KUFO and CBS Radio

[April 4th, 2007] This week's scalding brand of shame lands on radio station KUFO and its CBS Radio parent for stopping local radio personalities Kristine Levine and "Big" Jim Willig from participating in a comedy show to raise money and awareness for pot legalization.

Organizers of the so-called "Dope Show" had obtained commitments more than a month ago from Levine and Willig of KUFO's Howard Stern-inspired Marconi Show.

But last Friday, March 30, they learned those commitments were off for one of the three Portland-area Dope Show performances, on April 20 at the Bagdad Theater & Pub (3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd.).

"It sounded like their jobs were on the line,'' says Los Angeles-based stand-up comedian Tere Joyce, who co-created the Dope Show with fellow comedian Jeffrey Peterson.

(Joyce says the show chose to bring its benefit performances to Oregon on and around April 20—a date held sacred by nickel-bag numerologists for its connection to the toker code 4-20—because in 1973 Oregon became the first state to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. The local shows will benefit Oregon NORML, a marijuana law reform group.)

While KUFO normally condones the scatological and often drunken hijinks of the popular Marconi Show, it apparently finds Joyce's show too offensive to be associated with the Big Bad Buddha.

Levine politely declined to comment, citing directives from her bosses. CBS Radio didn't return the Rogue Desk's inquiries.

"We will miss their participation," local comedian and Dope Show participant Mark "Mustard Man" Kikel writes on his blog. "But the Dope Show's Portland 420 Tour will go on."

For more information about the Bagdad show and two others in Portland (on April 18 and 22), go to myspace.com/theedopeshow.