Is former talk show host, John Ziegler, "outting" KFI-640 talk show host Ken Chiampou as GAY? (Updated)

UPDATED: 05-31-10  THEREALFKI.COM WEBSITE NO LONGER AVAILABLE

It appears that the website referenced in this blog item is now unavailable and appears to be "under construction." Whether or not this site will reappear or the information cited below presented remains questionable.  Also, it appears that radio talk show host John Ziegler has also engaged in a number of stunts to promote his film projects and appears to be every bit as driven in the pursuit of an audience as John Kobylt. -- steve

Original Blog Entry ...

As a long-time listener of KFI-640's John and Ken show, I have grown accustomed to John Kobylt's rants and Ken's apparently more restraining calm. Now comes an explosive tell-all from ex-KFI host John Ziegler who makes a number of assertions on his website www.therealkfi.com; among them, that Ken may be gay.  Whatever the motivation for John Ziegler's site, the inside look at KFI, including hosts John and Ken and the infamous Bill Handel, make fascinating reading. Pay particular attention to the audio clips of the Kobylt and Handel meltdowns.

It should be noted that John Ziegler is bound to be characterized as a disgruntled former employee and that this website is nothing more than sour grapes over not being able to become successful in the vastly competitive Los Angeles radio market. Ziegler, who has had a number of well-publicized problems of his own, makes this characterization somewhat plausible.

But like everything else presented to my particular audience: it is what it is (Bill Clinton notwithstanding) and everybody can decide one their own.

An excerpt concerning Ken Chiampou...

"Ken Chiampou is apparently willing to go even further than most when it comes to selling part of himself to pursue and protect ratings. I never met anyone at KFI that did not presume that Ken is a homosexual. While I have obviously never witnessed him in a gay sex act and he never told me he was gay, it is commonly accepted at KFI that he is gay. One time, Robin even told me that she prevented www.LaRadio.com from publishing that Ken was gay by threatening them in some way."

"That Ken appears to be gay is obviously no big deal (a surprising number of KFI listeners I speak to are already aware of this apparent reality). I honestly couldn't care less. However, the fact that he apparently remains in the closet (a different type than the one from which I was doing my show) on the air is very significant. Ken never says anything that would indicate anything about his sexuality, but often seems to go out of his way to discuss topics where his presumed sexuality would be very relevant to his perspective, and that should matter to KFI listeners."

While it really doesn't matter whether or not Ken is gay, the overall implication of John Ziegler's website is that everything at KFI may not be what it seems. That there seems to be an undercurrent of personality-based hidden agendas that are coloring the commentary -- and apparently Ziegler takes exception to the fact that there is not more "full disclosure" concerning certain stories.

As a member of the "hefty 'fat' set, " John Kobylt, Ken Chiampou and John Ziegler has angered me with their references to fat people. How upset can I really get when John Kobylt takes on talk-show powerhouse Bill Handel (formerly of the hefty persuasion until his bypass) for his weight and eating habits while in the studio. But aside from that, the purpose of all talk show hosts is to secure and enlarge an audience with their assertions and opinions. That is the nature of talk radio and what separates journalists (people who do not express a personal opinion) from commentators whose job it is to provoke controversy to generate station ratings.

So whether or not you really care about Ken's personal life, Kobylt's outrageous antics, Bill Handel's on air meltdown or any of the inside workings of KFI -- the piece makes fascinating and funny reading. Some of the audio clips are devastatingly funny as the human-side of radio is revealed.

What can YOU do?

Enjoy the John Ziegler piece for whatever reason.

-- steve

A reminder from OneCitizenSpeaking.com: a large improvement can result from a small change…

The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius

Reference Links:

www.therealkfi.com - The Real KFI

Comments

[sydney]

If John Zeiler doesn't know that Ken is Gay why does he bring it up! Did Zeiler & Ken use to lovers & Ken dumped him. No wonder KFI fired him!

[JM in San Diego CA]

>> everything at KFI may not be what >> it seems.

Nothing is ever what it seems. Please don't single out KFI for that unfortunate distinction.
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I am not singling out KFI, the John and Ken show or either of its main participants. I was responding to what John Ziegler posted in a public forum. If you are a regular reader, you will notice that I do not hold Ziegler and his self-promoting antics in high regard. Anyway, thanks for your comments. -- steve

[George]

It's a fact that Kenneth Robertson Chiampou is gay. His domestic partner, Craig Stone, own a Hermosa Beach mansion together.

[Dianne Marie]

I'm a little late to this party. For some reason I already assumed Ken is gay. He never talks about his personal life and I believe he lives in Westwood. That kind of gave it away, but truthfully I couldn't care less. John is a complete jerk. I like Handel even though he is over the top. I live in the Inland Empire and the radio signal in my immediate area is horrible so I'm pretty much forced to listen to 50,000 watt big-mouth KFI. I much prefer KGO in San Francisco and listen to it over the internet on occasion. I can listen to John and Ken for a little while but I don't take their antics very seriously. They are way too full of themselves (especially John).

[Jason D.]

I'm not sure what the point of john Zs' rantings are. The "real kfi letter" is not available or viewable online through his website (i wonder why), and all I'm hearing from John Z is that he thinks Ken S.is gay. Who the hell would care about this information! For someone as smart as john I wish he would have acted a little more mature and said something of substance like he used to on his talkshow.
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I think his point was to point out the hypocrisy of Ken going along with John's rants and reporting on gay issues without saying anything. I checked the realKFI website and found that it is now under construction. The more I see of Ziegler and his spirited defense of Sarah Palin -- much like his defense of the Goldman family when he was dating a family member -- the more I question his journalistic integrity and motivations for his actions. -- steve

[West Kagin]

created by the plane that took Gore to Global Warming summits, something that could be instrumental in combating the problem.

John and Ken should not be getting paid more than minimum wage to regurgitate LA Times articles verbatim and take other right wing talk show host talking points.

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The first part of your message apparently was lost and looks meaningless. If you want to clarify your point, please re-post.

As for John and Ken, they appear to be one-trick ponies appearing to be racehorses in the current competitive climate of Southern California. Much of their success derives from having a 50,000-watt signal that covers a very large area. Their competition in the time slot, most with weaker signals, is relative lame.

As for right-wing, they are anything but. As far as I can tell, they are relatively apolitical and concentrated only on ratings (like all good broadcasters).

I sometimes listen during drivetime when I am bored. Tune in on any given day and they sound exactly the same. Thanks for commenting.

[Sloppy Joe]

Ken is gay? Oh, well..whatever. Doesn't matter at all. He will have the easiest outing on himself if he wants to b/c no one cares if he is gay or straight. Maybe he us just not interested in the babes via relationships. Saves wear and tear!

I have heard him make any number of appreciative comments about females - Hollywood hotties and the like. Never heard him 'slip' and get complimentary about a dude.

So - whatever. Hey, Ken - if you wanna come out, come on out. No one will hold it against you. Just don't go 'Karel' on us!

[annoyamouse]

The few paragraphs on Kens "gayness" really degraded the entire writing. He made really good points elsewhere. I had been wondering for some time why J&K were so questionable, incomplete and flip floppy on many issues. And Bill has just been killing me with his antiwar and global warming diatribes, let me guess: Bill has some green stocks? Over the last few months I have fallen back into the habit of getting podcasts, books and music and playing them on my commute. It just took "therealkfi" to explain why I got bored am 640. KFI feels more an more like Air America Radio than something I could find interesting and entertaining.
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Thank you very much for reading and responding to my blog entry. I am glad that John Ziegler provided the KFI audience with some valuable insights into how the business of radio actually works. As for the mention of host's personal life, I believe it falls within the context of providing insight into the issues being discussed.

If you are within the Los Angeles radio market, you might just want to sample Al Rantel (KABC-790), who is more of a rational conservative with a well-reasoned point of view. He is openly gay and adds that additional perspective to his commentary when it is appropriate.

Again, thanks for reading and commenting on my blog. -- steve