State pulls radio ad after some listeners complain
The announcement encouraged listeners to “cut down on salt, fat and serving sizes to help your heart. Try baking your chicken, eating a fresh tossed salad on the side and scrumptious watermelon for dessert.”
The Tennessee Department of Health canceled it Friday.
The announcement began airing statewide Monday on 10 radio stations, some of which had a high number of minority listeners. It was part of a campaign aimed at preventing heart disease and diabetes, especially among racial groups dying at a much faster rate than whites.
“I don’t believe it was intended to have any racial overtones,” Health Department spokeswoman Diane Denton told The Tennessean newspaper. “We wouldn’t want to offend anyone. We want to be culturally sensitive.”
In Tennessee, the heart disease death rate is 1.3 times higher for blacks than whites. For diabetes, the death rate for blacks is 1.5 times higher.
“We’ve spent some time trying to be responsive to these minority health issues,” Denton said. “We are trying to do outreach.”
The announcement was developed by the Health Department’s heart disease and stroke prevention staff. It was recorded by Wendy Long, deputy state health officer, who is thought to be the highest-ranking department official to sign off on it.
A representative of Nashville radio station WQQK-FM 92.1, which has an urban format, said some listeners were upset.
“We received a couple of complaints,” said Michael Dickey, general manager of Cumulus, which owns the station. “We pulled it immediately.”
The Rev. Enoch Fuzz, who heads the health committee of the Nashville NAACP, said he had not heard the public service item on the radio but was not offended by its content.
“That’s a wonderful advertisement. Tell them to put it back,” Fuzz said. “African-Americans are dying at a much higher rate than other populations, and we’ve got to turn that around.”
But the Rev. Henry Blaze, pastor of Spruce Street Baptist Church in Nashville, said the Health Department made the right choice in pulling the announcement.
“I can appreciate the fact that they were responsive to the concerns that were voiced,” Blaze said.