Mancow Releases His Ten Commandments for Radio Personalities

Shock-Jock-Turned-Talk-Host Erich "Mancow" Muller has just released his "Ten Commandments for Radio Personalities". These are seen as guidelines offered up by Mancow to help other broadcasters to be more responsible with what they put out over the air. To be honest, having been a Mancow listener at one point when I was in college, I can't see how anyone will take these seriously coming from him. I'm not saying they're bad suggestions; I'm just not sure we should be looking to someone who calls himself Mancow as the moral authority on American radio.

The following is a list of all Ten Commandments for Radio Personalities, as posted at Orbitcast and the Talk Radion Network Site, with the occasional comment from me in between:

1. Thou shalt never endanger listeners.

Obviously, this refers primarily to the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest held by Sacramento radio station KDND, in which the winner died due to water intoxication after consuming a large quantity of water.

2. Racism is always a dumb idea.

While this is true, this likely comes in the wake of Don Imus's comments, which were viewed by some as racist. Also, New York talk show hosts J.V. and Elvis were recently suspended, then fired, from WFNY in New York for airing a bit in which the hosts are accused of calling a Chinese restaurant and making unflattering comments about the Asian population.

3. Complacency on the inside loses listeners from the outside. Work at your art.

Could he be taking a jab at Howard Stern, who admitted on "60 Minutes" shortly before his move to Sirius Satellite Radio, that he'd been delivering a subpar show "for the last ten years"?

4. Contests must always be straight forward. (Being too cute with contests can be costly.)

Again, referring to the KDND contest, and possibly the infamous "Saint Pat's Incident" which cost Opie and Anthony their jobs in 2002.

5. Advertisers pay you. They are your friends.

6. Have a delay button (preferably 20 seconds or more) and when in doubt use it.

Of course, this is to prevent explicit content from going out over the air, whether it be to avoid an FCC violation or to simply stay within your own company's standards.

7. Don't dis someone's religion.

8. Don't let anyone curse in your studio ever. Get them out of that habit. If they are comfortable with cursing, it can someday accidentally get on the
radio.

9. Instruct guests on your radio standards so they don't get you in trouble.

10. Do good. (We're not on earth to mark time. We're here to make a difference).

The last few don't warrant any comment and seem pretty self-explanatory.

Mancow is the host of a syndicated radio show which can be heard on several radio stations around the country as well as online, and a frequent guest on Fox News programs such as The O'Reilly Factor and Hannity and Colmes. He tends to appear any time someone in the radio industry gets into trouble, and has been preaching responsibility in radio for quite some time now.

However, for those who have heard Mancow's own radio show, many wonder if he should be the voice of reason in this debate over what should and should not be allowed, or if he is merely another radio personality looking for publicity any way he can get it. Having heard some recent clips of Mancow's show, it doesn't appear that he has entirely shed his shock jock image himself. He mixes in more political and religious talk than someone such as Howard Stern or Opie and Anthony, but he also still gets back in to old habits of insulting listeners, and crude segments worthy of any shock jock. For evidence, see the quotes from Mancow preceeding these commandments on the popular satellite radio blog Orbitcast.

In one example I heard firsthand, via a clip played on another radio show, he had a guest psychic who would tell callers whether or not they were gay. When the female caller in the clip said she was surprised that the psychic would say she was a lesbian, Mancow told her the word was final and to just deal with it. So, what then is the difference between Mancow and the shock jocks such as Howard Stern, J.V. and Elvis, or Opie and Anthony, about whom he constantly complains and speaks ill of on various news programs? You can easily form your own opinion by visiting Mancow's own site and listening to the podcasts of his show posted there.

In January, following the death of a Sacramento radio contest winner due to water intoxication, Mancow started his "Foundation for Responsible Radio". Only time will tell if Mr. Muller's "commandments" are taken seriously or adopted by other broadcasters. Let the public debate as to the validity of these guidelines begin.

Muller, Erich "Mancow". Ten Commandments for Radio Personalites. Talk Radio Network. (http://www.trn-fm.com)

Saghir, Ryan. Mancow's Ten Commandmentss For Radio Personalities. Orbitcast (http://www.orbitcast.com/archives/mancows-ten-commandments-for-radio-personalities.html)