A Mendocino County public radio station has bounced a local newspaper editor from her weekly community affairs program following a contentious on-air marijuana debate.
The abrupt ousting of Editor K.C. Meadows of the Ukiah Daily Journal following last Thursday’s program underscores rising political tensions surrounding Measure B, a citizen-led drive to repeal in the June primary election the county’s liberalized local laws surrounding personal marijuana use.
Meadows, as the local newspaper editor, figures prominently in the county-wide repeal campaign, serving on a coordinating committee and having written frequent editorials urging voters to “take back our county.”
Meadows couldn’t be reached Monday morning for comment on her show’s removal from the Philo-based public radio station’s programming.
But in her daily Web blog, Meadows wrote, “I have to say I find this odd given the dedicated bias of KZYX, NPR (National Public Radio) and other public radio sources on any number of left-of-center issues.”
Vance Crowe, a KZYX spokesman, said Monday that Meadows was removed because her on-air advocacy violated the station’s policies regarding up-coming ballot issues.
“Our job is to provide non-partisan forums,” said Crowe.
