Right-wing station owner loses defamation case, goes bankrupt

Several years ago, John Stokes purchased KGEZ radio in Kalispell, Montana. Stokes promptly made KGEZ a soapbox for his conservative ideology.

Not long ago, however, a jury ordered Stokes to pay $3,800,000 for defaming 2 local businessmen over the air. Now, because of this ruling, Stokes has had to declare bankruptcy.

The unhinged maniac has had quite a history with KGEZ. After buying the station, he began broadcasting local environmentalists' home addresses and encouraging listeners to pay them hostile visits. Stokes once said of environmentalists, "Finish them off and make sure they don't have babies."

He was also the subject of controversy over Nazi-themed signs he posted near neighbors' property. This followed the neighbors' refusal to sell Stokes their property (because he didn't make a good offer), and the mysterious disappearance of the neighbors' "for sale" signs. "It is well-known I have been associated with swastikas," Stokes boasted.

Stokes has long been criticized for views many locals feel to be racist and anti-Semitic. He has also demanded cutting off the limbs of anyone who can't speak English.

The FCC won't give me a broadcasting license, but they let John Stokes have one? If anyone doubted there was a deliberate effort by Bush's FCC to foster the growth of right-wing media, at the expense of opposing viewpoints, this should lay these doubts to rest.

While a defamation suit against a rare single owner like Stokes can have a small impact, what about the major right-wing corporations that each own hundreds of stations that spew the same type of nonsense and similarly defame opponents?

(Source: http://www.kxmc.com/News/342468.asp;
http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2006/01/orca-killers.html;
http://missoulian.com/articles/2007/09/16/news/local/news04.txt;
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2008/07/08/news/news04.txt;
http://the698update.blogspot.com/2008/10/swiss-give-up-banking-clients-secrecy.html;
http://www.stopbigmedia.com/blog/2009/01/30/sticks-and-stones)