Weird Little Guys

Ku Klux Kable Access TV

Dec 5, 2024

Tom Metzger, a prominent figure in the 1980s white supremacist movement, and J.B. Stoner, known for his deeply racist views, dive into the unsettling legacy of public access television. They discuss how their show, 'Race and Reason,' infiltrated local channels, spreading extremist ideologies. The conversation highlights a tense standoff involving the FBI and a fugitive Nazi, the complexities of funding for radical movements, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding free speech versus hate speech. Their insights shed light on the impact of televised propaganda on societal attitudes.

53:48

Creator website

Episode guests

J.B. Stoner

Tom Metzger

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Quick takeaways

The podcast highlights the extensive network of ideologies and companions behind individual acts of white supremacist violence, exemplified by Robert Matthews' case.

Robert Matthews not only engaged in criminal activities but strategically funded and connected with influential figures in the racist community to promote extremism.

Tom Metzger's public access show illustrates how media platforms can be exploited to spread hate and racist propaganda, prompting discussions on free speech complexities.

Deep dives

The Standoff at Whidbey Island

A dramatic standoff occurred on Whidbey Island in December 1984, where Robert J. Matthews, the ringleader of a Nazi terror cell, was cornered by the FBI. Matthews had been the target of an extensive investigation involving multiple armored car robberies that accrued over $4 million. During the standoff, attempts to smoke him out with tear gas and negotiations failed as he grew increasingly desperate, leading to his refusal to surrender. Ultimately, Matthews faced a fiery end when flares ignited cases of ammunition inside the house, resulting in a devastating inferno.

Intro

2min

The Final Standoff: Chaos and Combustion

5min

The Financial Web of Extremism

18min

Navigating Modern Entertainment and Safety Challenges

8min

Racism on Air: The Dark Legacy of Public Access TV

13min

Navigating TV's Modern Landscape

5min

The Power of Televised Hate

14min

Seasonal Promotions and Essential Services

3min

For over a decade, neo-Nazis and Klansmen were hand-delivering VHS tapes of a California-based public access TV show to local television stations in cities across the country. The stations had no choice but to run the show on local public access channels. The show's host, Tom Metzger, received a gift of $300,000 in 1984 that gave him the financial freedom to pursue his dream of delivering his racist message to as many Americans as possible, right through their television screens.

Sources:

Belew, Kathleen. Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America. Harvard University Press, 2018.

Flynn, Kevin, and Gary Gerhardt. The Silent Brotherhood: Inside America's Racist Underground Free Press ; Collier Macmillan, 1989.

Hamm, Mark S., and Cécile Van de Voorde. “Crimes Committed by Terrorist Groups: Theory, Research, and Prevention.” Trends in Organized Crime, vol. 9, no. 2, 2005

National Institute Against Prejudice and Violence, Bigotry and Cable TV: Legal Issues and Community Responses (Institute Report No.3), Baltimore, Maryland: The Institute, 1988.

Bradley J. Howard, Pulling the Plug: Controversial Programming on Public Access Television and the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992, 28 J. Marshall L. Rev. 399 (1995)

Rendahl, Stephen E.. "White Aryan Resistance: A Radical Communication System." North Dakota Journal of Speech & Theatre, vol. 4, no. 1, 1 Sep. 1991, pp. 44 - 52.

Rendahl, Stephen (1990). Media access and the radical right: Public access to "race and reason." Unpublished paper presented to the Central States Communication Association, Detroit, MI.

Spring/Summer 1989 issue of “No KKK No Fascist USA,” Newspaper of the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee https://www.freedomarchives.org/Documents/Finder/DOC37_scans/37.nokkk.spr89.pdf

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