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KFYI/Phoenix Fill-In's Comments Draw Complaint From AZ Attorney General
April 10, 2006 at 6:01 AM (PT)
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The comments by CLEAR CHANNEL Talk KFYI-A/PHOENIX fill-in host BRIAN JAMES that prompted protests from advocates for immigrant rights have drawn a letter of complaint to the FCC by ARIZONA Attorney General TERRY GODDARD and U.S. Attorney PAUL CHARLTON.
GODDARD and CHARLTON's letter to FCC Chairman KEVIN MARTIN urges the Commission to take action against KFYI and says that "at no time during this hour did Mr. JAMES disavow violence or indicate he was joking. This type of threatening and inciting speech is dangerous and totally irresponsible for anyone, particularly a licensed body using public airways. We are deeply concerned that, given the intensifying conflict over immigration in ARIZONA, this speech may lead to violence. Tempers are short on both sides, and the situation is highly volatile."
As previously reported in ALL ACCESS' NET NEWS, JAMES suggested on a MARCH 8 show that as a solution to the problem of illegal immigration, "what we'll do is randomly pick one night every week where we will kill whoever crosses the border. Step over there and you die. You get to decide whether it's your lucky night or not. I think that would be more fun."
PD LAURIE CANTILLO told AP that "(JAMES') comments were made in a satirical manner and the listeners who heard the full broadcast understand that. We were having a serious discussion about the immigration issue and it was solution-driven." Noting that JAMES said later in the show that he does not advocate shooting immigrants, CANTILLO said "I did not receive a single listener complaint. We want to know why this has become an issue a month later."
CANTILLO charged that the ARIZONA INTERFAITH NETWORK, a group that last week protested JAMES' comments at the ARIZONA state capitol, "merely wants to drum up response for their pro-immigration march on MONDAY. They say they want calm, but the release of this is doing the opposite - it's polarizing the community."

