It was 11 months ago that KSCO 1080 AM owner Michael Zwerling announced new rules for his Santa Cruz radio station. In an on-air editorial, he banned “toxic subjects”—namely “race-baiting” and allegations of anti-Jewish conspiracies or white genocide—and inciting violence.
Zwerling made the announcement in response to GT’s coverage of Georgia “Peach” Beardslee’s controversial twice-weekly broadcasts. But given what Beardslee’s been saying lately, it appears that either Zwerling’s ban was just talk, or he’s found his own station too difficult to police.
To open up the second hour of her Friday, Aug. 10 show, Beardslee called the burning of black churches in the 1960s “a hoax” and then referred to Hollywood as “a massive anti-white crucible.” She spewed made-up statistics about crime, claiming—without evidence—that there are 35,000 cases of “black-on-white rape” a year, while also suggesting the whites seldom rape black Americans.
Beardslee, who hosts on Wednesdays and Fridays at 2 p.m., proceeded to call both Oprah Winfrey and former President Barack Obama racists. “You are an ungrateful woman, Oprah,” Beardslee said. “When will these blacks—who became rich and famous in America, and could have never done it in any other country—have gratitude? Well, I’m not gonna hold my breath. Oprah, why aren’t you living in the hood with your soul brothers and sisters?”
And all of that was over the course of about five minutes.
Later in that same show, Beardslee lamented a “genocide” of whites with an angry caller sympathetic to her world view.
“My critics hear what they want to hear,” Beardslee tells GT via email. “They take what I say out of context and spin it to fit their narrative and what they think they hear. I will have plenty to say after I read what you write in the Good Times.”
On top of all that, Beardslee may have violated Zwerling’s rule about not inciting violence. Earlier this month, she called for then-FBI agent Peter Strzok to “be hung with the rest of the treasonous swamp rats” and additionally threatened Michael Folk, one of her critics, over the air, screaming, “You’d better watch yourself, buddy, and that’s a warning!” She’s repeatedly defended white nationalists who marched in Charlottesville, too.
It would appear from this hate speech that anything goes on KSCO, no matter how controversial.
Well, as long as it’s right-wing, anyway; Zwerling has recently fired two long-standing liberal hosts.
Billy “Sunshine” Gorson was fired from his unpaid gig when he called in to Zwerling’s Saturday morning show and referred to Beardslee as a “Nazi.”
Looking back, Gorson says what bothers him most is that Beardslee “gets to keep talking.”
“That’s troubling a bit,” says Gorson, who Zwerling had fired twice before. “I’m not going to let them inject that intolerance into our community. Racial purity talk only leads to death and destruction. If we hadn’t had the Holocaust, maybe this would be okay, but we should know better.”
Brad Kava, who also got fired recently, had told one of his guests that not only does the station owner support President Donald Trump, but “he probably loved Hitler, too.” Kava says it was a joke, but he doesn’t regret it given the context: Trump had just started his border separation policy and had begun putting refugee kids in cages.
Zwerling says that neither Kava nor Gorson is welcome to even call in to the station in the future.
Station manager Michael Olson says that both Gorson and Kava broke a longstanding rule against bad-mouthing colleagues—a rule that he says dates back several years to the days when KSCO had two hosts get into a fight in the parking lot after passive aggressively feuding over the air.
“It’s a very simple rule, and yet it’s a vital rule,” Olson says. “That was the rule Billy broke. What Brad said about the owner of the station—if you were a Jewish person, that would probably flabbergast you as well.”
Zwerling, Gorson and Kava are all Jewish.
When it comes to hate speech, Olson says he welcomes people to report portions of a show that are “out of bounds” on KSCO.com, as listeners sometimes do. But Olson contends that he’s never heard Beardslee cross the line. “What I’ve heard Georgia do is advocate for the white race,” he says.
Zwerling encouraged GT to submit a complaint online to KSCO about Beardslee. That way, Zwerling says, he can put “Georgia on trial with our entire KSCO audience” during his Saturday morning broadcast—almost like a game show. But why doesn’t Zwerling take a personal stand himself?
“I’m not gonna decide what’s hate speech,” Zwerling tells us. “I don’t think I’m that smart.”
Kava says he always liked the idea of trying to reach conservatives. But he and Gorson say they’re now hoping to land a spot on the local public radio station KSQD that’s launching soon.
“I’ve been fired for lots of jobs because I’m an asshole,” Gorson says. “This is my proudest firing yet. I always tell the boss what I think.”
Update — Sept. 11, 2018: The original version of this story misreported the date of a broadcast on KSCO.
I am so disgusted over Zwerling’s coddling of racism & bigotry. I really enjoy Rosie & Rick in the morning, but supporting the likes of that wench, Georgia, is not something I can do. Charlie is bad enough, but Georgia is an outright bigot. I am going to have to boycott the station until she is fired. It is disgusting that MZ allows it to happen. He’s as bad as his Mother was!
I am disgusted also, so that makes at least two of us. Georgia has a few paying sponsors and I agree that a boycott and phone calls are needed. She is toxic and frankly dangerous.
simple enough. . .time to start to contact their advertisers. That’s the only language they will understand.
Help me with a list:
–User Friendly Computers
–Ellas at the Airport
–Del Valle Gunsmith
–others?
Also why’d you get fired from your principal job? If we are digging let’s dig into you pal.
No doubt billy gorson cried to these liberal hacks like a bitch to get this written
Thank you Jacob for this article. I have filed an “Out of Bounds” report on the KSCO website. My complaint is based upon today’s “Georgia Peach” show. The complaint is as follows:
I am listing the minute time within the show that offensive comments took place within the timed minutes of the broadcast.
3:16: Calling the media the “Enemy of the people”.
4:45: Calling the media “Treasonous, the enemy, you lie, we know who you are”.
Saying that CPS is destroying American families….
6:59: against “multi-culturalism”.
20:34: using the divisive phrase of “These people”.
The two worst of the list:
*Calling the media the enemy of the people:
Journalists today face great and grave danger. Fanning this fuel could lead to violence.
*Stating that CPS destroys American families:
I am an elementary school principal. When CPS has been able to intervene in family situations they have saved lives. I am VERY upset by this comment!!! Without CPS I know several students that would have continued on in a life of abuse and ultimately death!!!!! I am deeply angered by this shallow and ridiculous comment!!!! How dare Georgia make this statement!!!!! It could possibly scare away an anonymous reporter that would want to protect a child!!!!
As an elementary school principal with over 37 years of service in public schools, I am beyond offended by the comments regarding CPS. Without the support and service of CPS, countless children would be either dead or severely emotionally damaged. Georgia’s comments regarding this entity are cavalier and do not take into consideration any data or facts that support the sad necessity of having an agency to protect children. In addition, those that choose to believe in her statements and opinions might be swayed to not report when they observe or hear something that could be of danger to a child.
I believe that the verbage and statements that she shares on the air waves are far more detrimental, especially for children in this particular case, than the two hosts that were fired. I do not understand why she is still on the air at KSCO.
Marilyn
As thoughtful as your comments are the truth is that the out of bounds reports are a waste of time.
File a complaint with the FCC. Its the only action besides a boycott station management will respond to.
So journalists are in great danger? How many have been harmed? Zero?
Thank you, Marilyn. Very thoughtful and much needed statement. And Bob’s suggestion to send your comment to the FCC, as well, sounds like a good one.
Georgia’s program is the only program I tune into. Flight
1080 program belongs in the toilet.If I had to work w/Dave
It would only last about 10 sec. before me telling him to go __________ himself. I just cancelled out Nancy’s vote.
With all these double standards (when it comes to the hosts and is allowed and not allowed) , it appears as if there is an agenda at KKKSCO. How can all of Georgia’s anti-American rhetoric go ignored and unrecognized as such, but Billy gets fired for pointing out the obvious?
Georgia gets to say that America is a nation based on haritage and culture, which she defines as race specific. She even parts way with the MAGA movement and claims that America IS NOT AN IDEA.
So this un-American wannabe Nazi is allowed to continue to be on the air and further confuse some, encourage others, and digust the rest. What do you do?
KSCO: Listen, and be herded…. to the slaughter… by this Judas goat.
Are you threatening white people with slaughter? Tsk tsk. And you wander why Georgia has an audience. It’s a reaction to your hate filled bigotry.
Uh oh it’s the thought police! I remember around a year ago when the same naive “journalist” proudly bragged about getting ksco to no longer discuss such crazy things as white genocide. Now, it’s in the news daily. Speak your truth. Quit trying to make others be silent. Being a beta male doesn’t mean you can’t be a bully.
Youngevity is a big source of income for all this “hate speech”.
MasterCard and Visa just 86ed a few organizations which the SPLC considered a hate group. How long before that happens here?
Could not happen soon enough
Funny , all this crying about double standards when the liberal rag good times wont let my original comment be posted that I wrote on Wednesday. Hypocrites much ?? lol , libtards , they are so amusing
LMAO…Another hitpiece by the libtard media , thanks for the free advertising for Georgia’s show morons. Another leftist “journalist” snowflake thats butthurt about the truth being told. Perhaps you need a therapy poodle or some hot cocoa. This idiot doesnt even know his facts : “Trump had just started his border separation policy and had begun putting refugee kids in cages.” … thats called enforcing the laws, which by the way was the result of a 9th district circuit court decision long before Trump came along, furthermore the pictures of kids in cages were from the that excuse of a president obama’s administration… so get your facts straight there buddy. Speaking of family separations , has the good times published any articles about the 2 white women , Kate Steinle and Mollie Tibbets that were permanently separated from their families because they were murdered by 2 illegal alien pieces of garbage that should not have been in our country in the first place, probably not, that would require telling the truth and goes against the narrative. As far as white genocide, why dont you take a look at whats going on in South Africa. Georgia’s show is the most popular show on KSCO, get over yourselves Good Times, another liberal rag…. you libtards are like a cancer that is infecting our country , you’ve successfully wrecked California….. some of us have had just about enough of you people…..
exercise your free speech and DON’T LISTEN TO THIS CRAP!!
It’s as easy as that. Oh yea, BOYCOTT!! nothing like lost revenue to bring things into perspective.
Hate speech is the use of name-calling. It is increased by the use of the word “spewed.” Billy Sunshine and Brad Kava called Georgia a Nazi and accused MZ as “probably loving Hitler.” Georgia has not said anything like this about her radio colleagues.
Thanks to Michael Olson for being able to distinguish between hate speech and statements of fact. And thanks to Georgia, who rightfully lauds the contributions of Western Civilization.
I am so appalled and disgusted this level of white supremacy in Santa Cruz, both by Michael Zwerling in allowing Ms. Beardslee to spew (plain as day) racist rants, and in the highly ignorant comments on this thread. This is not a liberal/conservative issue, this is an issue on hateful and racist speech that should never be allowed to have a public voice in our community.
The fact that Zwerling banned “toxic topics” yet allows this hate inciting woman to be on air is inconceivable., white supremacy is arguably the most toxic topic of them all in this country. Not only are her discussions blatantly racist, Zwerling admitted in the article all he’s heard her do is “advocate for the white race.” THAT is white supremacy!! And is rooted in the utmost hate for all minorities and people of color. White people do not need advocating for; we have been colonizing, oppressing, raping, pillaging, and destroying other races and cultures in the name of white superiority for centuries. To allow someone to advocate for white superiority on your radio station inherently means you advocate for the oppression and discrimination of POC. This is so aggressively hateful.
And if you aren’t “smart enough to decide what is hate speech” or not, you definitely should not own a radio station tasked with informing the public!! That has got to be one of the most idiotic statements ever from someone in journalism and public broadcast.
Zwerling, Beardslee and KSCO as an entity by allowing this, are an atrocity and disgrace to Santa Cruz’s values of safety and inclusion for ALL people. They should be fervently protested and boycotted by anyone who stands against racism, biogtry and white supremacy.
6 Until Georgia Beardsley and her hate speech is off the air we need to rebrand the station is now KKKSCO…….thanks………billy sunshine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_Gazette_shooting
These are the same Liberals who deny the slaughter of White farmers in South Africa. I’m pleased that Georgia is calling attention to this humanitarian crisis, while the MSM sleeps, because these ubiquitous murders fail to align with their Marxist narrative.
Glad Georgia is finally gone. She not only regularly engaged in race baiting and hate speech (which she said was her way of “defending the white race”) she spread misinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccines (which is dangerous to public health) and lied about documented crimes of gun violence (claiming they were “false flags”). The last time I heard her and her buddy Sam mention a shooting that had just happened that day, while details were still coming out about the crime, Sam was opining it was a false flag because of the timing — he was saying obviously the Democrats were talking about this story to distract the public from whatever serious business Trump was working on, that’s why he was suspicious. Shame on them both and good riddance.
As a Jew, MZ should really know better. He must have been part of the Judenrat in another life.