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Billboards found offensive
(WCPO/WCPO.com)
Jason Riveiro, of League of United Latin American Citizens
(WCPO/WCPO.com)
Press conference on billboards
(WCPO/WCPO.com)
Gary Hines, NAACP director
(WCPO/WCPO.com)
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Leaders in the Hispanic community say WLW radio went too far with its "Big Juan" billboard campaign.
They claim the ad showing a donkey and a man wearing a Mexican sombrero and dark mustache poked fun at their heritage.
Some people may have thought the billboards were clever and funny, but some members of the Hispanic community aren't laughing.
WLW made the decision to take the billboards down. Most of them were covered with a new ad or a blank white canvas overnight Monday.
700 WLW unveiled its new ad campaign last month, first with a large image of a Mexican flag and big, bold words in Spanish.
Jason Riveiro, the president of the Cincinnati chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens or LULAC tells 9News, "I think many of us felt that, well, perhaps maybe there was a new Spanish radio station coming on board."
The talk radio station's next ad showed a man dressed in a traditional Mexican outfit, but instead of the radio's slogan, "The Big One," it read "The Big Juan."
"We came to find out that it was coming from a radio station that has no intention of marketing to the Hispanic population and at the same time is very vocal against immigrants in this area," says Riveiro.
LULAC pressured W-L-W to take the offensive billboards down.
Lamar Advertising says one billboard could cost between $5000 and $7000 a month. There were at least 10 billboards posted around the Tri-state.
The Hamilton-Mason Area NAACP Branch and nearly 20 other organizations supported LULAC.
The Hamilton NAACP chapter's president, Gary Hines says, "For me it went back to Aunt Jemima and those ethnic notions. We need to understand in a society that is about inclusion that those things are not tolerable anymore. We just can't have those things in the media anymore and people need to be more sensitive."
LULAC says the WLW's general manager has agreed to continue to meet with the group to discuss what is and isn't appropriate when referring to the hispanic community.
"We don't just want to slap you on the hand and say you're sorry. We also want something long-term to make an impact on the community," says Riveiro.
Members of LULAC say they appreciate the fact that WLW listened to their concerns and took the billboards down.
WLW management did not return our phone calls Tuesday.
