KFYI Right-Wing Radio Host Advocates Murdering Border Crossers

PHOENIX (AP) April 8, 2006 — An Arizona talk show host who suggested killing border crossers may have intensified racial tensions in the state, two officials wrote in a letter sent Friday to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin.

Brian James, a fill-in talk show host with Phoenix AM radio station KFYI, suggested on the air last month that a solution to the immigration problem in Arizona would be to kill illegal immigrants as they cross the border.

‘‘What we'll do is randomly pick one night every week where we will kill whoever crosses the border,'' James said in the March 8 broadcast. ‘‘Step over there and you die. You get to decide whether it's your lucky night or not. I think that would be more fun.''

He said he would be ‘‘happy to sit there with my high-powered rifle and my night scope'' and kill people as the cross the border. He also suggested that the National Guard shoot illegal immigrants and receive ‘‘$100 a head.''

In a letter to Martin, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard and U.S. Attorney Paul Charlton called the remarks irresponsible and dangerous.

‘‘At no time during this hour did Mr. James disavow violence or indicate he was joking,'' the letter said. ‘‘This type of threatening and inciting speech is dangerous and totally irresponsible for anyone, particularly a licensed body using public airways. We are deeply concerned that, given the intensifying conflict over immigration in Arizona, this speech may lead to violence. Tempers are short on both sides, and the situation is highly volatile.''

Goddard and Charlton urged Martin to consider sanctions against KFYI for what they say was an abuse of public airwaves.

A spokesman with the FCC said he was not yet aware of the letter.

James did not return calls for comment by late Friday.

James has been a talk show host in Tampa and Salt Lake City. He is a fill-in host at KFYI and has been on air there twice, said Laurie Cantillo, program manager at the radio station.

Cantillo did not say whether she was worried about the FCC possibly launching an investigation.

‘‘It's never happened to me,'' she said Friday. ‘‘But in this case, we're on solid ground. I would look forward to being able to tell KFYI's side of the story.''

Cantillo denied that James's comments were dangerous or irresponsible.

‘‘The comments were made in a satyrical manner and the listeners who heard the full broadcast understand that,'' she said. ‘‘We were having a serious discussion about the immigration issue and it was solution-driven.''

‘‘I did not receive a single listener complaint,'' Cantillo said. ‘‘We want to know why this has become an issue a month later.''