American Hate Radio: How a Powerful Outlet for Democratic Discourse Has Deteriorated into Hate, Racism and Extremism

This report sheds light on the prevalence and the dangers of hate speech on American radio. Revealing complaints filed by consumers with the Federal Communications Commission, which NHMC uncovered through a Freedom of Information Act request, the report documents years of public allegations of hate speech against KFI AM 640, a Clear Channel Radio station.

American Hate Radio explores how hate groups and hate crimes have spiked while hate radio's popularity and reach have grown. The report notes that radio is the primary way that people consume media, reaching 93% percent of Americans each week. In the 1990s, the news-talk format developed, and it is now the predominant radio format with almost 1,800 dedicated stations nationwide. However, as the report reveals, the quality of news-talk radio programs varies a great deal. All the while, the number of hate groups in the U.S. has more than doubled since 2000. The five states with the most hate groups are California (68), Texas (59), Florida (49), New Jersey (47) and Mississippi (40).