KFI - More Hypocritical Talk Radio

About a week back, I did a post honoring KFI AM Los Angeles radio talk-show host Bill Handle with the IBA Golden Balls Award.

What a mistake. The guy caved, as we detailed here yesterday. Still, though, friggin' KFI are billing themselves as champions of Free Speech in an ongoing series of spots.

Have they no shame?

As Howard Stern's father always said, "Shut up! Sit down!"

Here in an article from Ontario Empoblog we get the scoop on KFI's astounding hypocrisy:


If you were listening to KFI yesterday afternoon, you heard their promos. In essence, there promos can be paraphrased as follows:

KFI defends the First Amendment.
The First Amendment includes listening to unpopular views.

Meanwhile, KFI on-air talent loves to point out how many other journalistic outlets DO back down. John Kobylt and John Ziegler in particular engage in this game. Here are some of the points that they've made recently regarding the Danish cartoon issue:

Forget about looking to the Los Angeles Times for true coverage about the Danish cartoon affair. In fact, forget about looking to most U.S. newspapers for true coverage about the Danish cartoon affair. Even though the Danish cartoons are a legitimate news item, most papers here refuse to print them. Other than the blogosphere, talk radio in general and KFI in particular are the only source of legitimate information about the Danish cartoon issue.

Oh really? Perhaps the afternoon and evening staff of KFI should cover this story (emphasis mine):

Which mainstream media outlet reprimanded one of its on-air personalities for engaging in First Amendment expression?

Which mainstream media organization issued the following statement from its regional vice president? "We would like to offer a sincere apology...for recent comments airing on our station....

[The station] does not condone making light of the deaths of people engaged in religious observances....On this particular program, we crossed the line in reporting the...incident in an insensitive manner. We have discussed the content and timing of this 'bit' extensively with [the on-air personality] and his crew and are confident that everyone now understands the gravity of the situation."

Well, if you've been paying attention to this blog [1] [2] and other sources, you know that it's Clear Channel's KFI itself - the self-proclaimed champion of the First Amendment - that is reprimanding its staff for being "insensitive."


Go read the whole thing.