As a public radio music station, WTMD typically shies away from controversial or political issues.
But Steve Yasko, the general manager of the popular Towson University alternative station, took off the gloves in a commentary posted on the station's website. Yasko's target? Denise Whiting, the owner of Cafe Hon in Hampden, who recently trademarked the word "hon."
The move has earned Whiting mostly condemnation from many local voices, and some have boycotted her restaurant since reports of the trademark surfaced last week.
"Ms. Whiting didn't invent the Baltimore Hon," Yasko charged on the station's blog. "The images, emotions and memories encapsulated in these three letters are the very heart and soul of our city."
A recorded version was set to play on the station through Tuesday, Yasko said.
Our friends at North Baltimore Patch have some of the community reactions to the flamingo-sized fiasco.
Yasko told Towson Patch it was a hot topic at the station on Friday.
"As we watched the incredible outpouring of anger and frustration on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites, we noticed some common feelings and emotions," he said in an e-mail. "We wanted to express them in a way that would sum up what everyone was individually saying. I hope we accomplished that in a respectful manner."
Marty
5:59 am on Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Never been to Cafe Hon. Probably never will be, simply because I avoid Baltimore like the plague. But, suppose she didn't bother to take the effort to trademark, or copy-write "HON"? Might not someone else have done so? Thereby precluding her from continuing to use the name? Seems to me I remember hearing of situations similar to this in the past.
Gary Pick
6:51 am on Tuesday, December 14, 2010
I think this is just foolish. A trademark is something that protects a business owner when marketing products. Nobody is getting upset that Apple trademarked one of our favorite fruits.
Trademarks aren't absolutes. If someone wants to market a product using the word HON or if they've already been using the word HON, prior to Ms. Whiting's registration, they should still be o.k. It's pretty clear Ms. Whiting is just trying to protect her brand and not piss anyone off.