DC and the Family
DC and the Family, originally The Steve and DC Morning Show, was a radio program that began broadcasting in 1991 on WMLL radio, St. Louis, Missouri. Hosted by radio personalities Steve Shannon and DC Chymes (real name Isaiah Wilhelm), the program followed a standard "morning show" format, featuring current news stories, entertainment industry gossip, games, phone shams, current affairs debates and personal stories from the program's staff and their families.
Controversy
The duo was fired by WKBQ (104.1 FM) in 1993 after using a racial epithet at a black female caller; after some months and "racial sensitivity" classes, they returned to the air.[1]
In March 1994, Chymes and Shannon aired an interview with a woman who was being harassed by a St. Louis weatherman, Bob Richards, after she ended their extramarital affair. The interview aired several times. Though the affair and subsequent harassment was already public knowledge, Richards, who had heard and was reportedly devastated by the interview, committed suicide two days later. Shannon and Chymes were widely condemned by the media for airing the interview.[2][1][3]
End of the show
On April 23, 2008, Shannon announced he was leaving the show[4] to pursue a career in Birmingham, Alabama, hosting the morning news program on Clear Channel station WERC 960 AM.[5]
Following Shannon's departure from the program, as of May 2008, DC continued to host the syndicated radio show, renaming it DC and the Family, until 2011.
References
- Wilson, D. J. "The Worst of D.C." Riverfront Times. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- Kramer, Staci D. (1994-03-24). "St. Louis TV Weatherman Apparently Takes Own Life". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
- Linsalata, Phil (2019-03-22). "Was it news? 25 years ago some soul searching after the death of weatherman Bob Richards". stltoday.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
- Deitz, Corey. "A Profile of Radio Personalities Steve and DC" (Biography). About.com. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on 2011-10-17. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- Steve and Leah at WERC.com Archived July 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine