The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney

31 March 2008

Andy Chung Faces 15 Charges In KXL Vehicle Attack

RAM-DY ANDY

KXL Attack Suspect Hates Microsoft, Paul Allen







A Washington state man accused of intentionally ramming the lobby of KXL-AM with his vehicle has a long history of hatred toward Microsoft and co-founder Paul Allen, according to news reports and his own Internet rants.

Earlier today, suspect Andy Chung was charged with 15 criminal counts during his appearance before an Oregon Grand Jury, where a trial date was set for 12 May. He has entered a not guilty plea.

Through Rose City Radio, Allen owns both KXL and Jammin' 95.5 FM, housed together in Portland's city center.


Particularly disturbing is Chung's alleged YouTube page, where he seems to tape himself making threats and defacing Microsoft's corporate signage. Here's one example:





Even more bizarre is Chung's apparent website, where a long list of grievances against Rose City Radio and Microsoft are spelled out in rambling detail. Here's a sample:


A few nice waitresses hit on me at work and I heard them saying something about some radio station, and that I could represent Vancouver. I had no idea what they were talking about. But I was soon about to learn. I worked at that restaurant for about a month. One day, I was listening to one of the Portland radio stations. I didn’t usually listen to this particular radio station, and most of the time I listened to my own CD’s, but I started hearing the radio station FM 9x.5 talk about an Asian who dressed like a skater, going to Clark College, who’s hair and style sounded similar to my own.

Then I remembered one time, I was going to the Vancouver shopping mall for a pair shoes. I turned around and I was being followed by some people. They followed me around and talked about me. I started hearing some of my co-workers calling up the radio station and talking about me. Sometimes, the radio station Fm 9x.5 would make fun of me for being an Asian skater. Sometimes I heard them say that I was a gangster. Sometimes I’d hear them say I was a player, or a pimp. I was hearing the radio station talk about me and I was being followed, and I was starting to get confused and little paranoid. I didn’t like being followed and I really cared about my privacy. So I decided to move away for a while.

I had a friend named Frank and my sister and her boyfriend to stay with in the Seattle area. I talked to the manager at the beachside restaurant. I told him I had to quit the job immediately. He understood. He told me with a smile, “Andy, you know everybody likes you here, right?” “I kind of know,” I said. “But I don’t play games like that.” The next day, I went back to Clark College to pick up my class transcript. I saw a few students and heard them talk about me. They had heard of me on the radio. I was so confused; I didn’t know what was going on. The next day, I packed up my stuff and moved to Seattle.


Whether anyone at 95.5 FM or KXL-AM discussed Chung on the air before the ramming incident isn't known, but staffers at Jammin' FM say they'd received threatening emails, according to Willamette Week:


Police arrested Chung at his home in Vancouver, Wash., just before a hostile encounter with a reporter from KOIN 6. Chung was sent to undergo mental testing but was released this morning.

P.K. is baffled that Chung is released and declared sane. “I’m so baffled that anyone could say that he’s sane. He makes specific death threats against the morning show,” P.K says.

For the last six months, P.K. says the show was receiving threatening emails — the most recent one on Wednesday, March 5 — but they were deleted and regarded as junk.

“Our show is not a political show," P.K. says "I mean yeah, we piss people off, but not to the extent that they want to take action ... This last one was talking about dropping babies in hot oil and cutting our lips off or something. The emails would come in every six months—it wasn’t an everyday deal.”


Though broadcasters are in the business of drawing attention to themselves for the sake of ratings and revenue, they can also become targets of dangerous individuals. This incident is a reminder to everyone that it is important to take threats seriously and maintain tight security at all times.


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Chung booking photo: KGW-8

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