to decide whether they wish to spend their own money in ways that generate profits for the financiers and profiteers of hate," said Greenfield. Greenfield also promised to periodically monitor broadcasts to determine if advertisements with offensive content return to the airwaves.
Interviews with theater industry analysts and Alexander Bulay, owner of the theaters, indicate that Bulay's discount chain makes no profit on its low-priced ticket sales and his profit is almost entirely derived from concession sales. Theater patrons who wish to take advantage of the convenient location and low prices of the New Paltz, Roosevelt, and Lyceum Cinemas may choose to just watch the movies and not buy the snacks.
For further information, contact:
Steve Greenfield
[email protected]
845-255-2516
Leaders of the boycott against the New Paltz Cinemas, Roosevelt Cinemas, and Lyceum Cinemas announced today that the boycott against the theaters can be considered over. The offensive radio advertisement that caused a coalition of Hudson Valley-based community groups to band together in the action against the local theater chain has been removed from the WGHQ airwaves and has been replaced by the chain's standard ads that appear on numerous other local radio stations promoting only the low ticket price rather than political content.
Steve Greenfield of New Paltz, spokesperson for the coalition, photo right, (and a Green Party of New York State Committeeperson, and Mid-Hudson delegate to the Green Party of the United States National Committee) warns movie patrons that before returning to the theaters they may wish to consider the type of hate speech the theaters are financing even with their more conventional commercial. While listening to programs on WGHQ this past Monday to check for commercial content, Greenfield heard repeated ethnic slurs by two of America['s most popular call-in hosts, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. Beck, relating a shift to the right in the recent Polish elections, declared "If the damned Polacks can figure this out, why can't we?" Limbaugh spent most of his program asserting the accuracy of Bill Bennett's recent racist gaffe that the crime rate could be lowered by aborting all black babies, and declaring repeatedly that he "applauds" Bennett for having said it. Greenfield reminds residents that advertising revenues from the movie theaters and the other commercial patrons of WGHQ, the sole radio outlet for these programs in our region, pay for spreading these hateful messages to our children and the community at large.
"While the station and its on-air personalities are free speak in any manner they wish, and Mr. Bulay is free to advertise to whatever demographic groups suit his personal and business interests, consumers must consider themselves free to decide whether they wish to spend their own money in ways that generate profits for the financiers and profiteers of hate," said Greenfield. Greenfield also promised to periodically monitor broadcasts to determine if advertisements with offensive content return to the airwaves.
Interviews with theater industry analysts and Alexander Bulay, owner of the theaters, indicate that Bulay's discount chain makes no profit on its low-priced ticket sales and his profit is almost entirely derived from concession sales. Theater patrons who wish to take advantage of the convenient location and low prices of the New Paltz, Roosevelt, and Lyceum Cinemas may choose to just watch the movies and not buy the snacks.
For further information, contact:
Steve Greenfield
[email protected]
845-255-2516
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