Dan Gross: 'YSP host, program exec fired over racist song

94 WYSP morning host

Kidd Chris

was fired yesterday over a racist song performed by an in-studio guest in March and aired several more times that month.

WYSP program director John Cook also has lost his job over the internal fallout from the song "Schwoogies," sung to the tune of Blondie's "Call Me," performed on March 21 by Lady Gash.

The song includes the slurs "monkeys, shines, knuckle draggers and Sambos," and says that "coloreds" will "steal your wallets" and "try to jack my car."

"We found the song to be highly offensive and completely inappropriate for broadcast on our airwaves," CBS Radio spokeswoman Karen Mateo told us yesterday. "When senior management of the station learned that it had been played, they took immediate steps to prevent it from ever appearing on the station again.

"At the same time, we launched an extensive internal investigation into the situation including a thorough review of the editorial controls and systems we have in place to prevent this type of content from airing. We instituted additional educational training for the station, and have taken appropriate disciplinary action, including termination of the individuals involved."

Mateo declined to comment on whether Kidd Chris would be paid out the life of his contract, about three more years.

By mid-afternoon yesterday, all references to Kidd Chris had been removed from 94wysp.com.

The song also was captured by listeners and put on Web sites, as well as on a clip appearing on YouTube. It was also linked on Lady Gash's MySpace page. The clip also was yanked from YouTube. Before the clips disappeared, a Daily News reader transcribed the lyrics, which may be offensive to many of our readers, to the best of his ability. (The transcript can be read on this post of www.phillygossip.com.)

Kidd Chris did not return several calls or text messages from us yesterday, and his agent, Bob Eatman, did not return our message. Chris was to celebrate his birthday last night with a big bash at Whiskey Tango (Philmont & Bustleton) at which porn actress Mary Carey was expected to attend. The party was canceled yesterday morning.

The radio host started working the morning slot on 'YSP in November. He was off for a month as the station sought to re-brand itself following a mass firing of most on-air staff. Chris, whose real name is Chris Foley, started at the station in fall 2005 in an evening slot, soon replaced with an 3 to 7 p.m. assignment. He had previously worked at radio stations in San Antonio, Sacramento, Wichita and Syracuse. *

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