Talk Show Off-Air Over Whitney Houston

The John and Ken Show, the most popular radio talk show in Los Angeles, was suspended by radio station KFI-AM (640) for offensive on-air comments made about Whitney Houston.

"John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou have been suspended for making insensitive and inappropriate comments about the late Whitney Houston," KFI stated days ago. "Management does not condone, support or tolerate statements of this kind."

The most inflammatory remarks aired LIVE on the John & Ken Show regarding Whitney Houston were:

"She's been cracked-out for 20 years, and we heard how obnoxious she was these parties.  I mean, she's doing handstands.  She's babbling like an idiot, running around.  She's a mess.  She's been doing this for 20 years.  So, how much of a pain in the ass do you think she was?  Can you imagine, you're Clive Davis, and she has not been --- she has not had her head screwed-on right for 20 years?  At some point you're just sick of it all, and so is everybody else in the industry, all her friends and hangers on, everybody who knew had to deal with her.  It's like, 'Ahh, Jesus, here comes the crack-ho again, what's she gonna do?  Oh, look at that, she's doing handstands next to the pool. Very good, crack-ho. Nice.'  After a while, everybody's exhausted and then you find out she's dead.  It's like, 'Really?  Took this long?'" 

The John and Ken Show is the most listened to local talk radio program in America, with a daily audience of 1.2 million listeners in Southern California.

Co-host John Kobylt said, "We made a mistake and we accept the station's decision. We used language that was inappropriate and we sincerely apologize to our listeners and to the family of Ms. Houston."

Critics say that The John and Ken Show suspension is not about remorse but, rather, a PR stunt to further boost a conservative radio talk show that has built its audience on shock and controversy since 1992.

Radio station KFI and its parent company Clear Channel both get to look like 'good guys' by temporarily suspending The John and Ken Show for remarks about the late Whitney Houston, which not only offended the Houston family and African-Americans, but offended people in general. 

Criticizing and poking fun at dead celebrities who have not yet been buried (while family, friends and fans worldwide are in mourning) cannot possibly be attractive to radio advertisers, most agree.

The John and Ken Show suspension ended today, Monday, when John and Ken returned to a bigger radio audience than before.  That's show biz.

What shocking things will John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou say next? 

Probably not anything worse than shows like MADtv said about Whitney Houston --- over and over --- for years as they mocked the singer's personal issues before black audiences for laughs and ratings.

Watch the following video and decide if there is enough offense to match any hypocritical finger-pointing.