Shock Jocks' Anti-Latino Bigotry: Smart Business?

In an effort to gain new listeners, Trenton shock jocks Craig Carton and Ray Rossi of WKXW have added anti-Latino bigotry to their daily adolescent jokes and racist rants.

According to a NYTimes story, "The Jersey Guys" are running “La Cucha Gotcha,” a listener-participation game that encourages people to turn in friends, neighbors and “anyone suspicious” to immigration authorities. The show uses mariachi music and set the culminate on Cinco de Mayo, a major Mexican holiday.

Needless to say, New Jersey's Latinos--which are 15% of the state's population--are unimpressed with the show. Last Thursday, Latino elected officials and others condemned the show as “dehumanizing,” “poisonous” and “idiotic.

But Latinos may yet get the last laugh.

Latinos are the fastest growing radio audience in the country with spending power estimated at $700 billion per year--and it's expected to triple by 2010. This is why Latino radio stations are surging to the top in many major markets.

Perhaps it's time to reformat WKXW. After all, the "over-aged adolescent, titillated by racist radio chatter", demographic--even in Jersey--has a short life span.