A letter from a follower to 105.3 Kool FM and the Kitchener Rangers Jr. Hockey Team. --------------------------------------------------- I am writing to request the recent Kitchener Rangers KooLest Seats in the House radio promotion be taken out of advertising rotation immediately, or at a minimum, the voice over changed to something more appropriate. The rationale for this request is quite simple. I believe the wording promotes violence, specifically violence by, and toward, teenagers. I am an avid listener of 105.3 Kool FM and I attend anywhere between 8 and 10 Kitchener Rangers hockey games each season and I take my 11 year old daughter or my 7 year old son to most of the games. Now, it is possible that my previous experiences with concussions have made me more sensitive to the issues of head trauma in hockey (Ive had at least 4 concussions) but I dont think Im out of line in admonishing Kool FM and the Kitchener Rangers for airing a promotion that highlights the fights that we can look forward to the next time we attend a hockey game. The last two games I attended with my children there were fights in first five minutes of the game. On the one occasion my son, who is just starting to understand some of the rules, asked me why everyone was clapping after the fight. On the other occasion my daughter had to look away because the sight of two teenage boys punching each other in the face upset her (as it should, would you not agree?) Lets not forget that these hockey players are also kids! In case you havent counted there are currently 12 players on the Kitchener Rangers roster that are under the age of 18. Im left to wonder how it is you can justify promoting fights between underage hockey players? An even better question: How do you think the parents of the younger players feel about you encouraging the public to come out and pay to see their 16 year olds get into a fight and risk their future as hockey players as well as possible brain injuries? Suffice it to say that, at best, the promotion as it currently stands highlights a terrible error in judgement by the marketing and promotions staff involved. At its worst it is a call for people to not just witness, but enjoy, teenage violence that doesnt belong - on or off the ice. The promotion could have easily been worded, The hits... the goals... instead of The hits... the fights... and as such I ask that you re-think the words chosen for this promotion or pull it from the radio outright. I further encourage everyone involved to issue an on-air apology to the players and fans and make a donation to the Brain Injury Association of Canada or other applicable not-for-profit organization. Respectfully, Andrew F. Butters
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 17:35:21 +0000
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