850 KOA says host "Gunny" Bob Newman's bigoted remarks regarding Muslims did not intend to offend

Colorado Media Matters calls on KOA to take responsibility for content broadcast on its station

May 17, 2007 (Denver) -- Newsradio 850 KOA late Wednesday responded to intense public criticism of host "Gunny" Bob Newman's on-air call to eliminate some basic civil rights for Muslim immigrants by claiming that Newman did not intend to offend anyone with his comments.

In a posting on Newman's home page at 9:40 p.m. Mountain time on May 16, KOA stated: "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."

"This statement, posted on Newman's Web page late at night, appears to be an unfortunate, backhanded attempt at an apology rather than any real gesture of public goodwill by KOA and its owner, Clear Channel Communications," said Bill Menezes, editorial director of Colorado Media Matters. "Newman himself has yet to explain why he believes it's appropriate to call for the persecution of a particular religion, and Clear Channel's only public statements on this matter have defended Newman without any discussion of how his remarks constitute reasonable, respectful use of the public airwaves. KOA and Clear Channel need to take responsibility for Newman's remarks."

On his May 8 show, Newman called for a law requiring Muslim immigrants -- including naturalized citizens -- to wear GPS tracking bracelets and said the U.S. government should "bug their places of work and their residences" and monitor "[a]ll mosques and community centers."

KOA posted the statement after a number of groups -- including the Mountain States chapter of the Anti-Defamation League, the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado and the American Friends Service Committee -- condemned Newman's remarks. The statement also followed the decision by at least three of KOA advertisers to pull their ads from Newman's show, after the group ProgressNow Action launched a public advocacy campaign.

As Colorado Media Matters has documented, Newman has a long history of making bigoted or offensive remarks on his show.

More from Colorado Media Matters on "Gunny" Bob Newman:

"Gunny" Bob labeled Quaker organization "hate group" for criticizing his anti-Muslim comments

http://colorado.mediamatters.org/items/200705150005

May 11, 2007

Addressing public reaction to anti-Muslim comments he made on his May 8 show, Newman in a website posting labeled a Quaker organization that criticized his remarks a "hate group." Further, on his May 11 broadcast, Newman called people who might protest at his book signings "holier-than-thou, politically correct, anti-First Amendment, namby-pamby fools."

"Call me kooky": "Gunny" Bob called for all Muslim immigrants to wear "GPS tracking bracelet[s]," urged government monitoring

http://colorado.mediamatters.org/items/200705090001

May 8, 2007

Discussing the breakup of an alleged terrorist plot to attack U.S. soldiers at New Jersey's Fort Dix, Newman said on his May 8 show 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," and that the government should "bug their places of work and their residences" and monitor "[a]ll mosques and community centers." Newman added, "If they don't like the idea, or if they refuse, throw their asses out of this country."

"Gunny" Bob: "[A]borting such horrible people" as Murtha, Pelosi, and Cindy Sheehan "would be OK"

http://colorado.mediamatters.org/items/200704120005

April 11, 2007

On his April 11 broadcast, Newman claimed that the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade granted "a woman's right to kill her child whenever she wished, so long as it wasn't born yet." Newman then said that while he found the idea of abortion "obscene," it "would be OK" to abort "horrible people" such as TV personality Rosie O'Donnell, U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan.

"Gunny" Bob: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson "favors an open border because he is Hispanic"

http://colorado.mediamatters.org/items/200702070002

February 6, 2007

During a February 6 rant about several 2008 Democratic presidential hopefuls, Newman claimed that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson "remains in favor of amnesty for illegal aliens and favors an open border because he is Hispanic."

"Gunny" Bob said "brownshirt tactics" of pro-Amendment 44 protesters reminded him of "Ku Klux Klan," "Nazi Germany and Hitler's rise to power"

http://colorado.mediamatters.org/items/200610300002

October 27, 2006

Newman said protesters' tactics at an anti-Amendment 44 news conference reminded him of the "Ku Klux Klan" and "Nazi Germany."

"Gunny" Bob: Cynthia McKinney is a "psychotic, hate-mongering, racist, scum-sucking pig wench"

http://colorado.mediamatters.org/items/200608090001

August 8, 2006

Newman called U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney, whom he referred to as Cynthia Lieberman, a "psychotic, hate-mongering, racist, scum-sucking pig wench," adding, "[T]hank God, she's done. You talk about a loose cannon."

"Gunny" Bob proposed putting illegal immigrants "on our state chain gang"; opposed "hang[ing] them" because it would be "barbaric"

http://colorado.mediamatters.org/items/200608020002

August 1, 2006

Newman suggested that arrested illegal immigrants be put to work "on our state chain gang," claiming: "It sounds extreme, but it could be a lot more extreme, now couldn't it?" He raised the idea of making entering the country illegally a "capital offense" punishable by hanging but said that would be "barbaric," adding, "[a]nd I'm not for that."

In discussion of Indiana sniper attacks, "Gunny" Bob stated: "Dearborn has the largest Lebanese-American population in the country. And fortunately ... our FBI is working very hard in Dearborn, if you get my drift"

http://colorado.mediamatters.org/items/200607260003

July 24, 2006

When a caller suggested that law-enforcement authorities should "go to Dearborn," Michigan, because of the July 24 sniper attacks in Indiana, Newman replied: "Yeah, Dearborn has the largest Lebanese-American population in the country. And fortunately ... our FBI is working very hard in Dearborn, if you get my drift."