Omaha Conservative Talker Chris Baker Fired Over Racist Tweet

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, April 22, 2021 | 6:49am CT

Chris Baker

Conservative afternoon talk show host Chris Baker of KFAB-AM/Omaha was fired by iHeartMedia following a racist tweet made in response to the verdict in the Derek Chauvin case. In a tweet that has since been deleted, Baker tweeted a picture of four black men dressed in loin cloths and dancing along with the word "Guilty!" The juxtaposition of the image with the text seemed to imply that this was how the Black community would celebrate the verdict.

In a news release, C. Taylor Walet III, area president/Nebraska for iHeartMedia said Wednesday afternoon: "We are aware of the completely inappropriate and unacceptable tweet that was posted late Tuesday afternoon. Please know that this does not represent our viewpoint or our values, and we take this situation very seriously. Accordingly, Chris Baker's employment with our Company has been terminated."

Baker's tweet drew immediate outrage including a response from Nebraska State Senator John McCollister, a Republican, who tweeted: "Racism like this is a FEATURE of conservative talk radio but they usually mask it with dog whistles."

Speaking with reporters at the Omaha World-Herald on Wednesday afternoon, Baker said, "There's a difference between being intentional and being a fat-fingered boomer on Twitter. I don't look at Black people that way."