Radio Jocks Suspended For Playing Dixie Chicks

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- While the anti-Dixie Chicks backlash seems to have died down in most of the United States, one Colorado radio station is keeping the ban fires burning.

Country station KKCS, in Colorado Springs, has suspended two of its disc jockeys for putting the Chicks back on the air, in violation of a ban imposed after the group criticized President George W. Bush.

Lead singer Natalie Maines said during a March concert in London that she was "ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas."

The group, whose hits like "Sin Wagon" and a remake of "Landslide" have helped make them the top-selling female singing group in any music genre, has been the subject of boycotts, CD burnings and according to the group, death threats since Maines' comment was picked up in London newspapers.

"We pulled their music two months ago, and it's been a difficult decision because how can you ignore the hottest group in country music?" station manager Jerry Grant told The Gazette newspaper.

He said there's been discussion about whether to reinstate the music, but DJs Dave Moore and Jeff Singer became impatient and played some of the trio's songs Monday.

"They made it very clear that they support wholeheartedly the president of the United States. They support wholeheartedly the troops, the military," Grant said. "But they also support the right of free speech."

Grant said the disc jockeys will only be out a couple of days.

"I gave them an alternative: Stop it now and they'll be on suspension, or they can continue playing them and when they come out of the studio they won't have a job."

Grant said the station plans to play the group's music again ... eventually. "Most stations are starting to play them again anyhow -- a song here, a song there," he said. "I just have a problem with the way this was done."

The Dixie Chicks recently played sold-out concerts in South Carolina and Florida. In both states, fans failed to boo the group as some had expected.