KCRW and Ruth Seymour seem to invite rather a lot of trouble for a politically-correct public radio station. Tyler Green, a DC-based journalist who covers the arts, has been writing about Edward Goldman, who hosts a show about art, museum going, etc. He's a corporate art consultant, as well, with a handy little ad right on the KCRW website. The NY Times had a story about his popular class where eager fans learn how to look at art and how to buy art for $500 each. Gallery tours are included.

Green heard from a gallery owner about Goldman demanding a kickback, after a tour ended in a sale. And then he heard about Goldman hyping a picture in an on-air review..

Ruth Seymour, who wrong-foots it as often as she can, wouldn't talk to Green at first, and issued a statement that read in part:

KCRW's policy for all its programmers is that if a DJ, commentator or critic benefits financially from the record or the subject that that he/she is playing or discussing--then the programmer must reveal that relationship on the air.

(And so many of them do have these outside deals. And then, there's the nepotism.)

Seymour finally spoke with Green, and predictably, she squawked a lot about Goldman being a great guy, and a real art lover, etc. Green wrote:

In our entire 30-minute conversation, despite my repeated attempts--and even taking the specifics of these two cases out of the equation-- Seymour never told me if it was OK for a critic of hers to demand kickbacks from galleries or if it was OK for him/her to promote something on the air and to then attempt to profit from it.

Green's disgruntled gallery owners didn't want their names used, fearing the fallout. Seymour thus discounted the complaints, saying that they should have just picked up the phone and called her. Judging by the very elastic code of conduct the station uses, what action would she have taken?