HOT 97 SUSPENDS FORMER OPIE AND ANTHONY PRODUCER

From The New York Daily News:
The Miss Jones morning show on hip-hop radio station Hot-97 has been yanked off the air amid growing outrage over a twisted tsunami parody song even the boss called "indefensible."

Emmis Radio, which owns Hot-97 (WQHT), said yesterday Jones, whose real name is Tasha Nicole Jones, and her team have been "indefinitely suspended," an action critics called belated and insufficient.

"The people responsible need to be taken off the air permanently," said City Councilman John Liu (D-Queens). "And the company should face financial sanctions, so no one can profit from this kind of ugliness."

Liu and other critics plan a news conference and rally at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Hot-97's Hudson St. studios.

"The Tsunami Song," played several times last week, is a "We Are the World" parody that uses a crude racial term for Asians and whose lyrics mock the victims' agony.

"Emmis Radio and Hot-97 will not tolerate such derogatory and racially insensitive comment," said yesterday's Emmis statement. "The station has a longtime reputation for community involvement and support."

Emmis Radio President Rick Cummings called it "morally and socially indefensible. All involved, myself included, are ashamed and deeply sorry."

The suspended employees included Miss Jones, Miss Info, DJ Envy, Todd Lynn and producer Rick Delgado, former producer for Opie and Anthony.

Before the suspension, Miss Jones apologized on the air, saying, "Hopefully I can move forward being a better hostess."

Yesterday morning, Hot-97 had assistant program director E-Bro on the air taking listener calls, many saying Miss Jones should return. He played a new song by Jin, an Asian-American rapper, that starts, "Since when was hip-hop about being racist?"

Barry Mayo, senior vice president/general managaer of Emmis New York, said yesterday there is "no timetable" for deciding what happens from here.

"There are many factors we will be considering over the next period of time," said Mayo.