Radio hosts admit faking 'homophobic' invite

Two New York radio DJs have apologised for fabricating and then discussing a child's birthday invitation containing a fictitious anti-gay diatribe which took on "life of its own" and sparked a fierce debate.

Morning radio hosts Steve Harper and Leeana Karlson of pop station YKJW took to the airwaves on Wednesday to discuss an apparently hand-written response to a 7th birthday party for "Sophia" from the mother of "Tommy" who would not be attending the party because of Sophia's parents' "lifestyle".

"I do not believe in what you do and will not subject my innocent son to your 'lifestyle'," the faked note read.

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A photo of the invitation was posted to the radio station's Facebook page and has since been removed, but not before sparking an outrage.

But on Friday the duo posted a note on the station's website, apologising for letting the fake story carry on.

"This story was, in fact, totally fictitious, and created by the two of us," Harper and Karlson said in the note.

"This was done without the knowledge of (the station's) management or ownership."

"We are very sorry that we perpetuated this falsehood, even after it was clear that it had taken on a 'life of its own,'" they wrote.

The DJs added they created the lie in order to spur a "healthy discourse on a highly passionate topic", but this has not quelled the anger of station management.

According to a local TV station News Long Island, station management said they had a responsibility to their listeners to be accurate and were looking at "all course of action".

Source: NY Daily News
Author: Nicholas McCallum, Approving editor: Simon Black