NHMC denounces “John and Ken Show” addition in NYC

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Clear ChannelAs many know, the controversial KFI-AM LA duo John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou, have made their way to WOR-AM New York, after Buckley Radio sold it to Clear Channel in December.  As par for the course, the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) is none too happy.


In a release, it states that NHMC, along with over 40 supporting organizations, has led the “Take John and Ken Off the Air” campaign ever since they released the personal mobile phone number of an immigration activist, who as a result of John and Ken’s call to action received several hundred hate-filled messages, some of them life threatening: “John and Ken have been known to target LGBT people and communities of color throughout Southern California. They also received national attention after calling Whitney Houston a “crack ho” after her death.”

“We are not surprised by Clear Channel’s move.  Clear Channel is known for trafficking hateful programming, however, adding ‘The John and Ken Show’ to WOR-NYC’s line-up despite the program’s record for stimulating racial divisiveness, attacks against communities of color and the LGBT community, is blatantly irresponsible and an unacceptable use of the public’s airwaves,” said Alex Nogales, NHMC’s CEO and President. We can no longer ignore the effects of hateful media outlets. NHMC’s recent national poll confirms that media consistently promotes negative Latino stereotypes and that those media depictions negatively impact the opinion of non-Latinos towards Latinos.”

NHMC has a presence in New York with board members, Marta Garcia and Angelo Falcón, who currently reside in the area. “John and Ken are not welcome in New York. We already have enough bullies on the NYC radio dial, why would we want two more calling it in from across the country?” says Garcia, Vice Chair for NHMC’s Executive Board.

NHMC says it will continue monitoring the show bi-coastally.

RBR-TVBR observation: This is simply a warning. NHMC has been pretty active in trying to get advertisers to boycott the show in LA for years—so far with limited results (they’re still on the air, right?). It’s pretty much a knee-jerk that NHMC will issue a negative press release anytime John and Ken do just about anything. Nonetheless, talkers know more than ever to watch what they say and to not denigrate any group unfairly. Mistakes like what Rush Limbaugh said about Sandra Fluke just plain cost our industry too much money in lost ad revenues. We think John and Ken have learned their lesson, especially now that they’re cleared in the top two markets in the nation.

2 COMMENTS

  1. I think it’s a safe bet that the NHMC will howl about anything that gets them some publicity.

    I’ve been listening to John and Ken since they first came to California. They have no beef with HIspanics. Their beef is with wetbacks. By the way, the designation of “wetback” is one which a person bestows upon himself by breaking into this country. There are no wetbacks in Mexico. The term applies only to aliens who have affirmatively chosen that (criminal) status.

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