Deejays Admit to KROQ Murder Confession Hoax

Two of the KROQ-FM deejays involved in a phony on-air murder confession admitted on the air Friday morning that they concocted the hoax and apologized to their listeners.

“We apologize,” said Kevin Ryder in a recorded message. “We didn’t think it was going to go this far.”

Ryder and Gene (Bean) Baxter stressed that management was not involved in the faked confession, which aired last June and involved deejay Doug Roberts. Ryder and Baxter promised never to pull another prank of this kind.

The pair, who have been placed on temporary suspension, acknowledged they made a series of “very serious mistakes” beginning with masterminding the hoax and then, later, with their failure to step forward to explain the truth.

KROQ General Manager Trip Reeb also issued a brief apology.

The Federal Communications Commission said Friday that it has received several complaints and is investigating the incident.

The apology does not affect the course of the investigation, said Mary Catherine Kilday, FCC assistant chief of enforcement, but would likely be taken into account if the commission decided to take action against the station.