The ''92 KQRS Morning Show'' (also known as the KQ Morning Crew) is a popular, long-running radio morning

drive time Drive time is the daypart in which radio broadcasters can reach the most people who listen to car radios while driving, usually to and from work, or on public transportation. Drive-time periods are when the number of radio listeners in this c ...

show originating from

KQRS-FM KQRS-FM (92.5 FM broadcasting, FM) is a radio station City of license, licensed to Golden Valley, Minnesota. Owned by Cumulus Media, it broadcasts a mainstream rock format serving the Minneapolis–Saint Paul market. Its studios are located ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

. From the 1990s into the early 2000s, it was one of the highest-rated morning shows in the U.S. The show was hosted by

Tom Barnard Thomas 'Tom' Mark Paul Barnard (born November 7, 1951) is an American radio host and former voice-over talent. He was released by Cumulus from the host of '' The KQ92 Morning Show'' on 92.5 KQRS in Minneapolis at the end of 2022 after hosting mo ...

for 37 years, retiring at the end of 2022. Barnard was replaced by

Steve Gorman Steve Gorman (born August 17, 1965) is an American musician and radio host. He is best known as the former drummer of the American rock and roll band The Black Crowes. He spent time as the drummer for British rock band Stereophonics. He also hos ...

of the rock group

The Black Crowes The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes ten studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Geo ...

. Brian Zepp, Candice Wheeler and Tony Lee are also heard on the show.

Controversy

Asian-Americans

On June 9, 1998, Barnard was reading a news item about a

Hmong Hmong may refer to: * Hmong people, an ethnic group living mainly in Southwest China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand * Hmong cuisine * Hmong customs and culture ** Hmong music ** Hmong textile art * Hmong language, a continuum of closely related ...

girl who had killed her newborn son. The crew made several derisive remarks. In particular, Barnard stated that Hmongs should "assimilate or hit the goddamn road." and, in response to his reading of the $10,000 fine levied against the girl, "That's a lot of

egg roll The egg roll is a variety of deep-fried appetizer served in American Chinese restaurants. It is a cylindrical, savory roll with shredded cabbage, chopped meat, or other fillings inside a thickly wrapped wheat flour skin, which is fried in ...

s." KQRS weathered protests from the Asian-American community and eventually issued a public apology in addition to making several PR-building concessions to the community. In a related concession, Tony Lee's stereotypical character "Tak" and his segment, "A Talk with Tak" was removed from the show.

Native Americans

In September 2007, Bernard made comments about the Minnesota Chippewa and

Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin ( ; Dakota/ Lakota: ) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations people from the Great Plains of North America. The Sioux have two major linguistic divisions: the Dakota and Lakota peoples (translati ...

tribes. The American Indian Alliance that raised concerns from the tribes.Collins 2007: "The uproar stems from a broadcast last month in which Barnard and Traen talked about the Red Lake and Shakopee tribes while discussing a report by the state Health Department that Beltrami County has the state's highest rate of suicide among young people. The jocks then mentioned Bemidji and the Red Lake Indian Reservation, which are both located in Beltrami County. "Maybe it's genetic; isn't there a lot of incest up there?" Traen said about the tribe. "Not that I know of," Barnard replied. "I think there is," Traen continued. "Don't quote me on that, but I'm pretty sure." "Well, I'm glad you just threw it out there, then," Barnard said to laughter in the background. Barnard also criticized the Shakopee Sioux, who own the Mystic Lake Casino, for "doing a hell of a job helping them out." Traen commented, "They don't give them anything?" "Hell, no!" Barnard replied." The tribes mounted several protests throughout October, and the station again issued a public apology.

Footnotes

References

*Associated Press (via wire)
KQRS morning show host addresses racial controversy

Minnesota Daily The ''Minnesota Daily'' is the campus newspaper of the University of Minnesota, published Monday and Thursday while school is in session, and published weekly on Wednesdays during summer sessions. Published since 1900, the paper is currently the ...

, October 21, 1998. Retrieved May 29, 2008. *Collins, Terry
KQRS remarks upset Indian leaders

Star Tribune ''The Minnesota Star Tribune'', formerly the ''Minneapolis Star Tribune'', is an American daily newspaper based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As of 2023, it is Minnesota's largest newspaper and the List of newspapers in the United States, seventh- ...

, October 29, 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2008. *Evans, Melanie
'Free speech' wins in KQRS case

, November 15, 1998. Retrieved May 27, 2008. *Lambert. Brian
Tommy B: King of All Radio

The Rake ''The Rake'' is a British bimonthly men's magazine that focuses on luxury fashion, culture, and style. It was founded in 2008 by Wei Koh, a Singapore-based entrepreneur and publisher. History ''The Rake'' magazine was founded in 2008 by Wei ...

, October 29, 2007. Retrieved May 29, 2008. *––
Howard's End

St. Paul Pioneer Press The ''St. Paul Pioneer Press'' is a newspaper based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It serves the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. Circulation is heaviest in the east metro, including Ramsey, Dakota, and Washington countie ...

, April 11, 1999. Retrieved May 29, 2008. *National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
2006 Large Market Personality of the Year Winner: Tom Barnard, KQRS
2006. Retrieved May 29, 2008. *Silverstein, Tom
Packer Notes: Favre ponders lawsuit

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper and also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely read. It was purchased by the G ...

, December 4, 1997. Retrieved May 29, 2008. {{DEFAULTSORT:92 Kqrs Morning Show Mass media in Minneapolis–Saint Paul 1980s American radio programs 1990s American radio programs 2000s American radio programs 2010s American radio programs 2020s American radio programs