On-Strike KDHX DJs Ask Others Not to Take Their Slots as Turmoil Continues

"We call on the entire community to honor and support this historic volunteer strike"

Oct 6, 2023 at 3:48 pm

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JAIME LEES

In happier days, KDHX programmers and musicians shared a laugh at the station's old home on Magnolia.

Tumult has reigned in the two weeks following St. Louis community radio station KDHX's dismissal of 10 long-serving volunteer DJs. And there was no Friday exception made today.

The mid-afternoon saw dueling press releases from KDHX management and the group of KDHX associate members seeking collective bargaining power.

KDHX management announced a new show joining the station's Thursday afternoon lineup: DJ Kut's "Kut's Klassikz" will take the 4 to 7 p.m. slot soon to be vacated by DJ sheBEATZ, who is taking her show to Spotify. Additionally, two existing DJs, DJ B.Wiz and DJ LadyJock, will be doing an additional show on Saturday mornings.

Less than 20 minutes later, the League of Associate Members of KDHX sent out its own release asking for solidarity with the striking community and urging that no DJs take or move into any of their vacated slots until the "current volunteer labor dispute is resolved."

"The strategy of management is plain: They want to divide us and pit one volunteer against another. We know you will not fall for this manipulation!" it reads. "We reject the language of scabbing and reject all harmful rhetoric. But we call on the entire community to honor and support this historic volunteer strike and reject management’s divisive and authoritarian tactics."

Additionally, the associate member group identifies the former secretary of the station's board of directors, Nelie McNeal, as having resigned her position. McNeal is founder and managing partner of the McNeal Sams College Consulting company. She has not responded to messages seeking comment about her status on the board.

If she has resigned, she's not alone. On Saturday, attorney Matt Vianello confirmed his resignation from the board of directors.

According to the associate member group, 19 DJs are on strike or have resigned in protest. And the effects of that have been apparent as listeners tried to tune in only to discover silence on Tuesday morning and the previous Thursday.

KDHX leadership previously stated that the station normally has about 80 DJs. With 40 percent of those now gone, it's perhaps not surprising that there has been dead air.