The Other Face Of iHeartMedia, The Company Behind “A Concert For Progress On Race In America”

iHeartMedia Subsidiary, Premiere Networks, Syndicates Some Of The Worst Race-Baiters In The Business Who Have Belittled Recent Civil Rights Movements

In the aftermath of the Charleston, SC shooting, iHeartMedia is planning a concert to “kick off A+E Networks' campaign to confront issues of race, and promote unity and progress on racial equity.” However, a large part of iHeartMedia's brand is built on its syndication of several right-wing radio hosts -- Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Mark Levin, and Michael Berry -- who consistently take racially inflammatory positions on their shows and denigrate civil rights advocacy.

iHeartMedia Is Presenting “A Concert For Progress On Race In America”

iHeartMedia Will Partner With A&E To Air Concert Special "Shining a Light: A Concert For Progress On Race in America." As explained by an A+E Networks press release, iHeartMedia will partner with television channel A&E to air a special concert to focus on racial justice in America. Executive producer Ken Ehrlich connected the concert to “the current racial situation in America [which] is at a critical point,” noting that “today's musical artists, much like those of the civil rights movement's history, have strong feelings about what's going on today, and we're hopeful that 'Shining a Light' does, in fact give a voice to their concerns”:

The concert will kick off A+E Networks' campaign to confront issues of race, and promote unity and progress on racial equity, inspired by the response of the Mother Emanuel family members in Charleston and others working for reconciliation and change around the country.

The biggest names in music, including Zac Brown Band, Eric Church, Jamie Foxx, Rhiannon Giddens, Tori Kelly, John Legend, Miguel, Pink, Jill Scott, Ed Sheeran, Sia, Bruce Springsteen, Sting and Pharrell Williams, will join together to perform, including a once-in-a-lifetime series of duets, focused on creating reconciliation and positive change in local communities.  Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

[...]

Immediately following the concert at 10pm ET/PT, A&E Network will air the one-hour special, “Shining a Light: Conversations on Race in America,” (working title) featuring artists engaging a diverse group of residents in local communities at the center of the national conversation on racial inequality and violence, including Charleston, Baltimore, Chicago and Ferguson.  Artists, including Pharrell Williams and John Legend, will spark solutions-focused conversations with community members with varying perspectives, including family members of victims, community leaders, law enforcement officials, clergy and organizations seeking to empower communities by fostering understanding, eliminating bias and addressing inequities that break along racial lines. 

“The current racial situation in America is at a critical point,” said executive producer Ken Ehrlich. “Today's musical artists, much like those of the civil rights movement's history, have strong feelings about what's going on today, and we're hopeful that 'Shining a Light' does, in fact, give a voice to their concerns, their hopes, and their thinking about solutions to the alarming events that we see around us every day.”

“We're delighted to play a role with these amazing and committed artists to support such an important event for the benefit of our communities across America,” said Rich Bressler, President, COO and CFO of iHeartMedia, Inc. [“A+E NETWORKS AND IHEARTMEDIA TO PRESENT 'SHINING A LIGHT: A CONCERT FOR PROGRESS ON RACE IN AMERICA' (WORKING TITLE) FROM THE SHRINE AUDITORIUM IN LOS ANGELES ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20 AT 8PM ET/PT,” accessed 11/12/15]

iHeartMedia Has “245 Million Monthly Listeners.” According to iHeartMedia, “With 245 million monthly listeners in the U.S. iHeartMedia has the largest reach of any radio and television outlet in America.” [iHeartMedia, accessed 11/11/15]

Top iHeartMedia Radio Personalities Are Notorious For Their Reactionary Views On Race And Civil Rights Movements

iHeartMedia's Subsidiary, Premiere Networks, Syndicates The Radio Shows Of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, And Glenn Beck. According to Premiere Networks' website, the company is “a subsidiary of iHeartMedia” that “syndicates 90 radio programs and services” including The Rush Limbaugh Show, The Sean Hannity Show, and The Glenn Beck Program. [Premiere Networks, accessed 11/12/15]

iHeartMedia Syndicates Michael Berry's Show In 14 Markets Around The Country. According to a May 5, Talkers article, Michael Berry renewed his syndication deal with iHeartMedia through 2020 to be broadcast in its base Houston as well as 13 additional markets around the United States. [Talkers, 5/5/15]

iHeartMedia Syndicates The Mark Levin Show. According to an iHeartMedia Boston release, Mark Levin's radio program, The Mark Levin Show, is syndicated in Boston. [iHeartMedia Boston, accessed 11/12/15]

Rush Limbaugh: “Forget Calling Them The NAACP. They Are Now The R-A-C-I-S-M. NAACP Equals Racism”

Rush Limbaugh: Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) Is “Living In The Past” For Opposing Confederate Flag. On the July 10, 2015 edition of The Rush Limbaugh Show, Limbaugh played an audio clip of civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis discussing the removal of the Confederate flag from the state house in South Carolina. Limbaugh criticized the effort, claiming “I think the problem here is there are a lot of people that just are having a lot of trouble liberating themselves from their own minds ...That's the impression I get listening to a lot of people, you'd think this was 1830”:

LIMBAUGH: OK now back to what Congressman Lewis said here. He said, “We must join this movement to free and liberate ourselves from the past.” Now ladies and gentlemen, forgive me please. I hear what people say, and as the Mayor of Realville, I apply real meaning and what I think is their real meaning, and I react accordingly. And I am here to tell you that I am liberated from the past. I am not living in the past. I think it is these people who are. By definition, who is it that can't let go of the past? We're on the verge of -- we've got the President of the United States and a dangerously incompetent Secretary of State on the verge of OKing the state sponsor of terrorism in the world getting nuclear weapons. That's the future, that's tomorrow. We're not even worried about -- we are -- talk about being liberated from the past? This Confederate flag stuff is in the past. I don't know about anybody else but I am not living in the past. I have been liberated from it and I think most people have. I think the problem here is there are a lot of people that just are having a lot of trouble liberating themselves from their own minds. How many people do we know that are still living as though it's still 1964? How many people in the Civil Rights Movement are running around actually believing there is still slavery in this country and acting on it? That's the impression I get listening to a lot of people, you'd think this was 1830. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 7/10/15]

Limbaugh: The Civil Rights Movement Has Become “An Off-Shoot Of An Effort To Segregate People.” On the May 15, 2015 edition of Limbaugh's show, Limbaugh argued “I sense that in the African-American activist community, that there is a move to resegregate now.” Limbaugh continued:

LIMBAUGH: Yea, but you know something, that's a great point. I sense that in the African-American activist community, that there is a move to resegregate now. I think the Civil Rights leaders are actually moving and advocating --

[...]

LIMBAUGH: African American students walking into a classroom where there were just one or two other African Americans, they felt like they were among the enemy. And microagression means they felt intimidated, like the others in the class might act aggressively to them, in fact were, just because of the racial differences. Now this, I contend to you, is an offshoot of an effort to segregate people. I think that's what the Civil Rights Movement has become. And by the way, that's not what Dr. King was for. Dr. King was for the exact opposite. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 5/15/15]

Limbaugh: “NAACP Equals Racism.” During the July 22, 2010 edition of The Rush Limbaugh Show, Limbaugh defended the discredited smear of former USDA official Shirley Sherrod and claimed President Obama has “come to divide” and is “inspiring” and “encouraging” racism:

LIMBAUGH: And we have to sit here and we have to have our intelligence and everything else we have insulted every day by this little man-child who has no more business being in the White House ... When are you people who voted for this doofus going to apologize? We are owed an apology. Look at what's happening. The most racial president we've ever had. He's come to divide. All everyone is talking about is race ...The NAALCP which equals racism. Forget calling them the NAACP, they're now the R-A-C-I-S-M. NAACP equals racism. ... We've got a president who is inspiring this, we've got a president who is encouraging this. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show10/17/11]

Limbaugh: You Can Tell Black Lives Matter Is A “Hate Group” By Listening To Them. On his September 1, 2015 radio show, Rush Limbaugh discussed a shooting of a police officer in Illinois that later proved to be a suicide and used it to attack Black Lives Matter. He argued the movement could be called a “hate group”:

LIMBAUGH: Three suspects being sought just north of Chicago in the shooting death of a Fox Lake, Illinois, police officer. And I know what you're asking -- and it's pretty safe, since the media's not telling us. A pretty safe bet. We haven't seen any pictures of the perps, the suspects, or of the cop. At least I haven't yet.

So I don't know if this is a replay of what happened down in Houston, or if it's unrelated. Hard to believe it's unrelated. People wonder, “Gee, I wonder why all these attacks on the cops.” Anybody remember “hands up, don't shoot?” All this Black Lives Matter? Somebody will allege that Black Lives Matter maybe is a hate group or what -- and people erupt, “How can you say that? They're a peace-loving protest organization. What do you mean, a hate group?”

Well, I'm just listening to what they say. But you remember “hands up, don't shoot”? It didn't happen. Do you know how many people in this country still think it did? Do you realize how many people in this country still think that the gentle giant was murdered in the back, that he was trying to surrender, his hands were up, shouting, “Don't shoot, don't shoot,” and he was running away and the cop came out of the car and shot him? You know how many people still believe that crap, and you know why they do?

M-e-d-i-a, combined with civil rights groups like Black Lives Matter. That's why they believe it, because the lie has been purposely promulgated. And if people believe it, and you move from Ferguson to Baltimore, well, you have another series of lies about cop killing there. And people can't find a motive? [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 9/1/15]

Limbaugh: “Race Riots” Are Part Of The Obama Administration's Plan. On his October 17, 2011 radio show, Limbaugh warned that “race riots are part of the plan” of the Obama White House:

LIMBAUGH: There's rioting in the streets now. And there's going to be more rioting in the streets because that's part of the program here. And next up, there's going to be race riots I guarantee you. And race riots are part of the plan that this regime has. That's next. You'll note that everybody's talking about how white “Organize Wall Street” is. Well, didn't take long for them to do the Martin Luther King thing yesterday. You just watch and wait until these two things get melded, which they will. The more chaos and instability the better. I'm not predicting it, but if it happens don't count me as one who's surprised, is what I'm saying here. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 7/22/10]

Limbaugh: “Angry First Lady” Used Museum Dedication Speech To “Widen The Racial Gap.” During the May 7, 2015 edition of The Rush Limbaugh Show, Limbaugh accused an “angry” First Lady Michelle Obama of attempting to “widen the racial gap” and claimed people of color don't appreciate museums because they are “not in their cultural upbringing”:

LIMBAUGH: First Lady Moo-chelle Obama gave a speech on Monday that was supposed to be celebrating the opening of a new museum. And it was a dedication, a $420 million dedication for a new building at the Whitney Museum in New York City on Monday. And a whole bunch of democrat luminaries were there - Bill de Blasio, the mayor, the architectRenzo Piano, and Moo-chelle Obama. And instead of just congratulating the staff, and praising the museum, or whatever you do at a museum opening, she decided to lecture everybody about diversity.

Everything has to be about race with these people. We were supposed to be post-racial with the election of Obama. Supposed to have put all that behind us. His election was supposed to mean something. It was supposed to signify that we had overcome and gotten past the original sin of slavery. And instead, as I knew would be the case, it's gotten worse by design, and this is one of the reasons why. Here her husband is president, the first African American president in our history, and instead of lauding this new museum, whatever, you know, these effete snobs at these museums do, to take the occasion here to widen the racial gap.

She said, 'Museums and concert halls just don't welcome non-white visitors, especially children, the way they welcome white people.' Can you imagine being in the audience for this? I mean even if you're a committed liberal, I mean, you don't want to hear this stuff all the time, I'd wouldn't think. You're here at a museum dedication, and you want to hear an angry First Lady stand up and start complaining about stuff like this? [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 5/7/15]

Limbaugh: Given Freddie Gray's Rap Sheet, “Look At How Many Times The Police Did Not Kill Freddie Gray.” From the April 30, 2015 edition of The Rush Limbaugh Show:

RUSH LIMBAUGH: You know you look at Freddie Gray's rap sheet and it's long. Freddie Gray has been arrested literally dozens of times. And there is an interesting way to look at that. Look at how many times the police did not kill Freddie Gray. I mean this rap sheet -- it's amazing for somebody 24 years of age. A number of times the cops could have really damaged him. But they didn't for some reason, so why now? [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 4/30/15]  

Michael Berry: “Black People Don't Know How To Exist Without White People To Blame Their Problems On”

Michael Berry: “Most White People Would Like To Get As Far From Black People As They Possibly Could And Never Have To See Another Black Person.” During the October 1, 2015 broadcast of his show, Berry argued, “most white people would like to get as far from black people as they possibly could.” He continued, “Black people are obsessed with white people ... black people don't know how to exist without white people around to blame their problems on.” [KTRH, The Michael Berry Show, 10/1/15]

Berry Celebrates “White History Month.” Berry kicked off his October 1 show by talking about “White History Month,” which he said people who aren't white should celebrate by wishing white people “Happy White History Month.” He then extolled all the things white people have done for society and compared the month to a “Jewish holiday.” [KTRH, The Michael Berry Show, 10/1/15]

Berry Defends Confederate Flag As “Heritage Of The State.” On his June 18, 2015 morning show, Berry downplayed the racist motivations behind Dylann Storm Roof's attack on a prayer group at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Berry said it was silly to blame the capitol's display of the “Stars and Bars” flag of the former Confederate States for encouraging the attack because it merely “represents the heritage of the state,” adding that opponents want to “revise the history and take the flag away.” [KTRH, The Michael Berry Show, 6/19/15]

Berry Called Teens Detained By Police In McKinney, Texas “Jungle Animals.” On his June 8 radio show, Berry called predominately black teenagers who were detained by police trying to break up a pool party in McKinney, Texas “jungle animals” and mocked how they spoke. [KTRH, The Michael Berry Show, 6/8/15; Media Matters, 6/11/15]

Berry Has A Weekly Segment On His Show Where He Mocks Victims Of Chicago Gun Violence: “He Was Shot In The Head And Died At The Scene. He Won't Have To Live With That Name Anymore.” During Berry's September 21, 2015 broadcast, he brought up the murder of Tyjuan Poindexter, a 14-year-old bystander who was shot and killed. Berry mocked the child's name, saying, “Tyjuan Poindexter. Ha ha. Tyjuan Poindexter was standing outside with some friends when some people drove by and opened fire. Young Mister Poindexter was shot in the head and died at the scene. He won't have to live with that name anymore.” Berry continued to mock gun violence victims, saying of another fatal shooting: “Most people dove under cars. Not the fat ones. But Mr. Lewis was left exposed to fire and took several bullets in the chest. He died about two hours later at the hospital.” [KTRH, The Michael Berry Show, 9/21/15; Media Matters, 9/30/15]

Berry: “Black Lives Matter, Just Not To Black People.” During the October 12, 2015 episode of The Michael Berry Show, Berry mocked victims of gun violence in Chicago as part of his regular segment called “The Butcher Bill”, the Houston-based radio host said the violence in urban areas like Chicago was a demonstration of his theory that “black lives matter, just not to black people.” [KTRH, The Michael Berry Show, 10/12/15]

Berry: “Chris Rock Has Made Very Clear There Are Different Types Of Black People.”  On his March 12, 2015 show, while discussing a video that showed an African-American girl being attacked and beaten in a McDonald's restaurant, Berry declared that “black people don't believe that black lives matter,” adding “Chris Rock has made very clear there are different types of black people. And the general manager at your company who's black and a super-nice guy doesn't want to live amongst that, either”:

BERRY: You know why white lives matter? Because that's what white people believe. The dirty little secret is, black people don't believe that black lives matter.

[...]

Chris Rock has made very clear there are different types of black people. And the general manager at your company who's black and a super-nice guy doesn't want to live amongst that, either.

But we can't deny the influence that this subculture is having on our society. You can go and hide behind your gates. Y'all can hire a guard at night. But eventually, a Trayvon Martin's going to come walking through your yard, at night, on suspension from school. Because his dad has a good job and he lives there. And he lives in a world of thuggery, and his dad doesn't. That's actually -- that was the case there. But he was a thug, who went to school with other thugs. [KTRH, The Michael Berry Show, 3/12/15, Media Matters, 6/11/15]

Berry Calls Protesting Missouri Football Players “Thugs,” Compares Ex-MU President To Neville Chamberlain. During a November 9, 2015 episode of The Michael Berry Show, Berry accused the president of the university of “pandering” to “thug” football players who protested and called for the president's resignation due to a lack of administrative action to address racial tension on the campus. After the president resigned Berry compared his capitulation to that of Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister often criticized for unsuccessfully appeasing Hitler in the lead up to World War II. [KTRH, The Michael Berry Show,11/9/15]

Berry Has Often Brought Blackface Comedian “Shirley Q. Liquor” On His Show. Chuck Knupp, a white comedian who appears in blackface under the stage name, “Shirley Q. Liquour,” has frequently appeared on The Michael Berry Show and told jokes based on racial and religious stereotypes. Berry also appeared with Knupp in blackface on a promotional billboard for the radio station in Orange, Texas. [The Austin Chronicle,12/6/13; The Michael Berry Show, 9/14/12; The Michael Berry Show, 11/26/12; The Michael Berry Show,9/24/12, Media Matters, 6/11/15]

Berry Posted A Mock Re-enactment Of Michael Brown's Shooting. Berry posted a video to his show's YouTube page titled, “Michael Brown: The Musical,” which mocked the protests that followed the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, MO. The words, “Hands up, don't shoot” are heard before the sound of a gunshot, followed by the sound of a body collapsing. [KTRH, The Michael Berry Show, 10/6/14, Media Matters, 6/11/15]

Sean Hannity: Black Lives Matter Is A “Racist Group Threatening To Kill Cops And Kill White People”

Sean Hannity: Black Lives Matter Is A “Racist Group Threatening To Kill Cops And Kill White People.” During the September 2, 2015 episode of The Sean Hannity Show, Hannity accused the Black Lives Matter movement of targeting police and white people, called the group racist, and criticized the Democratic National Committee as “sick” for what he claimed was a statement of “solidarity”:

HANNITY: The Democratic Party put out a statement, the DNC, on Friday in solidarity with this group. And we know the outrageous things that have been said. Now, the Democratic Party that so loves to play the race card every election season has now aligned themselves with a racist group threatening to kill cops and to kill white people.

Where is the mainstream media in America today? How, with their hypersensitivity on all things politically correct? You would think that such overt racism and a call for the killing of brave men and women who put on a uniform to protect our cities, would somehow inspire them, for once, to actually expose what is a real issue of racism. But they haven't. You would think that maybe some Washington reporter might ask one of the members of the Democratic Party that put out the resolution supporting this group, “hey, what do you think of these statements about the group that you supported?” That's not gonna happen either. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 9/2/15]

Hannity On The Death Of Freddie Gray: “Don't Run At 8:30 In The Morning When You See A Cop.” On an April 28 episode of radio show, Hannity placed blame for Freddie Gray's death on the victim's attempt to run from the police.

HANNITY: I got to be honest, I don't know what the answer to the question is. I don't know why it happened. I know this, I don't know why the kid ran. What is the mindset of someone, they see a cop and they gotta run. Maybe his record had something to do with it. What happened between the time he ran and the time he got in that truck and the time he got some medical care, we don't know what happened yet. It's suspicious to me. But I'm not rushing to judgment.

[...]

And his record I mentioned earlier -- it has nothing to do with -- you know, what happened in this case. I assume that it probably was connected to why he ran and his relationship with police at that time. I mean it's pretty extensive. You know there's a simple solution in terms of for other people going forward is: don't be involved in the sale of drugs, don't think police are your enemies, don't run at 8:30 in the morning when you see a cop, and certainly that is a part that he plays in this equation. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 4/28/15]

Hannity Compares Selling Confederate Flags With Selling Rap Music. On his June 24 show, Hannity compared the Confederate flag to music that uses “the n-word” and “the b-word.” He questioned why Wal-Mart and Amazon, among others, would not ban the sale of Jay Z, Ludacris, or Beyonce albums, “since we're in the process of banning everything.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 6/24/15]

Hannity Lectures Caller About Being  Black In America: “If You're Not Part Of A Gang ... Guess What's Going To Happen? Nothing.” On the June 10, 2015 edition of The Sean Hannity Show, a caller implored Hannity to realize “you will never understand how we are policed and how you are policed.” Hannity proceeded to lecture the caller that “if you don't do things that are wrong, if you're not part of a gang, you're not robbing, you're not stealing, you're not selling drugs, you're not using drugs, you're not violent, you're not involved in any trouble, guess what's going to happen? Nothing. Stay out of trouble”:

CALLER: You will never understand what it means to be black in America. You will never understand how we are policed and how you are policed. You'll never understand that, so we will never come to an agreement on that. All I'm asking you as a decent--

HANNITY: --But I can tell you one thing, and I can tell you a fact -- that if you don't do things that are wrong, if you're not part of a gang, you're not robbing, you're not stealing, you're not selling drugs, you're not using drugs, you're not violent, you're not involved in any trouble, guess what's going to happen? Nothing. Stay out of trouble.

CALLER: That's absolutely not true.

HANNITY: And I don't care what neighborhood you live in. If you stay out of trouble, obey the laws, pay your taxes, you are going to be fine.

CALLER: Absolutely, absurdly untrue.

HANNITY: Sorry! [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 6/10/15]

Mark Levin: The Obamas “Have Done More Damage To Race Relations In This Country Since George Wallace”

Mark Levin: Obamas Are “Full Of Hate Speech.” On his May 11, 2015 show, Mark Levin called the Obamas “racialists” and “race-baiters of the first order” and repeatedly asked, “Do black lives matter to this president?” He then said the pair is “full of hate speech” and compared them to Jim-Crow era segregationist George Wallace. [Westwood One, The Mark Levin Show, 5/11/15]

Levin: President Obama Is A “Low-Life” And A “Racist” For Using “The N-Word” After Charleston Shooting. On the June 22, 2015 episode of The Mark Levin Show, Levin called President Obama a “low-life” and “racist” for using the “n-word” in an interview following the  shootings in Charleston, South Carolina. He also criticized those who protested the Confederate flag, asking “what the hell does that have to do with any of this?” [Westwood One, The Mark Levin Show, 6/22/15]

Levin: Eric Holder Committed “Hate Crimes” By Conducting Civil Rights Investigation In Ferguson After Shooting. On the October 23, 2014 edition of his radio show, Mark Levin demanded to know how then-Attorney General Eric Holder would be “held to account for what he did” in Ferguson, Missouri, accusing him of “hate crimes” and “race baiting” through his civil rights investigation of the shooting and its aftermath:

LEVIN: I have a question. How will Eric Holder be held to account for what he did in Ferguson, Missouri? The attorney general of the United States, who took an oath to uphold the Constitution, which includes due process, which includes equal protection. How will Eric Holder be held to account for what he did in Ferguson, Missouri?

[...]

It's abundantly clear that the people who claimed that the officer, Darren Wilson, shot an innocent, unarmed black teenager, are liars. Flat-out liars. There are reportedly now over half a dozen black witnesses who contradict what's been said about the circumstances involving the shooting and the killing, who are afraid - who are afraid for their lives, afraid for their families, afraid for their jobs and their businesses. Eric Holder helped create that situation, that environment, in Ferguson, Missouri, which continues to this day because of groups like ACORN, still ACORN, and other radical left-wing hate America-type organizations.

[...]

So this is the situation now. So I'm asking, how will Eric Holder be held to account, how will he be held to account for his race baiting, for his - in my view - yes, hate crimes, if you will. Much of it has resulted as a result of his conduct, his comments, the conduct of the Civil Rights Division under his leadership. [Westwood One, The Mark Levin Show, 10/23/14]

Levin Asks, “Why Would We End Racial Profiling?” On the July 15, 2013 show, Levin asked “why would we end racial profiling for law enforcement purposes? Are we all supposed to be Helen Keller?” He suggested police would not be allowed to report any race data because of restrictions on racial profiling. [Westwood One, The Mark Levin Show, 7/15/13]

Levin: Grand Jury Results Show Ferguson Shooting “Had Nothing To Do With Race,” Officer Darren Wilson “Is Owed An Apology.” On the November 25, 2014 edition of his radio show, Mark Levin claimed that the grand jury declining to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson for the shooting death of Michael Brown showed that the shooting “had nothing to do with race”:

LEVIN: Officer Darren Wilson's shooting and killing of Michael Brown had nothing to do with race, period. Still they talk about race. Still the president talks about race. Still the attorney general talks about race. Still the media talk about race. Michael Brown was shot, in essence, because the officer was defending himself, both in the squad car, and later when Michael Brown charged him, period. This has nothing to do with racial injustice, nothing whatsoever to do with racial injustice.

[...]

And so now, what do we have? We have race-baiting, we have out of control emotions, we have criminality. It's the left. The left, they ignore science, they ignore evidence, they ignore experience, they ignore knowledge, just like everything else, whether it's global warming or Obamacare. These things exist to be exploited. It's time for us to speak up for law enforcement. Law enforcement has been extremely restrained. It's time for us to speak out in defense of Officer Wilson, who's owed an apology. He's owed an apology. [Westwood One, The Mark Levin Show, 11/25/14]

Glenn Beck: Ebola Virus Would Lead To “Race Riots,” “Another Ferguson”

Glenn Beck Predicts Ebola Crisis Will Lead To “Race Riots.” According to Right Wing Watch (RWW), Glenn Beck spent several weeks in 2014 predicting a catastrophic end to a possible Ebola outbreak in the United States. RWW reported he called on his listeners to “descend on Washington D.C.” and “demand that the government ban all travel from West African nations.” Beck suggested that “poor, black neighborhoods” would eventually have to be quarantined, according to RWW, leading to “another Ferguson.” [Right Wing Watch, 10/19/15]

Beck Blames Journalists' Death On Al Sharpton. On his August 28 show, as reported by Right Wing Watch, Beck blamed the shooting of two WDBJ journalists on “the Al Sharptons of the world” and claimed the media has “stirred up” a focus on race, prompting this shooter to kill his former coworkers. From Right Wing Watch:

Why are the media focused on guns? Why isn't the media focused on the people who are training people to think this way? The media has been stirring this crap up and saying, 'Hey, when you say Chicago, that's racist, that's code language.' Well, this is the result of all of that bullcrap code language stuff.

When Gabby Giffords was shot, the world stopped and said, 'Was the Tea Party responsible? No. No. Why isn't the world stopping and asking are the people in the media, are the Al Sharptons of the world responsible for this kind of thinking? [Right Wing Watch, 8/28/15]

Beck: Obamas Hate America, “Never Accomplished Anything On Their Own.” Right Wing Watch reported that on Beck's June 12, 2015 show, the host continued his frequent criticism of the Obamas, saying they “hate America” because “they didn't really make it on their own” and instead owed their success to George Soros.  This was prompted by a series of commencement speeches Michelle Obama gave that referenced race relations. [Right Wing Watch, 6/12/15]