KOA: Offending listeners “was not the intention” of “Gunny” Bob's anti-Muslim remarks

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

Newsradio 850 KOA late on May 16 posted a notice on the Web page of talk show host “Gunny” Bob Newman stating that the station “understands that some of you may have been offended” by Newman's recent remarks calling for a law that would eliminate some basic civil rights for Muslim immigrants. KOA, which is owned by Clear Channel Communications Inc., continued: “That was not the intention. 850 KOA believes in being fair and respectful while encouraging discussion and debate of complex issues.”


As Colorado Media Matters has noted, Newman on his May 8 broadcast asserted that “every Muslim immigrant to America who holds a green card, a visa, or who is a naturalized citizen [should] be required by law to wear a GPS tracking bracelet at all times.” Newman also called for the U.S. government to “bug their places of work and their residences” and monitor "[a]ll mosques and community centers." He added, “If they don't like the idea, or if they refuse, throw their asses out of this country.” Newman made the comments while discussing the breakup of an alleged terrorist plot to attack U.S. soldiers at New Jersey's Fort Dix.

Following Colorado Media Matters' May 9 report of the remarks, Newman responded on the air and on his Web page by attacking some of the organizations that publicly condemned his comments. He posted an item on his KOA website titled “Leftist Hate Group Attacks Gunny” that labeled the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) a “leftist, anti-America, anti-Iraqi-freedom ... anti-US military hate group.” The organization, founded by Quakers to pursue “service, development, social justice, and peace programs,” on May 11 had issued a press release condemning Newman's remarks and calling for him to be taken off the air. In the same web posting and a related one, Newman stated that the organization sent him an “ugly hate-speech email” in which it “chastised the Gunny's deep-seated desire to prevent Muslim terrorists from killing more Americans.” The postings have since been removed from KOA's website.

The May 16 notice was the first public statement KOA has issued regarding Newman's remarks or the public and media response, which included statements of condemnation by the AFSC, the Mountain States chapter of the Anti-Defamation League, and the Colorado chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. The progressive organization ProgressNow launched a public action campaign to raise awareness of Newman's remarks among advertisers. As of May 17, three advertisers have asked to have their ads removed from Newman's show.

Newman, whose show airs from 7-10 p.m., did not mention during his May 16 broadcast the notice posted on his Web page that evening. In two interviews with The Denver Post, Kris Olinger, a Denver programming director for Clear Channel, defended Newman's remarks as “his opinion.” She stated in a May 17 Post article that Newman “has not been disciplined for his comments.” Olinger also was quoted in Post media columnist Dick Kreck's May 13 column as saying, “I think 'Gunny' was expressing an opinion, an extreme one, but his opinion. (Hosts) are paid to express opinions. That's the nature of what we do.”

From the Newsradio 850 KOA home page for “Gunny” Bob Newman, posted on May 16:

Newsradio 850 KOA understands that some of you may have been offended by remarks Gunny Bob made regarding Muslim immigrants to the United States. That was not the intention. 850 KOA believes in being fair and respectful while encouraging discussion and debate of complex issues.