The Rick Letter - an analysis

[Tenbatsuzen]

OK, kids. Strap in. Here's the letter, my comments in bold.

There's a lot going on with this Tsunami Song. Somebody took time with this one. Put a stamp on a letter and mailed it to us. Read and YOU be the judge. By the way, we never dissed any of the people involved - we just hit you with the rumors as we hear them. Ch-ch-ch-check it out!

So someone sent you an anonymous letter. That holds ZERO water, mainly because unless it's on Hot 97's letterhead, I wouldn't give this letter any creedence whatsoever

I am an informed insider.

Pussy. You don't have to start a letter anonymously. It makes your argument sound weak.

I feel compelled to tell what is actually going on.

Ms. Jones and Todd Lynn had NOTHING to do with the writing or production of the Tsunami Song. The song was written and produced by Rick Delgado, who is the producer and supervisor of the morning show.

OK. That's not a problem. If Rick wrote the song, that's fine. I don't have issue with that.

Everyone involved in the production participated under duress.

SLOW DOWN.

Ms. Jones is not the singing voice. The song was voiced by Rick Delgado, DJ Envy, and the production assistant Tasha Hightower, who initially objected to performing the song, but were coerced by the producer to participate in the project.

"Coerced" is a very strong word. Rick is Tasha's boss. If I'm working for a morning show in market #1, I'd do whatever my boss told me to do. It was probably something along the lines of: Tasha: "I'm not sure I want to do this..." Rick: "C'mon, it'll be funny!" Tasha: "Ok!"

This is actually what happened. The truth is Todd Lynn may have made a mistake in his shooting Asians statement, but he nor Ms. Jones had anything to do with the written production of the Tsunami song, and nor are they racist.

This immediately smacks of either Todd or Jones writing the letter. Jones had some pretty awful statements as well.

Your energies are being SERIOUSLY misdirected at the wrong people. If you really want to combat racism, go to the root of the problem. Ms. Jones and Todd Lynn are on -air personalities. They do not control what is played over the airwaves. This is a producer call ie: Rick Delgado, who was also the producer of the "Opie and Anthony" radio show; which was taken off the air for similar antics.

This is absolute horseshit. Jones and Todd are an established team - Rick has been with them tops, six months. If Jones and Todd has a serious issue with the song, they would have gone to the Program Director. And besides, it doesn't explain why the song was played MULTIPLE times. Rick, even as producer, doesn't have the stroke to make Jones or Todd do ANYTHING.

I am writing because I can no longer sit back and watch as two people who made a judgment error be touted as racists and called the Tsunami 2.

Blah blah blah. Jones and Todd went off on Ms. Info and played the song multiple times. It's their show - take control of it.

Please forward this email to everyone that you've emailed trying to derail Ms. Jones and Todd Lynn. They need to know the other side of the story in order to make a fair and balanced judgment to whether they should be fired or a continual suspension.

Please be proactive in looking for the truth and not reactive in condemning two radio personalities.

THE PRODUCER DID IT- Rick Delgado. Let it be known.

This is seriously where I draw the line. It's obviously someone well connected to Jones or Todd trying to take the heat off them, portraying Rick as some Al-Zarqawi, holding a gun to Miss Jones head, telling her to press the button on the Audiovault.

Rick did not tell Jones and Todd to say those things. Rick did not press the button to make the song go off.

Even if the portrayal of Rick is that accurate, they had a serious lapse in judgment in not going to the program director of Hot 97 and telling them what's going on, and should be fired anyway.

Even with the St. Pat's incident - O&A had nothing to do with the couple actually going into St. Pat's or what Mercurio did. But O&A took the fall for it, because it was their responsibility of what ultimately aired.

The personalities do have control of what goes over their air. In the end, trying to place all the blame on Rick is a bitter, awful move, and shows how petty Jones and Todd are in trying to save their jobs.

[Tug McGroin]

Zey ver just following Ordas!

gimme a break, that excuse didn't save any nazi war criminals and it wont save some corny radio show.

[njWOWfan69]

tenbats your comments are hilarious, keep it up!

-mikey ballz

[HockeyHelmet]

Ricks getting F'd in the A on this one......Ten, I enjoyed your breakdown of that horshit of a letter, great job. :clap:

[Lt Boogaloo]

Please be proactive in looking for the truth and not reactive in condemning two radio personalities.


This sounds vaguely like "searching for the real killers"


On golf courses and steakhouses.



THE PRODUCER DID IT- Rick Delgado. Let it be known.




If the radio hosts didn't do it, you must acquit?

[Skeet Slambone]

This sounds vaguely like "searching for the real killers"


This time it actually was, "some peurto rican guy".

[Tenbatsuzen]

This time it actually was, "some peurto rican guy".

It wasn't Rick, it was Pe-dro Guer-rer-ro.

[ih8Uboo-boo]

It could have been O....



but you cant trust that J. guy either...

[Premarital Sex]

If Rick ends up taking the fall for this, and the morning djs are let off the hook, will this mean an assault on hot97? This would be a huge injustice to an old friend of the show and will prove that hypocracy and ignorance has taken over not just radio, but all of entertainment. I can't believe that Rick's entire career is in jeopardy because of this horseshit.

[Gonzoid]

If Rick ends up taking the fall for this, and the morning djs are let off the hook, will this mean an assault on hot97? This would be a huge injustice to an old friend of the show and will prove that hypocracy and ignorance has taken over not just radio, but all of entertainment. I can't believe that Rick's entire career is in jeopardy because of this horseshit.

I am sure that whatever decision the management makes, this letter will have little to do with it. Rick will probably take the fall and be the scapegoat for this event. That way Jones and Buck can continue with their show and the wolves have a body to feast on. it is incredibly unfair, but I think this letter , if anything, will ba a sumamry of how it is going to go down and why.

[caulfield]

they should all be fired and do exactly what all their listeners do, collect unemployment.

[DC Chick]

Find the Hot 97 underling with the XM radio (there can't be too many yet) and too much free time, you'll have your author.

[Tenbatsuzen]

Find the Hot 97 underling with the XM radio (there can't be too many yet) and too much free time, you'll have your author.


It would be incredibly Machievellian, even for me, but I wouldn't be surprised if Rick wrote the letter himself. It's totally transparent that it's trying to blame him solely... when it's truly not the case - making Jones and Todd look worse.

*shrug*

In a radio station, there's always drama. Talents don't get along, people don't get along with producers, I wouldn't be surprised if someone who was close to Jones/Todd and had an axe to grind with Rick (passed up for a promotion when Rick was brought in?) decided to let loose on him.

[Bach]

In a radio station, there's always drama. Talents don't get along, people don't get along with producers
Absolutely accurate. The waging of war amongst egotistical air personalities can often be equated to global thermonuclear war. For those that haven't been on the inside of the radio industry, you'd be amazed at how something so minor, like an appearance fee for a remote, could literally be the cause of over two years of heated strife. Magnify that by a few hundred times, and you've got the scenario being played out now at Hot 97.

[Madness]

I had never heard of this Miss Jones twat before two weeks ago but she's already high up on the list of people I completely hate. They should really wait longer than 2 weeks to start with revisionist bullshit. Especially when there's audio of her ripping apart someone who actually had a problem with the song. She sounded extremely proud of the song before she got in trouble.

EDIT: I'd also like to say these people have some massive egos for a show that's probably one of the weaker rated shows in the area.

[Grizzly]

Ugh.

[HockeyHelmet]

they should all be fired and do exactly what all their listeners do, collect unemployment.

DING! DING! DING! We have a winner :icon_eek:

[cjred685]

I had never heard of this Miss Jones twat before two weeks ago but she's already high up on the list of people I completely hate. They should really wait longer than 2 weeks to start with revisionist bullshit. Especially when there's audio of her ripping apart someone who actually had a problem with the song. She sounded extremely proud of the song before she got in trouble.
Miss Jones is playing the race card when it's appropriate for her...point blank.

[Tenbatsuzen]

It could have been O....



but you cant trust that J. guy either...


I thought O was the guy in the Hertz commercials and Naked Gun movies.

[Madness]

Basically. I'm glad O&A brought up the race thing. I think it's funny the only non-black guy is the one that the others are trying to scapegoat for this whole thing.

[caulfield]

i feel like giving them an FU on the FU Line with the kkk song playing in the background

[davemanic]

da hell wit Miss Jones! That ole bitch.

nice job!

[ih8Uboo-boo]

I thought O was the guy in the Hertz commercials and Naked Gun movies.

It may have been, I always get those 2 mixed up...

[Bill]

Wasn't the whole fight with Miss Info over the fact that she didn't participate in the song, while the rest of the morning show did?

[jlfrench]

exactly.

[Butt Nugget]

Wasn't the whole fight with Miss Info over the fact that she didn't participate in the song, while the rest of the morning show did?

If you mean "participate" as in singing/writing-then no. If you mean in the proud playing of the song-then yes. She said she allegedly felt offended by it.

[Chubzie Ubzie]

what tsunami? There was a tsunami? Damn... I missed it

[Butt Nugget]

I found it amusing that Hot97 is trying to tab the fallout as "Tsunami 2"(as the boys noticed also) to try to get them more attention than they already are.

[Bill]

If you mean "participate" as in singing/writing-then no. If you mean in the proud playing of the song-then yes. She said she allegedly felt offended by it.

I thought that her "except for me" was referring to everybody on the show participating in the song, like what took place on "We Are The World", "except for me (Miss Info)".

[THE FEZ MAN]

Just out of curiosity would the boys take Rick in as a favor to an O’l buddy? Or were there bridges burned and so fourth? I does suck that he’s taking the ass reaming over the entire thing. Hell why don’t they just let the natives chop off his head and parade it around on a pike. Or toss him in a big cast iron pot and boil him up

[Butt Nugget]

I thought that her "except for me" was referring to everybody on the show participating in the song, like what took place on "We Are The World", "except for me (Miss Info)".

You could be right. It may just be personal interpretation. I took it as the jocks thought it was a good song to play and she tried to exclude herself though I gotta hear the audio again-I could be wrong. In either case, I would have to think that she knew they were going to play the song on that show in advance and could have just totally distanced herself altogether instead of sitting in and saying what she did-sitting out would have given her more cred in my book. I feel it would have been covered in show prep-I could be wrong there too.

[Butt Nugget]

Small update from hiphop for what it's worth. Looks like Rick gets some company:

Who Should Be Held Responsible?
1/31/05 UPDATE: Todd Lynn Fired


An e-mail was sent around this weekend from a supposed "informed insider" at Hot 97. This email appears to have come from someone in Miss Jones and Todd Lynn's camp, twisting the facts around hoping to deflect responsibility from them.

It seems to be true, as claimed in the email, that producer Rick Delgado wrote the song and that Miss Jones did not sing on it. But the email falsely implies that Todd Lynn did not sing on the "tsunami song," which he did. Even Todd himself did not deny his presence on the song, when he spoke publicly to this site and trickology.com.

It also states that Miss Jones has no control over the programming of the morning show, which is false. It is clear from what was heard on air that Miss Jones eagerly approved the airing of the song, and specifically ordered it to be played again one morning that week, after a caller complained.

The e-mail claims that the staff was somehow forced "under duress" to record the song, which is laughable. What sort of "duress" was it exactly, did management put a gun to their heads? CLearly they were not threatened with losing their jobs, because Miss Info refused to participate and faced no such consequences.

The e-mail also seems to hope we will forget the abusive statements made by both Jones and Lynn in defense of the song, when they were berating Miss Info for raising an objection to it.

Assuming it is true, as was already reported elsewhere, that Producer Rick Delgado wrote and produced the song, clearly he should be held fully responsible for that. But does this absolve Todd Lynn of his responsibility for singing on the song, or Miss Jones' responsibility for ordering it to be aired repeatedly? Or for the further abuse and bigotry they aimed at Miss Info, after she objected to the song?

Clearly the blame for this cannot fall only on these on-air personalities. But is it possible to address this properly without holding them fully accountable for their roles? And what about the management and higher-ups at Hot 97 and Emmis who allowed this to happen, where is their accountability? If you, the people, have an opinion on this you better make it known, because wheels are turning right now...

Posted by jsmooth995 at 10:12 AM | Comments (94) | TrackBack (0)


Todd Lynn Fired, More News Shortly
The rumors that Todd Lynn was fired tonight have apparently been confirmed by the activist group Asian Media Watchdog, who report:

At about 9 PM on Monday, Lynn called Asian Media Watchdog from his home in Brooklyn saying, "You got your wish man. I'm fired. I'm gone."
More details on whether anyone else was fired are expected soon. Based on how the wind is blowing, I'm betting they fired Todd Lynn and Rick Delgado, and let Miss Jones off the hook.

Which I would find outrageous, personally. I'll post further details as they come in.

Posted by jsmooth995 at 10:21 PM | Comments (41) | TrackBack (1)

[krunk]

bet Rick feels bad for leaving Y100 in Philly now.......oh wait.....they suck too

[Tenbatsuzen]

bet Rick feels bad for leaving Y100 in Philly now.......oh wait.....they suck too

Not so fast, chico. Apparently they got a big money deal from MMR.

[krunk]

Yup...Greater Media trying to get in postion for when Stern leaves YSP.....big money deal doesn't mean they're "good" but that's still just my opinion......other than DeBella on MGK (another Greater Media station) they're the "biggest" local Philly morning show.......and you can spin numbers any way ya want, but Preston and Steve still aren't huge in the mornings and Y100 barely has a pulse ratings wise (2.5 12+ M-Sun).........and taking into account there's not much room left after KYW and Stern, maybe they do ok once Stern's gone.....but I will say this for when Rick was there, I almost enjoyed the rip off of the F-U Line they did........finally to paraphrase STD: "they stink and I don't like 'em".

[robification]

look for people to get fired soon....


http://www.thuglifearmy.com/news/articles/50807/

Rumor has it that the axe has begun to swing at the hip-hop / rap station Hot 97 in New York. The first to go is said to be the show comedian Todd Lynn. Also rumored to be next is the show producer Rick Delgado.



Well, what would an article on this topic be without mentioning that Rick Delgado used to be the producer of the Opie and Anthony show? It sounds good but the truth of the matter is its nothing but a cop out and a cover up for the bigger picture. Smoke and Mirrors if you ask me. Its very easy to point the finger at the guy that has been in the spotlight like this before with a story that made just as many headlines if not more.



This after an email from an inside source and supposed employee of Hot 97 surfaced on the Internet yesterday. Part of the email that was signed Princess Rock read:



I am an informed insider, and employed at Hot 97. I feel compelled to tell what is actually going on.



Ms. Jones and Todd Lynn had NOTHING to do with the writing or production of the Tsunami Song. The song was written and produced by Rick Delgado, who is the producer and supervisor of the morning show.



Everyone involved in the production participated under duress.



Ms. Jones is not the singing voice. The song was voiced by Rick Delgado, DJ Envy, and the production assistant Tasha Hightower, who initially objected to performing the song, but were coerced by the producer to participate in the project.



This is actually what happened. The truth is Todd Lynn may have made a mistake in his shooting Asians statement, but he nor Ms. Jones had anything to do with the written production of the Tsunami song, and nor are they racist.



Your energies are being SERIOUSLY misdirected at the wrong people. If you really want to combat racism, go to the root of the problem. Ms. Jones and Todd Lynn are on -air personalities.



Listen to the clip, whether you wrote the song or had a part in it is not the matter at hand. Just as much wrong was done in the minutes leading up to and the minutes following that everyone in the studio is at fault. That is the point that needs to be made.



I do not doubt that there will be more people fired and more punishments handed out. I do anyhow doubt that Miss Jones is going anywhere. Rick Delgado is rumored to be next and if the source from Hot 97 is correct then its only right that DJ Envy and the production assistant face the music as well.



It looks like they have found their Scapegoat. He’s got the past history on shock radio why not throw him in front of the train? Emmis and Hot 97 should look at what happened the last time that Rick Delgado got fired though. The whole show went with him.




I have to give props to Miss Info for being the only one in the studio with a mind of her own. I hope she is the one that either gets to keep her job or moves on to bigger and better things. The rest of them, one is guiltier then the next and everyone is just pointing fingers.



Miss Jones is supposed to be so opinionated, educated and be able to argue with the best of them. Well why didn’t she use any of that and form her own opinion against all of this. So quick to argue someone not wanting anything to do with it yet not so quick to argue your way out of it.



I do have to congratulate Emmis and Hot 97 for doing exactly what they set out to do. Who as gotten more articles written, airtime and coverage then Hot 97 and its morning show in the last week? The same week that Radio station Power 105 brought Star & Bucwild back to New York. Which was a sure bet to take the #1 spot that Hot 97 has held for so long.



This story will continue all week long. So we will just have to wait and see. What better way to keep the publicity running through until the new show starts? They obviously found the new co-host they were looking for.

[ih8Uboo-boo]

Just out of curiosity would the boys take Rick in as a favor to an O’l buddy?

Do you think that Rick can get over the, "i used to bang your sister but now I don't" awkwardness??? :icon_eek:

That alone would be worth $0.07 to me...

[THE FEZ MAN]

true, been there, but its not as hard as the im banging your sister now or do you mind if i un twisted your exwife's balloonot

[Rob Stein]

Emmis Press Release:

********************************************


From: Emmis Communications - WQHT/Hot-97

Dan Klores Communications
Contacts: Adam Schiff (212) 981-5216

__________________________________________________ ______________________
For Immediate Release

WQHT/Hot 97 and Emmis Communications Terminate Two Members of Morning Show Crew for Displaying Gross Insensitivity and Making Offensive Remarks

Emmis Donates $1 Million to Charity to Aid in
Tsunami Relief & Recovery


New York – February 1, 2005: WQHT/Hot 97-FM and Emmis Communications announced today that they have terminated the employment of morning show producer Rick Del gado for his role in writing, producing and airing “The Tsunami Song,” a highly insensitive parody of the 1985 single “We Are the World.” Hot 97 and Emmis also terminated morning show personality Todd Lynn for making offensive, racially insensitive comments while on the air. Both terminations are effective immediately.

Simultaneously, Emmis announced that it will make a lump-sum donation of $1 million to Give2Asia to aid the organization in its Tsunami relief and recovery effort.

An internal investigation by Hot 97 and Emmis determined that the singularly egregious actions of Lynn and Del Gado warranted termination from their employment at the station. Other members of the morning show crew: Miss Jones, DJ Envy and Tasha Hightower have each been given two-week suspensions. The salaries of these individuals will be redirected to Give2Asia for the duration of their suspensions, which will end on Wednesday, February 9. Another member of the morning show crew, Miss Info, has not been suspended.

“The actions of the morning show crew were socially and morally indefensible and the entire Emmis family is ashamed by this,” said Rick Cummings, President of Emmis Radio “Emmis and Hot 97 have investigated this matter thoroughly over the course of the last week. Our decision to terminate Mr. Del Gado and Mr. Lynn while suspending the other members of the morning crew sends a message that this type of insensitivity is utterly unacceptable.”

###

[Lt Boogaloo]

Contacts: Adam Schiff (212) XXX-XXXX


Wait, wasn't that the District Attorney on Law and Order?

[d0uche_n0zzle]

Sucks to be him.

[Skeet Slambone]

I don't think anyone should have been fired but still that's a pretty scumbag move having Rick & Lynn take the fall. I wonder if this Rick letter wasn't from Emmis management as a precurser to this action.

They can just pretend it never happened. Like, OJ, Michael Jackson, R. Kelly.

[Lt Boogaloo]

It's time for Rick to search for the real tsunami?

[Butt Nugget]

I find the money donation quite offensive as 1) They never intended to do it in the first place or it wouldn't be made a "big deal" so it's disingenuine(sp), 2) It's a tax write off as a charitable donation anyway-not like their not getting anything out of it.

Where is the explanation as to how Rick "coerced" them into making the song? If I were Rick-I'd be sitting in an attorney's office right now trying to see if something can be done for what appears to be unfair dismal. Like everyone's said, nobody made the jocks play the song. Are we to believe that if the song was written and never aired, that these 2 would have been canned? Because that's in as much as this is saying by not canning everybody.

[nyoafan]

they shoulda fired everyone if they were gonna fire anyone. rick is the death knell for a radio show. hes tied to 2 of the biggest radio stories in a while. wonder if he'll ever get another job in radio. his only hope might be O and A taking him back

[Peachy]

Where is the explanation as to how Rick "coerced" them into making the song?


Rumor has it he held Tasha Hightower in front of the microphone, forcing her mouth open. :icon_roll

So, Lynn & Delgado go, but that bitch Jones stays? That fucking sucks. I don't think anyone should have been fired, but if they ARE gonna fire some, they might as well fire them all.

[Tenbatsuzen]

Rumor has it he held Tasha Hightower in front of the microphone, forcing her mouth open. :icon_roll

So, Lynn & Delgado go, but that bitch Jones stays? That fucking sucks. I don't think anyone should have been fired, but if they ARE gonna fire some, they might as well fire them all.

Sidekicks are expendable. So are producers. But I knew they weren't going to kill the entire morning show, otherwise they'll be completely exposed to Star and Buc Wild.

If this doesn't appease McDonalds, Jackson Hewitt, etc, then Jones is probably gone as well.

[Butt Nugget]

Rumor has it he held Tasha Hightower in front of the microphone, forcing her mouth open. :icon_roll



So, Lynn & Delgado go, but that bitch Jones stays? That fucking sucks. I don't think anyone should have been fired, but if they ARE gonna fire some, they might as well fire them all.

Or had his hand up her ass like a ventriloquist puppet.
I think Jones should have been the first to go. F'ing golfer *ding ding*

[Skeet Slambone]

If this doesn't appease McDonalds, Jackson Hewitt, etc, then Jones is probably gone as well.

More importantly, does this satisfy Jin?

[Tenbatsuzen]

More importantly, does this satisfy Jin?

Jin doesn't work at McDonald's. He works at #1 China Taste down the street.

[Coffee Diva]

Sidekicks are expendable. So are producers. But I knew they weren't going to kill the entire morning show, otherwise they'll be completely exposed to Star and Buc Wild.

I admit that I've never listened to a single moment of the Hot 97 morning show other than the song itself and the pre-song bitchfest that O&A played, but damn, how do they get any ratings at all? None of them have good radio voices, and they all seem to have deeply unpleasant on-air personas. (Except for Rick, of course. Sorta.)

[d0uche_n0zzle]

Golfer radio isn't suppose to make sense to us normal people.

[Tenbatsuzen]

I admit that I've never listened to a single moment of the Hot 97 morning show other than the song itself and the pre-song bitchfest that O&A played, but damn, how do they get any ratings at all? None of them have good radio voices, and they all seem to have deeply unpleasant on-air personas. (Except for Rick, of course. Sorta.)

I dunno. I always liked Info on "Best Week Ever".

I also never listened to the Hot 97 show, but I think a suitable comparison would be imagining the Radio Chick installed in O&A's slot after they were canned for SFS. Just like Star and Buc, the suits put a show that was somewhat similar to the old show, but completely different in many different ways. It didn't retain a large portion of the old audience, but kept enough of it so it could be sold and remain profitable.


(and to think about it, using The Radio Chick replacing O&A as an analogy to Miss Jones replacing Star and Buc is excellent. I have to applaud myself)

[Madness]

After listening to the replay;

How can anyone sit in the same room as that Miss Jones bitch without punching her in the face?

[Assuck]

To everyone: I am well aware this whole situtation sucks but "What are YOU going to do about it?"

[Lt Boogaloo]

I think we should spend more time bitching. And make more threads about it.

[d0uche_n0zzle]

I think we should spend more time bitching. And make more threads about it.

Excellent idea. Hop to it, boy. :icon_mrgr