Radio Host Suspended and Then Quits Over Roanoke TV Shooting Comments
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A radio show host was suspended after he claimed that the on air killing of a WDBJ news crew was a fake.
The nut job.....errrrrrrr.... radio host has now quit his job and still stands by his story.
Rick Kennedy — who goes by the on-air name Rick Masters said shooting deaths of two Virginia journalists were a hoax.
In follow-up Kennedy said he stands by his comments made on the Sunday morning call-in show “Cracker Barrel” and that his suspension was unfair and he has quit the station.
On Friday, he told the News-Leader he still believes the shooting was faked.
“There is no question in my mind it’s a hoax,” said Kennedy, who worked part time at the station.
As for why any group would pull such a hoax, Kennedy said, “Why? Who knows? Probably to create more conversation about gun laws. You know Sandy Hook was the granddaddy of that stuff.”
Kennedy also believes the Sandy Hook school shooting was a conspiracy, he said
Kennedy had worked as a telephone screener on the Sunday morning call-in show “Cracker Barrel,” which airs on KTTS FM, KSGF FM and KSGF AM. The show’s host, Joe Rios, was also suspended. The stations are owned by the E.W. Scripps Company.
Stations manager Rex Hansen on Thursday confirmed that Kennedy had quit. Hansen declined to comment further.
Kennedy and Rios said on air their suspicions about the event were spurred by videos that had been posted on the Internet. Kennedy said he believed the shooting was a hoax and that others should decide for themselves.
The E.W. Scripps Company issued an apology for the segment, and both Kennedy and Rios were suspended.
The comments they made about the slayings were “not factual, disrespectful and downright wrong,” Hansen said.
“Are we living in such a rank and file culture of political correctness that radio hosts on call-in talk shows are not allowed to give their opinions?” Kennedy said in the 1,016-word post describing his reasons for quitting.
