Melanie Morgan

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Melanie Morgan
Born December 8, 1956 (1956-12-08) (age 51)
Kansas City, Missouri
Occupation author, columnist, political commentator, radio show host
Website
www.MelanieMorgan.com/

Melanie Morgan (born 1956 in Kansas City, Missouri) is an American radio personality and former host at KSFO in San Francisco.[1] She has also previously worked as a reporter for KGO-TV. She is the Chairman of Move America Forward, a non-profit organization that supports U.S. armed forces and the current mission in the War on Terrorism.

Contents

[edit] Career and personal life

Morgan hosted the morning show on KSFO 560 in the Bay Area with co-host Lee Rodgers and traffic reporter and sidekick "Officer Vic." The program has been among the highest rated in the Bay Area.[2] She attended the Lindenwood University.

Melanie began her career reporting on the 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing, Lebanon, where 241 Marines lost their lives. Although Morgan is a regional journalist based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, she has covered international events in China, Mexico and Iraq.[2]

Morgan has been addicted to gambling and was the subject of the TV-movie High Stakes: The Melanie Morgan Story.[3] She told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2006 that she had not placed a bet in 13 years and has served as president of the California Council on Problem Gambling.[2]

In 2006, Morgan was recognized as a co-winner of the Associated Press 2006 Mark Twain Awards for Best Special Program: “Voices of Soldiers” for her reporting from Iraq.[4]

She is currently Chair of Move America Forward, a nonprofit advocacy and military support group that has, among many other things, mailed cookies and coffee to American troops, stood in support of U.S. involvement in Iraq, protested against Code Pink, and protested against Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 911.[5]

In October 2006, Morgan and reporter Catherine Moy published American Mourning,[6] a book criticial of anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan and her reaction to the news of her son's death. It also contains sexually derogatory allegations from Sheehan's sister-in-law about Sheehan's personal conduct.[7] It later described the Johnson family in Georgia, who also lost a son. The book suggests that this family reacted "correctly" by supporting the war.

Morgan is married to Jack Swanson, a senior manager of the radio station. Morgan and her husband live in Marin County, north of San Francisco. They have several sons, the youngest of whom has applied to join the USMC when he is eligible (17 or older).[8]

On 3 March 2008 Morgan was laid off, with KSFO stating they had "decided not to renew her contract as part of the company’s announced across-the-board financial cost cutting".[9][10]

On 10 May 2008 Morgan was honoured by her fellow MAF members and her former colleagues in San Francisco. [11]

[edit] National controversies

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After The New York Times published a story regarding U.S. government tracking of terrorist funding, Morgan said that editor Bill Keller should be tried for treason and "If he were to be tried and convicted of treason, yes, I would have no problem with him being sent to the gas chamber."[12] Morgan has also argued with HuffingtonPost columnist Greg Sargent about her remarks. [13]

On December 6, 2006, when the report of the Iraq Study Group (ISG) was published, Morgan said: "'Suggesting that [Iran and Syria] can be our friends carries the heavy stench of appeasement. It is more reminiscent of Neville Chamberlain's capitulation to Hitler than Ronald Reagan's resolute stand against Communism during the Cold War."[14]

She described a British Guardian journalist named Damien Benson as "far-left", before describing the newspaper itself as "far left" after they refused to print her comments on the Iranian hostage crisis. [15].

[edit] The News Hour with Jim Lehrer

On May 9, 2007, Morgan appeared with VoteVets.org co-founder and chairman Jon Soltz on The News Hour with Jim Lehrer.[16] Morgan accused the veteran of "political games" and undermining the US troops serving in Iraq. Executive Producer Linda Winslow responded to complaints by saying, "Since neither guest was in the studio with Judy Woodruff, there wasn't much she could do to prevent them from interrupting one another, short of saying — as she did at least three times — 'please let him/her finish his/her point'. The NewsHour style is to ask pointed questions politely; we expect our guests to subscribe to the same rules. Since the program is produced live, we can't do much to eliminate rude guests from your television screen once the segment has begun; what we can do is guarantee you will never see Morgan on our program again."[17][18] Morgan subsequently blamed Media Matters for America for her persona non grata status, accusing the organization of "call(ing) their people and ask(ing) them to call PBS." [19]

[edit] George Soros

On February 8, 2007, while Morgan and her KSFO co-host Lee Rodgers were discussing philanthropist and political activist George Soros, the two stated that in 1944, Soros "hid the fact that he's a Jew" and "apparently very cheerfully and willingly, went to work for the Nazis" and "ran around Hungary with Nazi officials, serving eviction notices to people who were going to be shipped out on the death trains."[20] This statement prompted the following on-air retraction and apology from KSFO Program Director Ken Berry: "During our February 8th broadcast, the hosts of this program mistakenly stated that financier George Soros 'cheerfully' and 'willingly' went to work for the Nazis after his native Hungary was occupied during World War II, when Mr. Soros was 13 years old. The hosts also mistakenly stated that Mr. Soros 'ran around Hungary with Nazi officials, serving eviction notices to people who were going to be shipped out on the death trains,' and that he did so 'to further his own career.' These statements are not accurate, and KSFO regrets that they were broadcast."[20]

[edit] Activism

Move America Forward distributing Christmas cards to redeploying troops in Kuwait, December, 2007.
Move America Forward distributing Christmas cards to redeploying troops in Kuwait, December, 2007.

As the chairman of Move America Forward, Morgan lead a 40-city campaign "Heroes for the Holidays Tour" to "rally support for the troops AND their mission." During her last trip to the Middle East, Melanie Morgan and one of the Gold Star Mothers, Debbie Lee, brought over 100,000 Christmas cards to troops throughout the area of operations.[21]

Morgan serves on the boards of a number of other nonprofit organizations, including the Bruin Alumni Association.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "More Vandalism: Online Enemies Again Target Wikipedia Entries", The Radio Equalizer, 2006-12-09. Retrieved on 2007-04-04. 
  2. ^ a b c Garofoli, Joe. "Fanning the Flames", San Francisco Chronicle, 2006-10-08. Retrieved on 2007-01-11. 
  3. ^ High Stakes (1997) (TV). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2007-04-04.
  4. ^ Associated Press Television and Radio Association. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
  5. ^ Move America Forward. Retrieved on 2007-04-04.
  6. ^ Catherine Moy, Melanie Morgan (October 2006). American Mourning: The Intimate Story of Two Families Joined by War, Torn by Beliefs. WND Books. ISBN 1581825404. 
  7. ^ "Hannity and Melanie Morgan cited "double standard" in media's attention on Foley while ignoring Cindy Sheehan's alleged participation in porn chat rooms". Media Matters for America.
  8. ^ American Thinker: Our Ferocious Home-Front Warrior: Melanie Morgan
  9. ^ [1] ""Melanie Morgan canned from KSFO
  10. ^ abc7news.com: KSFO morning radio host Melanie Morgan fired 3/03/08
  11. ^ Melanie Morgan | A Salute to Melanie Morgan | His, Mike, Ksfo, Photo, Very
  12. ^ Garofoli, Joe. "New chapter in battle of words over tracking terrorist financing", San Francisco Chronicle, 2006-06-29. Retrieved on 2007-04-04. 
  13. ^ Melanie Morgan | Bloggers Blogging About Other Bloggers | Bloggers, Some, Open, Hell, Liberal
  14. ^ Morgan, Melanie (2006-12-06). Iraq Study Group: A Complete Failure. Move America Forward. Retrieved on 2007-04-04.
  15. ^ http://www.ksfo.com/viewentry.asp?ID=361103&PT=hosts Morgan attacks the Guardian
  16. ^ The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, Grassroots Groups Seek to Influence Iraq Policy, May 8, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2007.
  17. ^ Poynter Institute, Right-wing talker Morgan isn't welcome back on "NewsHour", May 17, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2007.
  18. ^ Michael Getler, PBS, The Ombudsman Column: Ombudsman's Mailbag, May 17, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2007.
  19. ^ Media Matters - On Fox, Morgan blamed Media Matters for apparent PBS ban
  20. ^ a b J.M. (2007-02-27). KSFO program director retracts Soros Nazi smear: 'These statements are not accurate, and KSFO regrets that they were broadcast'. Media Matters for America. Retrieved on 2007-04-04.
  21. ^ "Vice President Signs 100,000th Christmas Card For U.S. Troops", 2007-14-12. Retrieved on 2007-12-28. 

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