CONWAY, Ark. – A radio station took its regular morning show off the air as police investigated whether a producer gave a sexually explicit videotape to a 16-year-old bystander during a gay-rights parade.
Organizers of Sunday’s parade – which started after organizers awoke to find cow manure spread along the parade route – complained to Conway police that the producer for KABZ-FM of Little Rock and a woman accompanying him offered all-male pornographic videos to protesters lining the route. A teenager received one of the tapes.
Lt. Danny Moody said officials were looking at possible felony or misdemeanor charges against the producer, whom the station identified by his on-air name, Phlip Satchel.
The station’s general manager, Philip Jonsson, said Satchel had worked there for about a year. Jonsson said he couldn’t remember the man’s real name.
Television news clips showed a man wearing a black Speedo-style swimsuit walking along the parade route announcing that he was giving away pornographic material and handing out DVDs.
The station carried a syndicated sports show Thursday and Friday morning. Jonsson wouldn’t say whether other employees were involved or whether anyone would be disciplined.
Meanwhile, Conway police said Friday a man turned himself in after learning he was being sought for spreading manure along the parade route.
Police said Wesley Bono, 35, of Greenbrier was charged with harassment. The city cleaned up the mess before the march began. Bono is to appear in district court on Aug. 2.