The Mississippi-based American Family Radio network broadcasts some of its talk shows on Facebook and YouTube to allow viewers to watch radio being done. A couple of weeks ago, YouTube contacted the producer of "The Hamilton Corner" to say the show had been spreading "misinformation" about the 2020 presidential election; so, it was off to the woodshed – for two weeks.
"They said that it was something I said almost ten months ago [July 2021], not anything current," says show host Abraham Hamilton III. "But they apparently combed through my past shows to find something they don't like."
Hamilton and his program are now back in the good graces of the giant platform – for now. But another AFR show got the same punishment on Wednesday. AFR's flagship show "Today's Issues" will go dark on YouTube for the next two weeks. Host Tim Wildmon, president of American Family Association, explains YouTube had to go back into the archives to dig up dirt on his show as well.
"Evidently, it was something we said over a year ago on our program … about the 2020 election that they call – quote – 'misinformation,'" he explains. "And therefore, we are in timeout, is what I call it, or off the YouTube channel for a week. It's just completely ridiculous."
According to Wildmon, what YouTube labels "misinformation" is simply an opinion they don't like.
"We're supposed to go sit in the corner and hang our head and shame about something we can't even remember what we said – but it's all one-sided," he points out. "It's all against conservatives and/or Christians."
But Wildmon explains that in a short while, AFR won't have to worry about the censors.
"In the next few months hopefully, we'll be online with our own comparable … live streaming [platform]," he describes. "It'll be the exact same thing [offered through YouTube or Facebook] … and it will be our own service and we won't have to worry about putting ourselves in timeout."
That platform (streaming.afa.net) currently contains freely available archives for several AFR programs, including "The Hamilton Corner" and "Today's Issues." Live streaming will be announced when it goes active.
Editor's Note: American Family Radio is a division of the American Family Association, the parent organization of the American Family News Network, which operates AFN.net.
5/30/2022 - Correction made to reflect reasoning offered by YouTube for suspending "The Hamilton Corner."
