DJs Suspended for Playing Dixie Chicks
.c The Associated Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - Country station KKCS has suspended two disc jockeys for playing the Dixie Chicks, violating a ban imposed after the group criticized President Bush.
Lead singer Natalie Maines told a British newspaper she was ``ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas.''
``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.''
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. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <../attachments/20030506/7845a93b/attachment.htm>