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Dave Congalton is Not Worth Celebrating. Here’s Why.
Aaron Ochs is the author of “Defamers: How Fake News Terrorized a Community & Those Who Dared to Fight It,” a nonfiction uncovering the defamatory, deceptive and criminal practices of online tabloid CalCoastNews.
920 KVEC and “Hometown Radio” host Dave Congalton is celebrating his 28th anniversary on the air. This factoid was shared extensively on San Luis Obispo County social media this week. Locals have talked about his love for animals, his jovial nature and the diverse guests he’s allowed on his show. He’s primarily known for giving a lot of people access to a microphone — sometimes people who don’t deserve the luxury of broadcast.
It’s easy to forget that Congalton was a stakeholder of CalCoastNews and served for a time as Contributing Editor. And even after he stepped aside from that position, he brought on their writers as guests. For nearly a decade, Congalton would promote the website’s reporting, their “reporters,” contributors and their unsubstantiated allegations, despite their growing controversy. Years before the #MeToo became a national phenomenon for women to candidly discuss their stories of sexual and physical abuse, Congalton and his guests would regularly shame women who were the targets of CalCoastNews’ ire, mocking their physical appearance and alleged promiscuity — at one point glorifying a domestic…
