Radio Host Makes a Practice of Baiting the Race Baiters

There are two ways of looking at KSDO-AM (1130) talk-show host John Krist’s regular Friday night segments: Either he is promoting Neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan’s mentality of racial hatred, or he is exposing them as stupid and dangerous.

As part of a regular segment, aired every Friday night since March, Krist has been reading letters from supremacists whom he refers to as the “Fallbrook Television Repair Morons,” a reference to one of their well-publicized leaders, Fallbrook television repairman Tom Metzger.

Given the content of the letters, the segment will never be described as a battle of wits. The writers usually spout off in the same frightening style that has characterized the Klan for 100 years, the all-too-well-known “white power” rants that seem a cruel anachronism in these supposedly enlightened times.

Krist usually gets five to seven such letters a week. He reads them as part of his “Poison Pen Postals” segment, and then ridicules them.

“Is it better to ignore them or make fun of them?” Krist asks.

Obviously the writers don’t mind Krist’s comments. The letters keep coming. Clearly, they like the exposure.

“If I was ever really helping them, then I would certainly not do it,” Krist said.

Apparently, the white supremacists don’t always get his jokes, he said.

“It’s kind of scary,” Krist says. “In a way, the rest of the listeners can get an idea of what kind of imbeciles we’re dealing with here.

“For the people who do understand, I’m putting the spotlight on the stupidity of the White Aryan Resistance.”

Krist also includes comments from a character named Buckeroo, described as Fallbrook’s Favorite Scotsman, who writes his own poems mocking racism.

For the past few weeks, Krist has stopped reading the letters, in deference to the bombings in the South, which have been linked to white supremacists.

“I felt it was the sensitive thing to do, if you will” he said.

The fate of KUSI-TV’s station manager, William Moore, apparently will be decided after a review of the station’s operation, according to statements made at a Thursday press conference by Ted Vallas, who has replaced Channel 51’s Michael McKinnon as station president.

Moore, who is rumored to be on his way out, is a longtime compatriot of McKinnon, whose consulting contract with the station expired Sunday. It hasn’t been renewed.

Meanwhile, McKinnon and representatives of financially troubled United States International University, which owns 74% of the station to McKinnon’s 26%, continue to squabble over the station’s future.

Both sides say they have offered to buy the other’s share, and both say the other’s offers are unreasonable. The station still owes McKinnon $6.2 million in start-up money. McKinnon also owns most of the station’s equipment. He recently filed suit against the station, asking return of the equipment and damages. Last Thursday, the station filed a reply, charging McKinnon with, among other things, unfairly negotiating for personal gain.

Vallas, who has been meeting with station department heads recently, said the university has offered McKinnon $10 million for his share, minus the debt. McKinnon said Thursday he has received no written offers.

McKinnon, who has the right to match any offer for the university’s shares, has offered $13 million for the 74%, Vallas said. In addition, McKinnon said he would pick up the $6.2 million in debt. The offer was refused.

Vallas said the station has been appraised at $46 million, and its cash flow is about $3 million a year. McKinnon said both figures are too high. Generally, the value of a station is placed at eight to 10 times its cash flow.

Vallas, owner of a small airline company and three North County country clubs, said the appraisal was high because of the station’s potential.

Vallas says McKinnon blocked attempts by the university to arrange financing, secured by their shares in the TV company, to repay McKinnon. The university can’t put up its shares for collateral without the 81% approval of the shareholders.

“My question is: What is their business plan?” McKinnon asked. “What are their long-range goals? What are they going to do with the station?”

Both sides accuse the other of shirking its responsibilities to the station.

“He has reason for personal gain, we have nothing to gain,” Vallas said.

The station’s board of directors is scheduled to meet Tuesday night.

The university has never been involved in the operations of the station, which was under McKinnon’s control. Thursday Vallas said the only decision the university ever blocked was a move several years ago to do nightly newscasts.

As the latest ratings foretold, Channel 39 has put “Geraldo” on hiatus, which means people will have to look elsewhere for discussions about transvestites who ski and the dangers of mud wrestling. Starting today, “Geraldo” will be replaced in the 4-5 p.m. slot by “Inside Report” and “Hard Copy.” Putting a program on hiatus is a cute way for the station to say that it still owns rights to the show, but would rather air something that people might watch.

XTRA-FM’s (91X) Russ T. Nailz has taped another segment of “Evening at the Improv,” his third appearance on the syndicated show. . . .

KCBQ-FM (105.3) is organizing a reunion of the station’s on-air personalities from the last 30 years. Already confirmed are Dean Goss, Shotgun Tom Kelly, Rich Brother Robin, Gary Kelly and Ralph James, who went on the air with KCBQ in 1955. The jocks will gather Feb. 14 to wade through the nostalgia, broadcasting from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. . . .

A new edition of the “Festival of Animation” is screening at the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, Friday through Monday, through March. This year’s lineup includes films by John Lasseter (“Pixar”), Tim Burton (“Batman”) and Bill Plympton (“25 Ways to Quit Smoking”). . . .

The San Diego-based Noble Broadcast Group, owners of XTRA, has appointed Howard Freedman as vice president of programming, to “oversee all programming, promotion and research activities.” He has served as marketing and research director for Noble for the past year. . . .

Barry Paris, author of a recent biography of silent-screen star Louise Brooks, will lecture after a Wednesday screening of Brooks’ “Prix De Beaute,” at the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art. The screening is at 7:30 p.m. . . .

This month’s edition of KNSD-TV’s (Channel 39) “Third Thursday,” scheduled Thursday at 6:30 p.m., will focus on AIDS, “Facts, Fears and the Future.”

Can’t wait to read the cover expose in the current issue of “San Diego Woman,” provocatively titled, “What’s wrong with San Diego hair.” . . .