Highway to Hell

June 18, 2001 9:56 PM

Highway to Hell billboard depicts Satan giving McVeigh his lethal injection. This is an advertisement for the same Dallas radio station that employs the DJs responsible for the recent Spears/Timberlake car-crash rumor. What's the difference between political propaganda and savvy demographic pandering? Via davezilla.com
posted by johnnyace (16 comments total)

does this come under either category? - rcb
posted by rebeccablood at 10:13 PM on June 18, 2001

Looks like just plain old bad taste to me.
posted by bjgeiger at 10:23 PM on June 18, 2001

This just in:

"The Eagle" KEGL-FM (97.1) today announced the firing of the bunch of 11-13 year old boys they had employed in their promotions department. The station manager defended the move as part of general cost-cutting measures, denying that the move was related to recent controversy of the Devil and McVeigh billboard. "Those boys just kept blowing through their Slurpee budget so we had to let them go."
posted by Dick Paris at 10:40 PM on June 18, 2001

I can't believe anyone took anything coming out of Kramer & Twitch's mouths seriously. They can't even qualify as Howard Stern wanna-bes. They give juvenile delinquents a bad name. Interestingly, there's no noticable link between their website and that of their home radio station: The Eagle 97.1fm.

This is the kinda crap we have to put up with in Dallas. Thank God for that 12 CD Changer in the trunk of my car. The only local station I ever listen to any more is KERA 90.1, and that's not often.

To me, this billboard sign is a sign of desperation on the part of The Eagle. There's a bunch of crap on the radio waves here and it's all the same, so some stations like the Eagle feel they have to use shock and cringe and childish antics to stand out, since they can't use creativity, talent, or God forbid actually entertaining their listening audience. Why? Cuz the real owners put too many restrictions on what can and can't be done, and none of the restrictions have anything to do with good taste.
posted by ZachsMind at 11:20 PM on June 18, 2001

Salon did a good story on KEGL's owner Clear Channel, who owns an ungodly amount of radio stations and isn't afraid to flaunt it...
posted by owillis at 11:29 PM on June 18, 2001

If these guys really had any balls, they'd put an end to this pretense of being "The Eagle" and call themselves what they really are: Kegel FM.

On the other hand, perhaps "balls" is the wrong word to use in their case.
posted by aaron at 11:34 PM on June 18, 2001

Clear Channel are the Borg.
Only a few months ago there was a handful of music stations in my area, Clear Channel decided FM talk was the hot format, and now they all play the same syndicated Stern clone shows.
It's actually kind of freaky.
posted by dong_resin at 11:51 PM on June 18, 2001

Kegel FM! Exercise Your Rock-And-Roll Muscle!
posted by toddshot at 2:23 AM on June 19, 2001

I was wondering what happened after Kramer and Twitch were fired from the Cleveland station they were DJing for. Man, they're a couple of assholes.
posted by starvingartist at 6:05 AM on June 19, 2001

This is the kinda crap we have to put up with in Dallas.

Why aren't you listening to these guys, Zach?
posted by rcade at 6:52 AM on June 19, 2001

Strange, I seem to know the name and a bunch of stuff about a radio station is god-knows-where that I couldn't listen to if I wanted to..

Advertizing works..

One board on the side of the road has got them full on national attention.. Negiative press isn't as good as positive press, but it's a shitload better then no press..
posted by Leonard at 7:27 AM on June 19, 2001

HA! I drive by that billboard almost every day.
posted by Jeremy at 7:55 AM on June 19, 2001

I've never seen this billboard and never heard these guys, but come on, do you really think Satan would be using lethal injection? :)
posted by the_0ne at 9:11 AM on June 19, 2001

Or for that matter, would satan WANT him dead?
posted by glenwood at 12:17 PM on June 19, 2001

Amazingly, Cheap Channel has actually fired Kramer & Twitch.
posted by aaron at 2:46 PM on June 19, 2001

On the way to work tonight I saw another Eagle Billboard. It says "Shot In The Dark - Ozzy Ozbourne" and shows a picture of Robert Blake. I think this advertising campaign is 97.1's attempt to be topical. Actually they're aiming for their demographic - juvenile delinquents.

Leonard: "I seem to know the name and a bunch of stuff about a radio station is god-knows-where that I couldn't listen to if I wanted to.. Advertizing works.." Works for me: tells me what NOT to listen to and what NOT to buy. I don't see how that's better publicity than none at all. Eagle don't git my money, and for a long time I've been telling others to avoid the station. They give local musicians lip service on Sunday nights but don't really help. This latest crap is just more dirt to bury them with. The Eagle used to be cool, when I was 15 years old. It never grew up.

rcade: "Why aren't you listening to these guys, Zach?" I'm not a sports fan. At all. Haven't cared for football since Johnson retired/fired Landry. Although I hear the week Landry tied, The Ticket guys gave him a very respectful sendoff on their show. That was cool of them.

Glenwood: "...would satan WANT him dead?" Dunno, but I saw a report the day after he died about one of the children that survived the tragedy in Oklahoma. She said she forgave him and believes McVeigh is goin' to heaven, and I for one am not gonna argue with her.

Aaron: "Cheap Channel has actually fired Kramer & Twitch." Clear Channel will drop anyone who steps out of line from the mainstream. Granted, those two schmucks were pathetic, but their intent was never seriousness. How did anyone possibly fall for their prank? Clear Channel cratered to the pressure so easily, it proves they won't stand by their on air personalities, knowing that Kramer and Twitch can be replaced by cattle in less than 24 hours. Clear Channel has no balls.
posted by ZachsMind at 8:18 PM on June 20, 2001