SAN DIEGO COUNTY : Acerbic Murphy Fired From Q106 A.M. Team

Jack Murphy, half of the acerbic KKLQ (Q106) morning team of Murphy and McKeever, was fired from the show Thursday after what he described as a long-running series of disagreements with management.

Program Director Garry Wall said Murphy, who is still under contract, was taken off the air for “philosophical differences.”

Murphy said his relationship with the station, in particular Wall, had been strained for several months.

When he signed a three-year contract in 1987, after leaving a job with a highly rated station in New York City, Murphy said he was told his contract would be renegotiated after a year and a new production booth would be built at the station. Murphy said the promises were never kept, even though he often reminded management of them.

“It became apparent that we were not going to reach a mutual decision to stay together,” Wall said. “We decided to face that and be honest. The relationship was not positive at that point on the air.”

There were no specific on-air instances leading to the dismissal, said Wall, who will replace Murphy on the air, at least temporarily.

Murphy will be paid for the remaining time on his contract, which runs until March, and he is technically still employed by the station, but his days on the air are definitely over, Wall said.

Murphy was on the air Monday but called in sick Tuesday and Wednesday. He was planning to come in Thursday but instead was told by management to attend a lunch meeting. At the meeting with General Manager Bob Bolinger and Wall, Murphy was told he was being taken off the air.

“They decided I was faking,” Murphy said. “They called me a liar and told me I was trying to sabotage the station.”

Wall said Murphy’s illness had nothing to do with the station’s decision.

With a mix of skits, outlandish pranks and teen-oriented dance music, Murphy and partner Terry McKeever became one of San Diego’s top-rated morning teams shortly after hitting the airwaves in March, 1987. They were known as much for their ability to generate controversy as for their ratings prowess. Frequent targets were the “dummies in the news,” in particular Mayor Maureen O’Connor, Steve Garvey and local television celebrities.

Along with McKeever, Murphy was the most visible representative of the station, willing to do just about any type of stunt to attract attention. Last year they had themselves dipped in chocolate and covered with sprinkles for a charity event.

Under the terms of his contract, Murphy won’t be able to negotiate for another job before his contract expires without the station’s permission. There is also a clause that says he can’t go to a competing station for a year after the end of the contract.

“I am just going to try to relax and enjoy this vacation,” Murphy said. “I feel sorry, No. 1 because I’ve been denied the opportunity to thank the people who listen to us, and to say goodby.”