“What would you do if you worked somewhere, and there was a neo-Nazi on the staff?” KHOW radio host Tom Martino asked his listeners Thursday.
“I heard–I don’t know if it’s true–that [KNUS radio host] Peter Boyles isn’t on the air today at another station because he walked off yesterday and won’t go back because they are employing a neo-Nazi,” said Martino on air.
“Peter allegedly said–I’m getting all kinds of sources–but he didn’t want to work for company that employed this guy,” said Martino, who’s known Boyles for decades.
Boyles did not take me up on my offer to comment Sunday evening.
On Friday, the day after Martino made his comments, 9News’ Jeremy Jojola reported KNUS announced in an internal memo that the alleged neo-Nazi, Kirk Widlund, was no longer with the station.
“As we head into the New Year, with the realignment of expenses I wanted to share that Daniel Catarisano and Kirk Widlund are no longer employed,” read the memo from KNUS management, reported by 9News. “Combined with the loss of the Chuck & Julie Show, it’s a tough time of year to make these types of changes. Join me in thanking them for all their service.”
So, if it’s true that Boyles refused to work at KNUS with an alleged neo-Nazi behind the glass in the producer’s seat, then he could be back at KNUS soon. It’s not known if he threatened to quit if KNUS didn’t fire Widlund.
Widlund has denied the accusations.
And as late as Friday, KNUS radio host Steffan Tubbs was defending Widlund, tweeting, “Allegations made. Allegations denied. When a colleague, friend & hard-working co-worker denies – we believe. What else is there than a person’s word? For those whose aim was to destroy a young man’s reputation – you did it. But your hate behind your masks will come back on you.”
Tubbs confirmed on Twitter that Widlund is gone, but why he left the station isn’t known yet.
An investigation by Westword, which Boyles regularly praises, may have convinced Boyles that he didn’t want to work with Widlund. The Westword piece cited information from Colorado Springs Antifa, which first alleged Widlund’s neo-Nazi ties.
The Westword article caught the attention of Martino. It came on the heels of investigative reporting from 9News.
“The [KNUS] producer claims he’s not a Nazi, but Westword did an incredible article, if you Google ‘KNUS Nazi,'” said Martino on air. “They did an incredible article tying him to these rantings and ravings on the internet… It’s him.”
Boyles regularly refers to his friendship with Alan Berg, who was assassinated in his driveway in 1984. Berg was shot with a MAC-10 submachine 12-13 times in the face and body by a hit squad of four members of The Order, a white supremacist group that operated in the Pacific Northwest.
