Journalist and communications strategist Jasmyne Cannick discusses "crack ho" incident with KFI's Ken Chiampou and John Kobylt of the “John and Ken Show” (Photo: Isidra Person-Lynn)
*A coalition of Blacks in radio broadcasting, media and business met Monday with KFI 640 AM’s station management and show hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou of the “John and Ken Show” to discuss their calling of music icon Whitney Houston a “crack ho” three days following the legendary singer’s death.
Among those who met with the station’s General Manager Greg Ashlock and program director Robin Bertolucci were: Kevin Ross, host of the syndicated television program ‘America’s Court with JudgeRoss’, and former KABC and KFI host; Lee Bailey, 30-year radio broadcasting pioneer, founder and CEO of the Electronic Urban Report (EURweb); Dominique DiPrima, talk radio veteran and host of the Front Page on KJLH 102.3 FM; Isidra Person Lynn, former talk radio host, producer and public affairs director; L. C. “Chris” Strudwick-Turner, Vice President of Marketing & Communications for the Los Angeles Urban League; Kevin Ross, 20-year radio veteran, on-air personality and the editor of RadioFacts.com; and journalist and communications strategist Jasmyne Cannick.
“Systemic change has to happen,” said Strudwick-Turner of the Los Angeles Urban League. “They have to come back to us with a solid plan to improve this situation.”
Cannick added, “KFI has 14 shows, and 13 of them are hosted by white males. There are no blacks in their newsroom. This fosters an environment where negative comments can happen. And they are not living up to [parent company] Clear Channel’s statement of a commitment to diversity.”
The meeting lasted approximately 90 minutes after which the group held a press conference outside of KFI where they were joined by fans of Whitney Houston upset over the show hosts outrageous comments, and former KFI talk show host John Zeigler.
Coalition members said the station’s lack of diversity has led to an insensitivity toward minorities that has resulted in caustic comments by John and Ken, as well as other personalities such as Bill Handel and Tim Conway Jr. After identifying four specific goals they felt needed to be met, KFI management promised to get back to them within 72 hours with a plan to address the following concerns:
1. The hiring of more Blacks as on air talent – Full time, weekends, fill-in hosts
2. Similar to cable outlets, the station should feature paid KFI contributing commentators who can discuss issues with the on-air from different perspectives
3. Clear Channel must employ more blacks behind the scenes such as producers, engineers, sales representatives, professionals in marketing and promotions, as well as college interns of color. This is not limited to KFI.
4. KFI specifically needs to collaborate with online news and entertainment sites owned by African Americans and broaden the listening audience through community outreach events and public affairs
A coalition of Los Angeles based blacks in media and politics met with Clear Channel's KFI management to discuss the station's policies. Photo: (L-R) Lee Bailey, James Westbrooks, Jasmyne Cannick, Isidra Person-Lynn & Chris Strudwick-Turner (Credit: Gregory Everett)
The Coalition released the following statement:
We understand that some would see this as a David verses Goliath battle – Clear Channel is a $17.2 billion global corporation, while we are a small coalition of concerned business and media professionals who also happen to be African-American.
Given Clear Channel’s stated view on the value they place on diversity, it is our belief that leadership on the importance of diversity must start at the top. KFI AM 640 is Clear Channel’s number one AM radio station in the country in the News/Talk category, and the most listened to station in Southern California, according to the Los Angeles Arbitron Portable People Meter ratings between January 6 – February 2, 2012, .
John and Ken’s unfortunate and insensitive comments regarding Whitney Houston unmasked a deeper problem that continues to go unchecked.
Simply put, when you don’t have workplace diversity, it becomes okay to call a black woman, or any woman, a “crack ho.”
KFI, Clear Channel’s top station, has 14 shows, and 13 of them are hosted by white males. There are no blacks in their newsroom.
When you have no African-American colleagues around you all day, people often become desensitized to what other groups find intolerable. This ultimately fosters an environmentwhere negative comments can go unchecked and corporate guidelines and policies are no longer being enforced.
KFI has a long history of being racially insensitive. It’s our expectation that with true diversity, situations like this can be avoided. A diverse work environment includes the hiring of blacks not only as on-air talent, but asfill-in talent, paid contributors, producers, engineers, and news reporters.
It means developing and fostering relationships with online news entities that cater to African-American audiences.
We want to see Clear Channel be better and what better place to start, since their main business is radio, and since their number one radio station is in the second largest media market in the country—than with KFI. KFI is the station that sets the tone and example for all of Clear Channel’s other stations around the country.
We know that all of the other Clear Channel stations across the nation will benefit from KFI taking a leadership role on this issue.
Help us help KFI comply with Clear Channel’s statement on diversity and hold them accountable.
“1. The hiring of more Blacks as on air talent – Full time, weekends, fill-in hosts”
Apparently ‘profiling’ is perfectly acceptable in this format? Where is the outrage that an outside party (i.e. Los Angeles Urban League) dictate hiring practices based off of skin-color instead of skill-set?
Using this logic, when will the NBA mandate a higher percentage of white players?
This is why Atlas shrugged…
Maybe comparing a professional sports league to an radio station isn’t the best example you could’ve given. But to your ridiculous point, the NBA CURRENTLY has a much larger percentage of diversity than the show you’re defending. Again, use a better example.
These “community leaders” make me sick!!! Here they are trying to dictate to Clear Channel and KFI who they should and shouldn’t hire!! WTF??? They are a PRIVATE entity and can hire or fire whoever the hell they want!!!! I hope they tell these “community leaders” to go pound sand!!!
John and Ken speak the TRUTH and sometimes the TRUTH hurts!!! Whitney Houston, while she WAS a great singer, has been a drug addict/crack ho for the last 20 years!!!! She did stupid stuff in public recently because of it!!!! John and Ken rip on ALL people of ALL races, not just the minorities!! Hell, even Jasmine Canuck has come out in their defense. That’s probably because she listens daily and not just some sounds bites like the rest of these fools!!!! She knows where John and Ken come from and how they AREN’T racist at all!!!
Fact is that if you don’t like what they say………….DON’T LISTEN!!!! Leave John and Ken to the rest of us!!!!
Sure, and according to Ron Paul, private business SHOULD be allowed to not serve, let’s say, Jews, Christians or women if it doesn’t want to.
Use better logic.
Your next drink’s on me…a tall glass of Clorox. Will you like that on the rocks or straight up?
Although i AM confused why Jasmyne is NOW advocating for diversity when she admitted to religiously tuning into the same show she’s now protesting..of sorts.
That sounds ass backwards.
KFI, Clear Channel’s top station, has 14 shows, and 13 of them are hosted by white males. There are no blacks in their newsroom.
WTF?! Affirmative action for white ppl?!
John and Ken: two unfunny white guys who wish they were Howard Stern.
If black listeners really want to make a difference they will boycott Clear Channel Radio.
Just want to know if these two raced base ignoramus’ ever refer to Lindsey Lohan as a CRACK-HO? Lindsey has been in and out jail so many times, basically, given a pass because she’s WHITE and continues to smoke and do drugs IN YOUR FACE type of attitude to america..
Of course these two ignoramus race based a$$holes wouldn’t call Lindsey Lohan a crack ho, because she is a white female and they both probably want her inspite of her being a Crack Ho..
…wake up america.. with the election of this nation’s first black president.. AMERICA hates it and will with intent make it known that this nation hates Blacks inspite of what is happening for those who are fighting against intolerance..and raced based idiots like KEN and JOHN.. who feel they HAVE the RIGHTs to talk about blacks in the way they do as well as many other radio and TV hosts..
Wake up folks and keep praying and do as much as you can to help others.. we can’t stop now.. keep fighting AGAINST such racist individuals… .
I’m sick and tired of colored people having “meetings” when something like this happens. Then all the poverty pimps crawl out the woodwork with so-called “demands”. How about some meaniful action. Where are all those so-called bad negros who represent by wearing a color, but when it comes to disrespecting a Black woman, you can’t be found with the FBI. We should be hearing how you have exacted satisfaction. Not reading that some group of old people have gone begging massa for a job. This is why nobody respects Black Americans, we don’t demand respect. They didn’t call Winehouse a crack ho because they fear the Jews. It’s time we put some fear in somebody other than our own. I’ll be glad when negros are gone so Black folks can take over.
Chosin Few one of the Frozen Chosin
Just want to know if these two racist would ever refer to Marilyn Monroe as a sleep around DRUG HO?