Engadget Heckles XM Satellite Radio CEO

[firstadopter]

<img src="http://www.firstadopter.com/images/xmceo.jpg" border="0" align="right">A reporter from Engadget <a href="http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000730026180/">heckled</a> the CEO of XM Satellite Radio at CES. He accused the company of having racists and bigots on their network for broadcasting Dr. Laura who believes homosexuality is wrong. The video <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/common/videos/ces/cesxmondrlaura.wmv">is here</a>. <br><br>The reporter goes on and blasts the CEO, "any plans to have other racists like KKK on the network" over and over again. I thought this was in poor taste and the CEO handled it as best he could. He said they broadcast a variety of viewpoints from liberal and conservative sides, which is the way it should be. As the leading tech news blog, it is sad to see them waste a chance to ask the CEO of most successful satellite radio company a substantive question.<br>
Frankly the reporter could of heckled any executive in media using his standard litmus test of any company broadcasting a hard right conservative view point. It's not fair to bash the XM CEO specifically. Free speech is free speech. That is why the ACLU supports a wide range of unappetizing folks. I love Engadget, I love Peter Rojas, but I think this reporter went over the line.

[EzyRider]

The reporter does have a point - I've never heard Dr. Laura, but XM does carry Opie & Anthony who I used to listen to here in NY and they certainly can be classified as controversial and offensive to many people (I laughed my ass off at them, but I have a 10-year-olds sense of humor). If XM claims to have stayed away from Stern because of his content, then carrying O&A contradicts that stance.

That said, I thought the reporter was fine until his KKK comment, but even then I didn't find him overly pushy - I think he was trying to point out perceived hypocrisy but chose a forum in which his tactics would not garner much support. A techie convention is not the best place to try to rile up a crowd with political statements.