BENSON — A Benson-based radio station that had been broadcasting a “public service announcement” urging people to hide child pornography is in the spotlight and under investigation by the Federal Communications Commission and the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office.
The announcement has been airing on CAVE 97.7 FM radio for the past two years late at night and early in the morning, but following an uproar of international proportions, it was removed.
Paul Lotsof, the radio station’s owner and manager, said he does not advocate child pornography, but created and aired the announcement because he feels Arizona’s sentencing for child porn possession is too harsh.
“I have seen numerous news reports over the years about people getting ridiculous sentences for mere possession of pictures,” he said in an interview. “Strangely, anyone can legally carry a weapon that can kill five people in 10 seconds, but you spend life in prison for carrying a piece of paper. Something about that seems wrong and crazy...If I can air a one-minute announcement that prevents people from being victimized by Arizona's backward laws I think that's a good thing.”
In the PSA, Lotsof said, “In many cases the penalty for possession of pictures is worse than the penalty for murder.” He then goes on to warn people to protect themselves by always using “an external drive and hide it where nobody will ever find” such incriminating items. “Never keep paper pictures, tapes or films of naked juveniles where anyone else can find them. A public service message from the CAVE 97.7 FM,” the announcement said.
Lotsof also spoke of the the public backlash the PSA has caused his employees and expressed concern about threats to advertisers.
“Unfortunately a lot of my associates are being victimized by the angry mob,” he said. “These include my employees who are subjected to abusive phone calls and our advertisers who are being intimidated and threatened. They are innocent victims. If I had known that this matter would have blown up as it did, I wouldn't have aired the message. But, on the other hand, I'm forcing people to think, in some cases for the first time in their lives. And I feel good about that.”
An employee’s perspective
Sherry "Shotgun Sherry" Rudd, who has been a DJ at the CAVE since November of last year, said that she has opted not to work since all the chaos has erupted at the station because she doesn't agree with the message or how it makes the station look.
"I had one of the other DJs cover my hours," she said. "It's appalling. Everyone is appalled."
Unfortunately, she noted, not everyone can afford to take time off from working there, even if they don't agree with Lotsof's PSA.
Rudd said she and other DJs didn't even know about the PSA.
"The thing is, we aren't in control of the PSA," she said. "Paul doesn't come into the station until 8 o'clock at night, so we aren't privy to all of those announcements he runs. I don't think people understand that we aren't looped in with all of these decisions. It does, however, make us look bad."
Rudd has received "hate mail" via social media, she said.
"It's really hard. We (the DJs) don't agree with what he said, but honestly, I do love my job, so it's really upsetting. Me, I'm a mom. I'm a grandma and I'm a registered foster mom," she said. "This (news) does affect me. Between the hate out there and how it affects my name, it's worrisome."
Rudd also made an offer to take over the radio station so that Lotsof can consider early retirement, she said.
