Peter Boyles
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Peter Boyles (born 1943) is a popular and controversial radio host in Denver, Colorado. Boyles can be heard on his morning drive-time talk show on 630 KHOW in Denver and on khow.com. His strong political opinions do not fit the usual radio talk show liberal or conservative stereotypes. For instance, although he advocates meaningful enforcement of U.S. immigration laws, he is also an ardent supporter of labor unions and gay rights.
Boyles is also an avid motorcyclist, and for a year hosted USA Biker Nation a syndicated weekly radio talk show on motorcycle topics. He frequently promotes charity benefit rides, such as one for the widow and children of slain police officer Donnie Young.
[edit] Talk-show topics
Boyles got national attention in 1997 by his investigation and nearly constant talk about the death of JonBenét Ramsey.[1] In August 2006 he received intense criticism for his belief that John Mark Karr was not involved in the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. Boyles was vindicated when "the most expensive DNA test in Colorado history" exonerated Karr.[2] These and other topics frequently make their way into satirical song parodies by Boyles and his partner Don Wrege of MediaWhore Productions.
Boyles has been critical of the Denver police in the past, especially in the shooting death of Ismael Mena where he tried to prove a theory that the Denver SWAT team covered up the shooting. He also criticized the police in the shooting death of Paul Childs.
In recent years, Boyles' favorite talk-show topic has been illegal immigration, which he strongly opposes. He is highly critical of lack of enforcement of immigration laws at the federal, state, and local levels, and what he considers tacit government encouragement of illegal immigration.
Boyles is highly critical of former Denver district attorney Bill Ritter's practice of allowing illegal immigrants who are also accused drug dealers, such as Walter Noel Ramo, to avoid deportation by pleading guilty to the lesser charge of "agricultural trespass."[3] Boyles supported the legal defense of Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Senior Special Agent Cory Voorhis, who was prosecuted, but found not guilty, for retrieving Ramo's criminal record sheet from the NCIC database and sharing it with the staff of sitting Congressman Bob Beauprez. Boyles asked why the Denver District Attorney employee who allegedly accessed the same information, and shared it with the Ritter campaign, was not also prosecuted.
Former congressman Tom Tancredo is a frequent guest on the Peter Boyles show. Bill Ritter no longer makes appearances on the show.
Boyles is a supporter of same-sex marriage.
He was first to break the story of Reverend Ted Haggard's sexual affair with a male prostitute.
In February 2009, Boyles sparked controversy in Colorado for repeatedly referring to Democratic U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette of Denver as "Vagina DeGette" / "Vagina DeJet" while on air.[4][5]
In December of 2010 he voiced support for Terry Lakin, a court-martialed ex-Army officer who refused legal deployment orders on the grounds that Lakin didn't believe President Barack Obama was a US citizen. Since that point, Boyles has been increasingly supportive of the "Birthers" on the air.
[edit] References
- ^ Boulder Daily Camera (21 Dec. 1997): "Boyles Boulder", accessed 3 June 2009.
- ^ [1]
- ^ 9News.com: "TRUTH TEST: Beauprez hits Ritter over plea bargains", accessed 6 Oct 2009.
- ^ Colorado Media Matters
- ^ Denver Post (20 February 2009): "Radio programming director says Peter Boyles won't use vulgar term for DeGette again", accessed 3 June 2009.
