Radio station KATZ (100.3 FM) has fired two morning deejays for discussing ways to disarm and fight police officers just days after a Kirkwood police officer was slain.
DJ Kaos and DJ Sylli Asz, hosts of the popular "Kaos in the Morning" show, "are no longer with the station," Lee Clear, a general manager for station owner Clear Channel Communications, said in a prepared statement released on Wednesday.
A broadcast on July 13 featured the two hosts talking with callers about how to injure officers and take their radios away so they couldn't call for help.
Just eight days earlier, Sgt. William McEntee was fatally shot while sitting in his patrol car. A 19-year-old man, Kevin Johnson, is charged with his murder.
The incident was infused with racial tension after Johnson's family accused police officers, who were searching for Johnson on a probation violation, of failing to help Johnson's brother, who collapsed earlier that day and died from a heart defect. Ninety minutes later, Johnson, who is black, allegedly shot McEntee, who is white.
KATZ is the St. Louis radio market's top-rated urban format station and fourth highest-rated station overall.
The DJs, whom KATZ refused to identify beyond their on-air names, were suspended a day after the show aired. In the nearly three weeks since, the station has been hit with calls for the DJs' dismissal and a boycott by members of the Fraternal Order of Police. A station executive said they were inundated with calls about the incident.
In his brief statement, Clear wrote that KATZ "does not advocate violence of any kind" and said the station has "the utmost respect" for law enforcement. The station declined further comment.
DJ Kaos worked at KATZ for five years. DJ Sylli Asz was with the program 18 months, according to the station.
The DJs could not be reached for comment.
Scott Sherman, an attorney for DJ Kaos, said his client intends to fight the dismissal. Sherman said the incident "was blown out of proportion" and called the firing "unfair." Sherman said DJ Kaos had been promised he'd get his job back if he agreed to a one-month suspension and donated part of his pay to a group that supports police officers.
The St. Louis Police Officers Association said it "applauded" the station's actions. "It is reassuring to the law enforcement community to know that public statements advocating violence against police officers will not be tolerated," said President Kevin Ahlbrand
FOLLOW-UP STORY....
Two deejays have been fired from St. Louis' KATZ radio for discussing ways to fight police officers just days after the murder of a Kirkwood, Missouri police officer, station executives announced Weds.
DJ Kaos and DJ Sylli Asz were hosts of the hip-hop station's "Kaos in the Morning" show. A July 13 broadcast featured the two hosts talking with
callers about how to injure officers and take their radios away so they couldn't call for help.
Just eight days earlier, Sgt. William McEntee had been fatally shot while he sat in his patrol car in the Meacham Park neighborhood. A 19-year-old
man is charged with his murder.
The deejays, who the station refused to identify beyond their on-air names, were suspended a day after the show aired. In the nearly three weeks since,
the station has been hit with calls for the deejays' dismissal and a boycott by members of the Fraternal Order of Police.
KATZ (100.3 FM) is owned by Clear Channel Communications, based in San Antonio. Lee Clear, who oversees the company's six stations in the St.
Louis media market, issued a very brief statement today. He said the deejays "are no longer with the station." He also wrote that KATZ "does not
advocate violence of any kind" and said the station has "the utmost respect" for law enforcement.
The station declined further comment.