Long-standing radio personality Ronnie Kaye revealed his termination from Oklahoma City’s 92.5 KOMA via a Facebook post on Sunday. The 84-year-old, who has spent more than 60 years on the air, stated that he was let go for a comment made during his show on Monday, October 9.
The Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame inductee posted, “To all the listeners who have supported me on radio through the years I regret to tell you that my career has been terminated over a comment I made on October 9 Columbus Day which is also Indigenous Day. I had no intentions of offending the Native American heritage. Some of my best friends are Native American. I would have preferred to do this on air but I wasn’t given the opportunity to do so. Thank you listeners. Mr Rock and Roll”
Despite being initially told by station management to proceed with a planned vacation, Kaye told The Oklahoman he was later called back in. During the ensuing meeting, he was informed that his relationship with the station had come to an end. He also claimed that the station had received one complaint about his comment, although his Facebook post has become a lightning rod for comments from both sides.
As of the weekend, his listing as a “radio personality” had been removed from the KOMA website. Tyler Media, the local management company for the radio station, has yet to comment on the situation.
Kaye initially started his career in broadcasting in high school and eventually had a 19-year stint with WKY in Oklahoma City. Kaye also hosted The Scene, a popular dance show from 1966 to 1974, featuring artists like Ray Charles, Neil Diamond, and Smokey Robinson.
Not good. Will not listen to KOMA again. I am intolerant, too…
The Lord would have me say,
In the world there are winners and losers in every situation but to know victory, one must win but in Christ, one learns to find victory in every situation, no matter what the outcome.
Because Ronnie knows Christ, through it all, he will know victory.
Something to think about.
You might remember even JESUS was able to speak to his accusers before He was crucified.
If Ronnie knows Christ, why did he say something disrespectful about fellow human beings? Not very “Christlike” wouldn’t you say? Did he say he was not able to speak to his employer before he was fired? He made comments on social media concerning the situation and he had a chance to make a proper apology then, but he didn’t.
What we “call” Indigenous people. Are not the original inhabitants of North American. The Clovis people are the Indigenous people. They were replaced/conquered/had their land taken by migrants from Asia, through the land corridor during the Ice Age.
So he was right, when he said he doesn’t know who the Indigenous people are. Another head taken by the karen mob.
The Bering Strait has been debunked. Even if he doesn’t know what “indigenous” means, that is not the issue. The issue is his comment “and I don’t care”. But go ahead be silly and try to twist things around.
Hopefully, the station will give a young person of native descent the opportunity to spend 40 years talking and getting a check.
Everybody in this world we live in has turned into a bunch of crybabies. A man gets.fited.over this. Cmon. I have Cherokee Indian and I’m not offended. We have children who are being taught to accept the homosexual lifestyle and this is what you get your panties in a bunch over ..people need to get back to Jesus .
I don’t care how spry he may be, you don’t want an 84-year-old on your station. You also can’t pop an 84-year-old and not get sued for age discrimination. What he said was racist and deserved discipline…but if he wasn’t ancient, he probably doesn’t get fired. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
If you don’t like what someone says on the radio, you can TURN IT OFF! I’m sick of media personalities that have given a significant part of their time & lives to a station being taken off-air because a few “snowflakes” are offended. Get over it people! What’s happen to free speech? These station owners are cowards as the few continue to dictate to the masses what someone can say or not.
I started to cry when I read his terrifying comment. The pain he put his community through was and is awful. IF they can ever heal, they will never trust local radio again. I, and many other broadcasters, are praying for the native community. I wonder if this barbarian broadcaster could be arrested for his threatening speech? Possibly it would deter other broadcasters to avoid hate speech and literally ruining the lives of radio listeners. I am writing the FCC to suspend this stations license and force an immediate sale of the station.
so what did he say?
He said he didn’t know what the day was and that he didn’t care. And you find that terrifying? It just shows his ignorance, but it should not break someone.
There are some things more important than money!!!
There are some things More Important than Money!!!
I hope you are kidding. If not, you are probably the biggest snowflake I have ever seen. I am Native American and I could care less what an 84 year old radio personality says or thinks. You want him arrested?? You want the station to be forced to sell? I do not know anything about you but you and people with your mindset are why this country is a shell of what it used to be. Pathetic!
Over 1 complaint…… 1.
“It’s Columbus Day and Indigineous People Day. I don’t know what ‘Indigineous’ means and I don’t care.” “wht In
That’s what he said. What’s next? “I don’t know what MLK means and I don’t care?
What planet are you living on that station owners are gonna keep personalities like that on the air? What a low class comment. If you don’t know “what ‘Indigineous’ means THEN LOOK IT UP!!!
Maybe he’s an old school white guy that lives in the past if he’s not smart enough to understand that what he said was quite frankly ignorant and stupid. Unfortunately we live in an environment where people think it’s OK to do or say whatever they want to do or say expecting no ramifications. That’s not how it works and never will be how it works.
You will get fired as this guy got fired or you will go to jail if you decided to climb the walls of the Capitol building on January 6th expecting not to be charged with a crime.
He spoke, he got fired. Good riddance.
I can remember the good old days when radio was class and crass was left to a few personalities, yes, when crass was not a format.
Very well said!!! 👏👏👏 Thank You Sir!!! I wish People would stop wearing their Hate on their Sleeves. Grow Up and Keep your Emotions and Anti-Sociable behavior to Yourself!!! STOP throwing up all over Everybody else about it. We All have Problems, Likes and Dislikes. Learn to Live and “Let” Live In a Multicultural, Civilized Society!!!
Wish you would stop your obtuse hate.
Look at your fascist hate speech. People who didn’t agree with me must lose their job. CREEP.
A shameful a way to treat an local radio legend.
He gave them a life time of work & deserved respect They were obviously looking for a reason.. The world has become a bunch of insecure babies. So annoying..
Now who’s acting like a baby because someone that thinks like you lost their job for expressing it. You don’t know what Annoying is.
There are some things More Important than Money!!! You’re the One that’s acting like a baby because someone that Thinks and Speaks like you got fired for it. You Don’t know what Annoying Is!!!!
If his on-air comment was insensitive and unethical, I only wonder what more egregious errors ownership and- or management have gotten away with. Perhaps they should remove the log from their own eye, so they can see clearly to remove the speck from Mr. Kaye’s eye. SMH.
More specificity on the on air comment referenced would have been helpful.