KIQO Responds Swiftly After Morning Show Bit Implodes

AMERICAN GENERAL MEDIA Classic Hits KIQO (Q104.5)/SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA took swift corrective action after a morning show bit went awry. Apparently, morning host ADAM MONTIEL did a bit with a guest who thought it would be funny to use an over-the-top radio commercial voice while reading the obituaries. The guest did so, using an obit from a local paper.

Unfortunately, a listener was driving through town when he heard an obit for his father, who passed away last week, used in the bit. He vented his feelings in FACEBOOK, which elicited a deluge of condemnations from other to the station.

The station promptly issued the following response via FACEBOOK and its website:

AMERICAN GENERAL MEDIA does not support or condone the actions of the morning show personalities that used very poor judgement on the air today. Please know we will be dealing with the issue in a strong and immediate way. We are very sorry to the family and community involved. There will be further personal, private, and appropriate public apologies in due time. Outreach to the family involved has already begun. Again, AMERICAN GENERAL MEDIA, Q104.5 and its employees are very sorry. It was in no way designed to create publicity. It was a very, very poor decision made on the fly, live on the air and it will be dealt with appropriately.

MONTIEL offered his remorse -- also through FACEBOOK. "While on the air yesterday, I made a horrible mistake which hurt and angered many good people," he wrote. "During impromptu banter on the subject of radio announcers and the way they read commercials in an 'over the top' way, I had a guest on my show who read the first few lines from an obituary chosen at random in the same 'over the top' voice we were just discussing. I understand I caused much pain in this spontaneity because it was a LOCAL obituary that was chosen at random.

"I take full responsibility for what happened on air. Although it was random and spontaneous, it was still hurtful and insensitive and I can only hope and pray that friends and relatives of the SMITH family will understand I'm not a monster and I am truly sorry for any and all pain that came from this.

"You would have heard from me sooner, but it was of primary importance I reached out to the family who was affected first, as well as respect the wishes of my employer to do just that, since it was I who got us all into this.

"I now recently spoke with JACK SMITH from the SMITH family and he was polite and gracious as I expressed my sincere apologies to him. We spoke of his concerns, and I understand 100% where he is coming from."

You can read the entire apology here.

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