After making disparaging comments about recently deceased pop singer Whitney Houston, KFI AM 640 radio personalities John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou — of the Los Angeles station's "The John and Ken Show" — have been suspended for a week and a half.
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The station announced the suspension on its web site Thursday, calling the comments "insensitive" and "inappropriate."
"KFI AM 640 management does not condone, support or tolerate statements of this kind," the statement adds.
The suspension, which is effective "immediately," ends on Feb. 27, when "The John and Ken Show" returns to the air.
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During a recent show, the pair said Houston had been "cracked out for 20 years," according to audio on Urban Informer. After characterizing Houston as a "crack ho" multiple times, the pair said, "And then you find out she's dead — it's like, 'Really? [It] took this long?'"
Kobylt apologized for the remarks in the station's statement, saying, “We made a mistake, and we accept the station’s decision. We used language that was inappropriate, and we sincerely apologize to our listeners and to the family of Ms. Houston.”
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Houston, who had a very public and long-running struggle with substance abuse, died at the age of 48 Saturday after being found submerged in the tub of her Beverly Hilton hotel room by a member of her personal staff. A small and relatively benign assortment of prescription drugs, including Xanax, were found in her hotel room. The Los Angeles Coroner's Office began issuing subpoenas to pharmacies and Houston's doctors on Wednesday to obtain the singer's drug and medical histories.
A cause of death has not yet been announced, pending the results of a toxicology test.
Houston's funeral takes place at noon on Saturday in her home town of Newark, N.J. Attendees at the invitation-only service reportedly include Houston's "The Bodyguard" co-star Kevin Costner and her producer Clive Davis, as well as Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder, who will reportedly sing at the service.