COLORADO SPRINGS , Colo. (Associated Press) -- Country-music station KKCS has suspended two disc jockeys for playing songs by the Dixie Chicks in violation of a ban imposed after one group member criticized President Bush.

Station manager Jerry Grant said he banned the music after lead singer Natalie Maines told a London audience on March 10: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas."

The comment was made as war was looming with Iraq, and Maines later apologized. But her remark brought the group a flood of criticism and media attention.

"We pulled their music two months ago, and it's been a difficult decision because how can you ignore the hottest group in country music," Grant said.

He said there has been discussion about whether to reinstate the music, but DJs Dave Moore and Jeff Singer became impatient.

"They made it very clear that they support wholeheartedly the president of the United States. They support wholeheartedly the troops, the military. But they also support the right of free speech," Grant said.

The station has received a couple of hundred calls and 75 percent favored playing the music.

Grant said Moore and Singer will be out for a couple of days.

"I gave them an alternative: stop it now and they'll be on suspension, or they can continue playing them and when they come out of the studio they won't have a job."

The station plans to play the group's music eventually.

"Most stations are starting to play them again anyhow a song here, a song there. I just have a problem with the way this was done. We would have put them in anyhow. But we'd like to do it on our terms," he said.

Oh, I would soo be taking this station to court. Shouldn't be too difficult to get another job in a market the size of Colorado Springs. What a stupid move. Really. I hope these guys take this station down, but I doubt they will.

"We pulled their music two months ago, and it's been a difficult decision because how can you ignore the hottest group in country music," Grant said. ...LOL, this is quite possibly the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Bunch o'wussies.

I first saw this story and checked to see if it's a Clear Channel station it isn't. Unfortunately station magaers are god. What they say goes...if it's not on the program logs you don't play it unless you have a free style program which is really rare these days.

Your Honor, my boss fired me because i did something he told me not to do! Make them pay me lots of money!

yeah.. they've got a _great_ case.. ^_-

it's stupid but it's his station, so he can do what he wants with it, even if it iss fucking stupid.

Land of the free, home of the brave(radio station is not), freedom of speech(Dixie Chicks don't have this), and all that must've gone out the window, when it came to actual opinions. What makes the U.S. so great if your career gets ruined if you have an opinion on the leader? I thought we came here to LOSE that.

People should be shot for listening to Dixie Chicks...even before the statement about Bush.

"freedom of speech(Dixie Chicks don't have this)"

Silly sharereactor...of course they do. Freedom of speech is _exactly_ what allowed them to say what they did.

"What makes the U.S. so great if your career gets ruined if you have an opinion on the leader?"

Having an opinion is what makes this country so great. If your career gets ruined cause of your words/actoins, it's solely on your shoulders. The Dixie Chicks said what they said. They alone are responsible for what they said. They are responsible for the consequences. Peoples decision to boycott their music is just another form of free expression. Unfortunately, when it comes to free speech, people love it till it carries consequences. Yes, we're free to say what we want to who we want...however, we have to assume the responsibility for our words/actions. All to often, people expect free speech to equate to freedom from consequences. That is 100% incorrect.

And like tack said, what the station manager says goes. You're handed a playlist. You go by that playlist. If you deviate from that playlist, you face the consequences. If my boss told me to order a title commitment on my Garcia file, and I order it for my Smith file instead, there will be consequences...plain and simple.

That being said, I personally love the Dixie Chicks' music. I don't give a damn what their political views are.

I'm imagining, ashleigh, that that's what their lawyer would tell them as well.

At the same time, if your boss told you to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge and you refused, then you were fired, do we not think there'd be a case for lost wages?