No It’s Not Over: Radio DJs Suspended for Playing Dixie Chicks

With their concert tour off to a rousing start a few days ago, it appeared the Dixie Chicks’ nightmare was about over. But no, the controversy just won’t go gently into that goodnight: two DJ’s were suspended from country station KKCS in Colorado Springs for playing the Chicks:

“We pulled their music two months ago, and it’s been a difficult decision because how can you ignore the hottest group in country music,” station manager Jerry Grant said.

He said there has been discussion about whether to reinstate the music, but the DJs, Dave Moore and Jeff Singer, became impatient.

“They made it very clear that they support wholeheartedly the president of the United States. They support wholeheartedly the troops, the military. But they also support the right of free speech,” Grant said.

The station has received a couple of hundred calls and 75 percent favored playing the music.

Grand said Moore and Singer will be out for a couple of days.

“I gave them an alternative: stop it now and they’ll be on suspension, or they can continue playing them and when they come out of the studio they won’t have a job.” [AP]

It is somehow appropriate of this whole affair that the suspension isn’t really about the Chicks, but about power at the station:

The station plans to play the group’s music again eventually. “Most stations are starting to play them again anyhow a song here, a song there. I just have a problem with the way this was done. We would have put them in anyhow. But we’d like to do it on our terms,” he said.

He means “his” terms – are all station managers douchebags? Should there have been an outright ban in the first place? I’ve said all along I thought the statements were pretty stupid and thoughtless, but why is it the place of a radio station to ban someone for making a political statement anyway? Isn’t this grandstanding equal to, or worse than the original statement? I am pleased – and I am sure the station is relieved – that the response was 75% positive. At least the fans are over it.