Program host: 'I'm just trying to bring to light what he's said'
By Bob Unruh
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
Politically active Barack Obama supporters in Michigan have tried to silence criticism of the president-elect on a talk program at a community radio station by cutting its air time, the program host says.
Officials with radio station WRHC told WND the dispute involved talk show host Martin Dzuris' coverage of local issues as well as national issues.
But Dzuris explained in a lengthy interview with WND he attended at least one meeting where radio station officials discussed specifically how to reduce Dzuris' criticism of Obama, which has linked Obama's statements taken directly from his speeches to Marxism.
Dzuris said one issue raised was Obama's call in a Colorado Springs speech for a Civilian National Security Force, an issue on which WND has reported.
In that speech, Obama insisted the U.S. "cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we've set" and needs a "civilian national security force."
Dzuris, who spent the first half of his life under communist rule in Czechoslovakia, told WND, that concept isn't new at all.
"We called them the 'peoples' militia' (in Czechoslovakia)," he told WND.
He said he's reviewed Obama's speeches in light of his upbringing under a Marxist-type government and discussed those issues on his program.
"I'm just trying to bring to light what he's said," Dzuris told WND. "I'm just taking what he says, his influences, background," he said. "I lived all those things."
He said he was born in Czechslovakia and defected in 1989.
Read the rest of the article here.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Appeal yields 90-minute 'Martin Dzuris Live!' show
By John Gunner Gooch
For The South County Gazette
THREE OAKS - The "Martin Dzuris Live!" show began airing on Radio Harbor Country (106.7 FM) in its new 90-minute format on Monday, Dec. 29.Dzuris and the WRHC Board of Directors were able to reach a compromise on the talk-show host's appeal of a Dec. 8 Programming Committee decision to reduce the air time of his weekly program from two hours to one.Dzuris made the appeal to get his full air time restored during a Dec. 13 Radio Harbor Country general membership meeting, stating that he felt the decision was based on his conservative political views and political associations, and not because of the technical quality of his broadcasts, as had been claimed by the Programming Committee.During a special meeting of the Board of Directors on Dec. 27, a majority of those voting on the issue decided to give Dzuris back a half-hour of air time, which means his show can now be heard on Mondays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Rebroadcasts are scheduled for Saturdays from 7:30 to 9 a.m.Peg Kohring, co-chair of the Board of Directors, said that members of the board who also serve on the Programming Committee abstained from taking part in the vote.She also said that board members felt it was not a political decision on the part of the Programming Committee to cut Dzuris's air time in half."Overall, I think the feeling of the board members was that the decision to reduce the time Martin was given for his show was done because of the quality of the show's production, and not because of its political content," Kohring said. "Since we felt his more recent programs had shown a significant improvement in quality, we were now willing to give him 90 minutes on the air instead of 60 minutes."While Dzuris held firm to his belief that the Programming Committee's decision was based more on his political views than anything else, the show host said he and his engineer/producer, Nathan Lumsford, could live with the compromise."I was told that the original decision to reduce the time of my show wasn't politically motivated, but I still don't agree with that," Dzuris said. "I think the petition I presented with my appeal that was signed by so many people asking the board to reverse the Programming Committee's decision was very helpful to me in this process, and I'm very thankful to everyone who took the time to support me by signing it."While I still feel this was politically motivated, for the good of the radio station, and so we can all keep moving forward with it, I'm not going to fight it any more," Dzuris continued. "A compromise decision has been made that both sides can live with, and in a compromise both sides give a little and get a little, and that's what happened here."Kohring said a voice like Dzuris's helped add to the eclectic mix of programming that WRHC had become known for."I think we realize that as a community radio station we need a good balance of liberal and conservative views to be freely aired," she said. "Those who lean toward being right wing or left wing should be allowed to be heard on our broadcasts, and, in my opinion, what Martin does on the air helps give us some of that balance."
For The South County Gazette
THREE OAKS - The "Martin Dzuris Live!" show began airing on Radio Harbor Country (106.7 FM) in its new 90-minute format on Monday, Dec. 29.Dzuris and the WRHC Board of Directors were able to reach a compromise on the talk-show host's appeal of a Dec. 8 Programming Committee decision to reduce the air time of his weekly program from two hours to one.Dzuris made the appeal to get his full air time restored during a Dec. 13 Radio Harbor Country general membership meeting, stating that he felt the decision was based on his conservative political views and political associations, and not because of the technical quality of his broadcasts, as had been claimed by the Programming Committee.During a special meeting of the Board of Directors on Dec. 27, a majority of those voting on the issue decided to give Dzuris back a half-hour of air time, which means his show can now be heard on Mondays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Rebroadcasts are scheduled for Saturdays from 7:30 to 9 a.m.Peg Kohring, co-chair of the Board of Directors, said that members of the board who also serve on the Programming Committee abstained from taking part in the vote.She also said that board members felt it was not a political decision on the part of the Programming Committee to cut Dzuris's air time in half."Overall, I think the feeling of the board members was that the decision to reduce the time Martin was given for his show was done because of the quality of the show's production, and not because of its political content," Kohring said. "Since we felt his more recent programs had shown a significant improvement in quality, we were now willing to give him 90 minutes on the air instead of 60 minutes."While Dzuris held firm to his belief that the Programming Committee's decision was based more on his political views than anything else, the show host said he and his engineer/producer, Nathan Lumsford, could live with the compromise."I was told that the original decision to reduce the time of my show wasn't politically motivated, but I still don't agree with that," Dzuris said. "I think the petition I presented with my appeal that was signed by so many people asking the board to reverse the Programming Committee's decision was very helpful to me in this process, and I'm very thankful to everyone who took the time to support me by signing it."While I still feel this was politically motivated, for the good of the radio station, and so we can all keep moving forward with it, I'm not going to fight it any more," Dzuris continued. "A compromise decision has been made that both sides can live with, and in a compromise both sides give a little and get a little, and that's what happened here."Kohring said a voice like Dzuris's helped add to the eclectic mix of programming that WRHC had become known for."I think we realize that as a community radio station we need a good balance of liberal and conservative views to be freely aired," she said. "Those who lean toward being right wing or left wing should be allowed to be heard on our broadcasts, and, in my opinion, what Martin does on the air helps give us some of that balance."
Monday, December 29, 2008
Don't Touch That Dial
By John Gunner Gooch
Controversy isn’t something usually associated with the community’s radio station, WRHC 106.7 FM, but that was the case during a recent Radio Harbor Country membership meeting when program host Martin Dzuris filed an appeal and made his case to reclaim the second hour of his “Martin Dzuris Live!” show that the Programming Committee had voted to take away.Dzuris feels the decision to reduce his air time was based more on his conservative political leanings than his performance behind the microphone, and that has led the more liberal members of the Programming Committee to try to hold him to a more professional standard than his colleagues at the all-volunteer operation. Members of the Programming Committee have denied that discrimination charge, saying that Dzuris didn’t heed advice to tighten up the content of his show, and that taking it back to its original hour format would help do that.If you’ve never met Dzuris, I’d describe him as a character, and I mean that in the best way. He’s an interesting guy with an interesting background; an immigrant from the Czech Republic who truly appreciates our freedom of speech and other opportunities that were not so readily available in the country of his birth. He’s also not shy about using his freedom of speech to voice his opinions on hot button issues, and, love him or hate him,you have to admire his passion. His Monday evening show has gotten a buzz, has broken stories, and has engaged listeners who phone in to join the lively art of conversation by agreeing or disagreeing with his views on various topics. If dialogue is the lifeblood of a vibrant community, Dzuris is certainly doing his part to keep it pumping through the body politic.Fred Upton and Cindy McCain have been guests on his show, and so have Judy Truesdell and Kim Clark, not to mention Rev. Kenneth Mundt. He’s a longtime friend and supporter of Ibrahim Parlak, backing the Harbert restaurateur’s legal efforts to fight deportation back to Turkey and become an American citizen. If “Martin Dzuris Live!” isn’t your cup of tea, it’s preceded in the lineup by “Democracy Now,” and followed by the “Wilbur Fibble Comedy Hour.” That’s diversity, and an eclectic selection of shows that WRHC is rightly proud to be broadcasting.At this point it’s hard to tell how this controversy is going to end, but a decision on the appeal is expected to be handed down in the near future. Dzuris would like at least a six-month trial period of retaining his two hours on the air so he can prove to those in charge he is capable of making changes and being a little kinder and gentler to callers he may disagree with, while also taking steps to tighten up the content of his program.While the debate over the Dzuris situation got decidedly heated at times during the meeting, it was nice to see some cooler heads prevail near the end and ask for compromise and common ground to be found to resolve things in a more amicable manner. I also took it as a good sign that Dzuris stuck around long after the meeting adjourned to continue the conversation with some of his detractors and supporters. Managing to disagree agreeably is one of life’s biggest challenges, but somehow as a community and a country we’ve always been able to find ways to do that. One of the bright spots about living in this country is that our foundational similarities that bond us are much stronger than the differences that could otherwise pull us apart to the breaking point.“100 watts of power, 1000 watts of community” is the WRHC motto the late, great Mike Hojnacki came up with, and it’s a powerful statement for the little powerhouse of a radio station that always keeps things interesting.If you want to find out what happens to Martin Dzuris, don’t change that dial. Stay in touch, and stay tuned.
Controversy isn’t something usually associated with the community’s radio station, WRHC 106.7 FM, but that was the case during a recent Radio Harbor Country membership meeting when program host Martin Dzuris filed an appeal and made his case to reclaim the second hour of his “Martin Dzuris Live!” show that the Programming Committee had voted to take away.Dzuris feels the decision to reduce his air time was based more on his conservative political leanings than his performance behind the microphone, and that has led the more liberal members of the Programming Committee to try to hold him to a more professional standard than his colleagues at the all-volunteer operation. Members of the Programming Committee have denied that discrimination charge, saying that Dzuris didn’t heed advice to tighten up the content of his show, and that taking it back to its original hour format would help do that.If you’ve never met Dzuris, I’d describe him as a character, and I mean that in the best way. He’s an interesting guy with an interesting background; an immigrant from the Czech Republic who truly appreciates our freedom of speech and other opportunities that were not so readily available in the country of his birth. He’s also not shy about using his freedom of speech to voice his opinions on hot button issues, and, love him or hate him,you have to admire his passion. His Monday evening show has gotten a buzz, has broken stories, and has engaged listeners who phone in to join the lively art of conversation by agreeing or disagreeing with his views on various topics. If dialogue is the lifeblood of a vibrant community, Dzuris is certainly doing his part to keep it pumping through the body politic.Fred Upton and Cindy McCain have been guests on his show, and so have Judy Truesdell and Kim Clark, not to mention Rev. Kenneth Mundt. He’s a longtime friend and supporter of Ibrahim Parlak, backing the Harbert restaurateur’s legal efforts to fight deportation back to Turkey and become an American citizen. If “Martin Dzuris Live!” isn’t your cup of tea, it’s preceded in the lineup by “Democracy Now,” and followed by the “Wilbur Fibble Comedy Hour.” That’s diversity, and an eclectic selection of shows that WRHC is rightly proud to be broadcasting.At this point it’s hard to tell how this controversy is going to end, but a decision on the appeal is expected to be handed down in the near future. Dzuris would like at least a six-month trial period of retaining his two hours on the air so he can prove to those in charge he is capable of making changes and being a little kinder and gentler to callers he may disagree with, while also taking steps to tighten up the content of his program.While the debate over the Dzuris situation got decidedly heated at times during the meeting, it was nice to see some cooler heads prevail near the end and ask for compromise and common ground to be found to resolve things in a more amicable manner. I also took it as a good sign that Dzuris stuck around long after the meeting adjourned to continue the conversation with some of his detractors and supporters. Managing to disagree agreeably is one of life’s biggest challenges, but somehow as a community and a country we’ve always been able to find ways to do that. One of the bright spots about living in this country is that our foundational similarities that bond us are much stronger than the differences that could otherwise pull us apart to the breaking point.“100 watts of power, 1000 watts of community” is the WRHC motto the late, great Mike Hojnacki came up with, and it’s a powerful statement for the little powerhouse of a radio station that always keeps things interesting.If you want to find out what happens to Martin Dzuris, don’t change that dial. Stay in touch, and stay tuned.
Monday, December 22, 2008
WRHC host sees political bias behind 1-hour cut for talk show
By John Gunner Gooch
For The South County Gazette News
THREE OAKS - WRHC radio station program host Martin Dzuris has never been shy about airing his opinions during his weekly "Martin Dzuris Live!" program. During the Dec. 13 Radio Harbor Country general meeting, he was equally frank about a recent Programming Committee decision to reduce his Monday evening time slot from two hours to one.The Radio Harbor Country Programming Committee had voted 7-1 during a previous meeting on Dec. 8 to approve a motion to take away an hour of Dzuris' live broadcast, and also to reduce rebroadcasting of the show, a move that he's appealing to the station's Board of Directors.At the Dec. 13 general meeting, Dzuris said he feels the Programming Committee is discriminating against him and his show due to his conservative political viewpoints and political associations. He added that this violates some of Radio Harbor Country's bylaws including one that states the radio station values diversity and will take no action against any individual on account of his or her political association.
Read the rest here
For The South County Gazette News
THREE OAKS - WRHC radio station program host Martin Dzuris has never been shy about airing his opinions during his weekly "Martin Dzuris Live!" program. During the Dec. 13 Radio Harbor Country general meeting, he was equally frank about a recent Programming Committee decision to reduce his Monday evening time slot from two hours to one.The Radio Harbor Country Programming Committee had voted 7-1 during a previous meeting on Dec. 8 to approve a motion to take away an hour of Dzuris' live broadcast, and also to reduce rebroadcasting of the show, a move that he's appealing to the station's Board of Directors.At the Dec. 13 general meeting, Dzuris said he feels the Programming Committee is discriminating against him and his show due to his conservative political viewpoints and political associations. He added that this violates some of Radio Harbor Country's bylaws including one that states the radio station values diversity and will take no action against any individual on account of his or her political association.
Read the rest here
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Breaking News – Three Oaks is Bankrupt!
There was a special emergency meeting of the Village of Three Oaks council on May 9th. During the meeting it was revealed that Three Oaks is financially broke.
The council formed and approved an Emergency Finance Committee.
The new committee members are:
Bret Witkowski - Berrien County Treasurer
Frank Walsh – St. Joseph City Manager
David Grosse
Chris Siebenmark
The Village president Philip Smith was asked to resign by Chris Ranzenberger, the village trustee.
Tune to Martin Dzuris Live on Monday May 12th for more info…..
You can listen to the audio of the meeting here.
The council formed and approved an Emergency Finance Committee.
The new committee members are:
Bret Witkowski - Berrien County Treasurer
Frank Walsh – St. Joseph City Manager
David Grosse
Chris Siebenmark
The Village president Philip Smith was asked to resign by Chris Ranzenberger, the village trustee.
Tune to Martin Dzuris Live on Monday May 12th for more info…..
You can listen to the audio of the meeting here.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
There Will Be A New Mayor In New Buffalo
Major Bob Westergren will not be the mayor of New Buffalo. He has lost his re-election bid in today’s elections. His last city council meeting will be on May 13th. The city budget will be on the agenda that day.
Rusty Geisler was re-elected and newcomer Susan Maroko will be the new council member of New Buffalo.
Susan Maroko will be seated for the first time on the council May 20th.
The new council will select a new mayor and mayor protem on May 20th.
Results for city council:
Susan Maroko 247
Rusty Geisler 202
Bob Westergren 193
Ray Lawson 174
There are 1427 registered voters in New Buffalo; 447 voted in the election.
There is no change on the New Buffalo School Board. Lisa Warner and John Anderson got re-elected as they ran unopposed.
Rusty Geisler was re-elected and newcomer Susan Maroko will be the new council member of New Buffalo.
Susan Maroko will be seated for the first time on the council May 20th.
The new council will select a new mayor and mayor protem on May 20th.
Results for city council:
Susan Maroko 247
Rusty Geisler 202
Bob Westergren 193
Ray Lawson 174
There are 1427 registered voters in New Buffalo; 447 voted in the election.
There is no change on the New Buffalo School Board. Lisa Warner and John Anderson got re-elected as they ran unopposed.
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