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Velie banished by KVEC’s Ron Roy

January 10, 2014

Dave CongaltonBy DANIEL BLACKBURN

CalCoastNews’ Karen Velie has been bounced from the airwaves of KVEC/920 following station management’s receipt of a critical letter from San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson.

Velie, the news site’s publisher and co-founder, was informed of KVEC General Manager Ron Roy’s decision in an email from Hometown Radio talk show host Dave Congalton. Parkinson was angered by Velie’s reporting on a drug raid early in December, and elucidated his concerns in a two-page letter on sheriff’s department stationery.

After taking issue with a number of elements of the article, Parkinson wrote, “I would ask you to please investigate this matter and take all steps that you deem appropriate which I hope will include an apology to the law enforcement officers from the SLO Sheriff’s Office who were involved.”

KVEC manager Roy said he had been “concerned” for some time about controversies surrounding CalCoastNews. Several months ago, Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo served a letter on the El Dorado Broadcasting office in Los Angeles threatening legal action if the KVEC continued to have CalCoastNews reporters on the air.

“On a relatively regular basis there have been questions regarding her (Velie’s) reporting,” Roy said, “and I just got to the point where I am not willing to take a chance on letting something on our airwaves that will get us in trouble.”

Roy said “the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. My responsibility is protecting my license, and my people. I’ve got to make these decisions. I’ve talked to Dave (Congalton) before and I don’t want to deal with this any more. There’s been five years of this nonsense.”

The executive said he made his decision without considering the accuracy of the article questioned by Parkinson.

Congalton wrote on Jan 6, “It is with much regret that I inform you that El Dorado management is no longer comfortable having you appear as a guest on my KVEC radio show. This morning, our vice-president and general manager Ron Roy affirmed his decision to remove you from the broadcast, effective immediately.

“I can’t speak for management, but I know there was concern raised over a recent letter from Sheriff Parkinson disputing your reporting in the restaurant owner drug bust story and subsequent appearance on my show on December 17.

“I’m sorry to be the bearer of such bad news and I remain appreciative of all that you have done for my show, and all that you have done for the community. However, you will also understand that I can have no further comment on this issue.”

San Luis Obispo City Councilman John Ashbaugh and County Supervisor Adam Hill have openly discussed their “boycott” of Congalton’s show as long as Velie was allowed on the air. Ashbaugh has claimed in the past that Parkinson shared that sentiment.

KVEC’s Roy said his decision does not impact other CalCoastNews reporters.


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What good is the First Amendment when the Sheriff can send one threatening letter and totally censor any negative reporting on his department. How nice it must be to run for reelection when you can suppress any press reports that you don’t like.


I encourage everyone to write emails and letters to both KVEC management and the Sheriffs office. Please go online and comment at the Tribune when stories appear about these issues.


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Stated comments:


“This is enough to make an American fearful of those in power.”


“Whether true or untrue or controversial.

Sounds like the Third Reich is alive and well in San Luis Obispo County”


“The fact that a supervisor and a sheriff are trying to silence the press is is a very big deal.”


“This Velie stuff is getting SERIOUS, folks; prior (functional) restraint of free speech, months-long abduction of a family of young children on specious grounds, a punitive “DUI arrest” under color of authority by interagency action?”


“Sheriff trying to shut freedom of speech vicariously thru threatening letters on company letterhead to local media stations. This is really scary people.”


“This goes on all over the world all the time, journalists arrested and imprisoned (or worse) for asking questions.”


Regret giving away your 2nd amendments rights yet? You will when this gets worse.


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I don’t really care who Dave has on his show. But your comment about giving away 2nd Amendment rights is the biggest load of crap I’ve read in forever. Despite just about 80 percent support for background check — background check — legislation, it didn’t pass. Not limiting ownership. Not taking away guns. A background check. Like most of the comments on this board, facts don’t matter.


http://www.people-press.org/2013/05/23/broad-support-for-renewed-background-checks-bill-skepticism-about-its-chances/#checks-legislation


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Can you be more specific, info? Are you inciting violence?


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Rly wanted her off KVEC and is using the Sheriff’s letter, which requests an apology, as an excuse. Roy knows that lawsuits against the pree by Government are dangerous 1 st amendment ground and malice has to be proven.


The question is, will Dave Congalton stand for being told who he can or cannot have on his show?


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Listening to Art Bell last night, on KVEC. In between his commentary the station announces,

“KVEC, keeping you informed”. What a joke. Preventing us from being informed is the new mantra.


Write those letters to local and HQ management!


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Come to think of it Bill Benica was let go as a talk show host after having Karen Velie on his show. Does anyone see a pattern here?


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Given the bogus DUI, the taking of her grandkids by CPS, and now this radio exile, there seems to be a concerted effort to get Karen run out of town. And that must be due to her hitting the nerve of truth on all of the stories she covers.


It is a very sad time for the people of SLO County. We are being “protected for the greater good” by nannies like Gibson and Jan Marx and buffoons like Adam Hill, and then fed feel good stories by the white bread Tribune. Meanwhile these crooks bend and break the law, secure in knowing they have done their level best to keep their trespasses in darkness.


And now think about that bogus DUI and this law enforcement connection with Sherif Parkinson. I think it is more difficult to think they are not connected.


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Mailed my letter to the President of ELDORADO today. Lets follow up before we lose this battle for not fighting on Karen Velie nehalf ; she is so worth it!. May all good people rise to do this battle for what is right and proper.


She should be on the staff of KVEC as she is the most vital contributor to their menu of news covering this county. By gosh, we need her kind of investigative reportage to keep the creeps from winning!


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Sent today to Thom Hartmann of the Thom Hatrmann Show and Robert Kennedy, Jr of Ring of Fire Radio:


Mr Hartmann and Mr. Kennedy,


There is a situation in San Luis Obispo, CA that I believe warrants your time and attention. I would go into some detail about it but I don’t think I can explain all the details as well as the person who is at the forefront of this matter, Karen Velie.


Karen is the co-founder and reporter for an online newspaper here in San Luis Obispo, CalCoastNews.com (the second most read news source in the county), and she is, along with her newspaper, currently under attack by the city and county for her and her newspaper’s investigative reports.


Please take the time to look at the following links:


http://calcoastnews.com/2013/12/grandchildren-ccn-publisher-spend-holidays-county-hands/


http://calcoastnews.com/2014/01/velie-banished-kvecs-ron-roy/


Then please take the time to look over CalCoastNews as a whole and I think you’ll be able to see why this is worthy of your time.


Thanks so much.


Jeff Stone


Here are the links if you decide it’s worth your time to send something to these people as well. I think it’s time we bring some national attention to this matter.


Thom Hartmann – thom@thomhartmann.com

Robert Kennedy, Jr. – submissions@ringoffireradio.com


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This is essentially the same scenario we witnessed with one of the characters on Duck Dynasty. the audience refused to roll over and piss on themselves and allow that to happen.

As a result, he’s back on the show

Lets not forget this nation was conceived through protest.


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