11/18/2005
WSPD Listeners Storm Station
(Toledo, OH) Angered by the departure of popular morning radio host Bob Frantz, hundreds of listeners stormed onto Clear Channel property to protest his removal.
"Bob, Bob he's our man! No one hosts shows like he can!" chanted the mob. Toledo Mayor Jack Ford waded out into the crowd in an attempt to calm the angry protesters. Frustrated, he returned to the city hall.
"There is no reasoning with these folks," he said, shaking his head. "I shouldn't have even bothered going in there after the shit Frantz dished out to me, but I thought I owed it to the city."
The crowd smashed the car and bass boat of new programming director Brian Wilson, who was whisked away along with other Clear Channel management after the crowd grew riotous.
"Look - they started this, not me," said Wilson, visibly agitated. "We came here with some new ideas, but this is just wrong."
Many in the crowd turned on police long after the Clear Channel management left.
"Let us at them! Let us at them!' cried one protester in a GW Bush t-shirt. "Damn them and their demographic analyses!"
Others blamed poverty for the unrest.
"These Clear Channel people showed poor judgement," said one rioter. "Their impoverished strategic vision will bankrupt this station."