One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
John & Ken Apologize For Threatening Calls to Immigrant Rights Group
John and Ken (KFI)
The controversial conservative talk-radio duo John & Ken apologized on the air Monday for the threatening calls their listeners made to an immigrant rights group.John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou had earlier released the phone number of local advocate Jorge-Mario Cabrera from the Coalition of Humane Immigration Rights of L.A. (CHIRLA) as a part of their campaign to drum up public dissent for the passage and signing into law of the California DREAM Act. CHIRLA demanded an apology and some advertisers for John & Ken's show pulled out.
The radio show duo said they weren't sorry for releasing Cabrera's phone number — they argued the number which was given out on a press release was fair game. And they said that news that advertisers pulled out was overblown. But they are apologizing for the threatening calls that Cabrera received:
We don’t want, we’ve made it clear in the past, don’t get abusive. Don’t be hateful, don’t threaten violence. We’ve said be strong and aggressive with your opinions on the issue. But you don’t have to lapse into absurdity. And it’s kind of silly because we’ve got a million-two listeners, and if you have a million-two listeners there’s always gonna be a guy, or two guys, or five guys, who go crazy. But, we have been trying to tell Jorge that we here at the John and Ken show, we apologize for the hateful or any illegal calls that he received.
That doesn't mean John & Ken are backing down from their stance against the DREAM Act, according to a statement from KFI: "John and Ken are being attacked by the NHMC because of their outspoken opposition to the California Dream Act. Not only is this an issue over which reasonable people disagree, it is also one that sparks strong feelings. Taking a stand is their job - and their right in a democracy like ours. Their opposition to the Dream Act is not 'hate speech,' it is protected speech."
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
