Age: various
Occupation: various
Last Seen: various, especially around New York City
Bee-otched For: wanting to kill rock 'n roll
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As Ozzy Osbourne once once sang, "You can't kill rock 'n roll, it's here to stay."
Or, can they?
Once upon a time, the largest radio market in the USA, New York, hosted a heavy plethora of rock stations. Those stations had names like WPLJ, WNEW and K-Rock. Because of corporate stupidity, those stations are just a memory now. New York *does* have an alternative station, Audacy's Alt 92.3, where K-Rock and Howard Stern once graced their airwaves. Of course, some even ask if Audacy's definition of alternative *is* rock at all.
True, New York has at least one station playing Foo Fighters, Green Day and other harder alternative bands. However, that means having to sit through Billie Eilish, AJR, Mumford and Sons and other wimpy pop acts to get to them. But, if one wants to listen to true rock gods like Slipknot, Metallica, The Pretty Reckless and others, your options in the Big Apple include SiriusXM, internet streaming or WSOU 89.5.
Since 1986, the station, nicknamed "Pirate Radio" has been at the forefront of hard rock and heavy metal. As other rock stations in the Big Apple folded over the years due to corporate BS, WSOU has remained at the forefront of rock, both new and old.
But now, some people want to shut it down.
A protest group called "Shutdown WSOU" are pressuring the station's owners to close it down because of them playing so-called "Satanic" music. So, why do they want WSOU to cease to exist? Because they're owned by Seton Hall University, which is a Catholic institution.
Shutdown WSOU is headed by Richard Smaglick, who happens to live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He told TV station News 12 "This is a Catholic University. Catholic universities of America have lost track of their mission to an extreme. It's so bad that this Catholic university is airing Satanism to what they call a target audience of 12-year-olds in the largest media market in North America and that needs to end."
Sounds like someone's stuck in 1986.
A spokesperson for WSOU said, "WSOU's advisory board comprised of WSOU students and alumni along with Seton Hall University clergy and administrators, meets regularly to review the station's content and operating policies and standards. The goal is to ensure that WSOU continues to realize its mission, goals, and long-held operating procedures. Further incorporating and integrating Catholic mission and ministry into WSOU's wide-ranging and popular programming is always a priority."
WSOU is primarily active rock, though on the weekends, the station airs several Catholic-based public affairs programs, a Sunday mass and even a polka show.
The strange connection between a religious institution and a secularly-programmed radio or TV station is as old as broadcasting itself. KSL Radio and TV has been connected to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints since it began nearly 100 years ago. Notoriously, KSL-TV has been known for pre-empting network shows they've long-found offensive. Currently, the station airs Days Of Our Lives at 1 a.m. because the program contains a gay couple. South Bend, IN NBC station WNDU-TV was once owned by Notre Dame University, but sold the station to Gray Television in 2005. Green Bay's WBAY-TV was started by the Norbertine Order of Priests, who owned the current ABC affiliate until 1974.
Granted, Catholicism is imperfect, just like any other religion, especially one with ties to Christianity. People love to judge President Biden for his views, though unlike Drumpf, he actually goes to church on Sunday as opposed to getting brainwashed by a televangelist. People judge Cardi B. because of her megahit from last year, "WAP", which stands for "Wet Ass Pussy". Yet, she, like Biden is a practicing Catholic. Same thing with Slayer, who were criticized for years for their Satanic overtones in their music. And yet, lead singer Tom Araya is - you guessed it - Catholic.
Here in Grand Rapids, we had a similar problem with Howard Stern. For many years, religious groups tried to push WKLQ into canceling the King of All Media. Well, they did, and KLQ ended up with multiple failed morning shows until the station itself signed off for good in 2009. Funny that these religious pricks had to get their way, yet, many of them are fans of WCSG, a radio station who had a pedophile as their morning show host for many years. Of course, that asshole, John Balyo is now serving a 35-year jail sentence for molesting two 12-year-old boys as part of a sex ring.
Granted, nobody's perfect, and neither are Catholics and rock stars alike. But, as long as people listen to WSOU and it makes money for Seton Hall, let it go. If Seton Hall wants to eliminate WSOU, that's fine, too. Personally, I think a dumbass from Wisconsin has better things to do than to tell a radio station in New Jersey what to do.
Besides, playing death metal is definitely a more-Godly thing than to molest choir boys.
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