KNX Shows ‘Military Expert’ the Door : Radio: The CBS station fires Andy Lightbody following a Los Angeles Times story questioning his credentials.

KNX radio has “severed relations” with Andy Lightbody, the all-news station’s military and aerospace editor, following a Los Angeles Times profile that raised questions about his credentials. Station news director Robert Sims said he was “concerned” by the issues raised in The Times story but declined further comment.

Lightbody, reached Tuesday at his home in Irvine, said he had no comment.

The announcement that Lightbody was dropped came in a one-sentence electronic message issued by Sims to KNX editors on April 2, the day after The Times article appeared.

At various times, Lightbody has claimed to be a graduate of Loyola University, a former Air Force officer and--in a sworn statement during a 1988 Workers Compensation hearing--an ex-fighter pilot.

But records show that Lightbody did not graduate from Loyola (he has two degrees from the now-defunct, never-accredited University of Beverly Hills), never was an Air Force officer, and his highest flight certification is student pilot.

In a written statement before The Times profile was published, Lightbody said, “the excellent relationship I have with the defense and high-technology industries, as well as the military, was never based upon where I went to school or military background.”

Likewise, in a statement that followed the article, he said he has “logged hundreds of hours of flight time” and that his “ability to ‘fly and fly-in’ a host of military aircraft is well known. My decision not to seek various flight ratings is strictly a personal one. It has never been the subject of question with the military in my covering subjects related to high performance aircraft.”

While Lightbody was reporting on defense, aerospace and high technology issues for KNX, which is owned and operated by CBS, he also was reporting for Fox Channel 11 and the Financial News Network on cable.

A spokesman for the CBS Radio Stations News Service in Washington, which had been distributing Lightbody’s reports to other network-owned affiliates and had been discussing a syndicated, high-technology program, declined to comment on Lightbody’s status.

Dick Tuininga, news director for Fox Channel 11 where Lightbody had been a contract employee until March 31 serving as a military analyst, would not say whether Lightbody’s contract has been renewed. He did say, though, that “currently, we do not have anything on the burner for him.” In the future, “we would use him as the need arises,” Tuininga said.

Lightbody also was averaging $10,000 a month in speakers fees, mostly from defense contractors, according to his agent, Lilly Walters of Pasadena.

However, in a subsequent letter to The Times, Lightbody said the $10,000 figure was “a misrepresentation,” adding, “I only wish my talents would be in such demand.” Lightbody said his speaking engagements go “far beyond” the defense community. “I regularly address everyone from civic groups to international corporations and associations. Many have not relation to the ‘military’ at all,” he said.

Lightbody also is North American editor of the Geneva-based Aerospace World magazine.