STIGALL EXPLODES AT MAYOR; MAY CANCEL WEEKLY SEGMENT
It had always been an odd marriage. KCMO-710 AM Morning talker Chris Stigall, a conservative, and Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser, an uber- liberal on virtually all issues, doing a weekly radio segment. Shortly after Funkhouser took office in May 2007 Stigall had him on his show. The interview went well and Stigall mentioned it would be great if "Funk" could come on every week. To his surprise, Funkhouser agreed and a segment "Fridays With Funk" was born. Although the two often had differing political views, Stigall sided with the candid mayor on a number of issues even when the "mainstream" media seemed to have turned on him. KMBC's DeAnn Smith noted that Stigall even emceed the Mayor's Christmas Tree lighting ceremony last year. KC Star columnist Mike Hendricks and criticized the Mayor's selection of Stigall. In 2007, Funkhouser appointed Frances Semler to the Park Board. When it was found that Semler was a member of the "Minuteman" group opposed to illegal immigration, activist groups and the media demanded he immediately fire her. Funkhouser refused and one of his biggest allies was Stigall although Semler eventually resigned. Fast-forward to last Friday (5/28) when Funkhouser came on the show. It was obvious from the onset that Stigall was irritated that the Mayor had joined the KCMO City Council on a 13-0 vote to oppose a controversial new immigration law recently enacted in Arizona. The Mayor gave a rambling response why he voted for the measure, saying it was a difficult vote, that he was supporting many big city police chiefs who have come out against the measure and that he had spoken to a man who married a Mexican woman and had immigration issues. When Stigall asked the Mayor if he had actually read the Arizona law and he replied he had not, that seemed to push Stigall over the edge. "I am disgusted with you," said Stigall. "You are the closest thing to a sensible leader this city has seen in awhile�The Arizona law is none of your business�you didn�t have to take it or weigh in on this issue. "You buckled to a bunch of activist freaks�I am embarrassed." Stigall then said he was going to put their segment on hold and let the folks vote on whether or not to continue with "Fridays with Funk." The voting as of June 9th was basically the same as it has since Memorial Day at 77% to 23% to repeal "Fridays With Funkhouser." Stigall said (6/1) that UMKC Law Professor Kris Kobach (and current candidate for Kansas Secretary of State) will be the substitute host for him on this Friday's show and there will be no "Fridays With Funk." Ironically, Funk might be a great guest since it was Kobach who helped write the controversial Arizona law.
06-02-2010 THIN SKINS... "We all know talk show people have the thinnest skin of anyone.Always going for publicity, they shill for whoever they're told by their bosses to shill for.Sadly KC isn't a respected market.We have small market talk radio people.I think our time is better spent watching cable news talkers, on FAUX News and for balance, MSNBC who keeps the right wingers honest. "Stigall's a moron with lousy ratings.KMBZ's talkers have better ratings, but all of them are journalism degreed types who know nothing about the society on which they comment--what they don't read on Drudge Report." ---Radiomankc.
06-01-2010 STIGALL RESPONDS...
"You know the funniest thing about all of this? Funkhouser is hated by the ankle-biters that blog, and write to you as much as they hate me. "You want to talk about a rock in a hard place! What do you do when you you've spent three years attacking Funhouser and me, only to find one of us disagrees with the other. You've got to pick a side in this fight! It's gonna hurt their "street cred" either way they go. "It's hard to be a liberal these days."
DOUBT FUNKHOUSER WORRIED "I doubt Funkhouser is worried about having the Friday w/ Funk segment canceled. It did a lot more for Stigall than it did for Funk." --Pat Carlson
KRIS KOBACH? "How does 710 KCMO allow a filed candidate for public office host a show? I know we don't have a fairness doctrine, but how in the hell does the station management allow it?"
05-31-2010
STIGALL ACTED LIKE CHILD "I listened to the segment online. From what I heard it seemed to me that Stigall acted like a spoiled, obnoxious child. But, Stigall had a history of acting like this to guest that don't agree with him. Even worse, he ducks people who can hold their own in a debate so not to make himself look bad. "Did I like the vote by the KCMO council? NO. But, unlike Stigall I would of showed some respect for the man and had a calm conversation. "Stoically needs to be careful. Segments like this can get hosts fired. It's been widely known that his show is not highly rated. He doesn't have the ratings of Shanin & Parks or Darla Jaye. 710 could fire him tomorrow and get another host that could easily bring in the numbers he's pulling at KCMO. And since he has made a point to try to convince people that he's more conservative thean the 980 guys, my guess is he wouldn't be welcome at KMBZ if 710 did let him go. Meaning he would join Tom Becka in being the king of Omaha radio."
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