Vancouver radio station KiSS Radio 104.9 FM has reportedly been playing the censored version of Rage Against the Machine’s song “Killing in the Name” on repeat for hours.
This move comes after three radio hosts, namely Kevin Lim, Sonia Sidhu, and Tara Jean Stevens, were laid off from their roles this week.
According to The Vancouver Sun, when a listener called to request a different song, the DJ allegedly ignored the request and kept playing “Killing in the Name” on Wednesday (29 June) morning.
During their final broadcast, Sidhu and Lim said: “KiSS is changing and, unfortunately, we were informed that we will not be part of this new chapter.
“It comes with mixed emotions, as you can probably hear.”
“Killing in the Name” is an iconic protest song from Rage Against the Machine’s self-titled debut.
The song includes the lyrics: “F*** you, I won’t do what you tell me.”
As the news spread, the American rock band’s guitarist Tom Morello retweeted a tweet that suggested that the radio channel’s song choice is due to the layoffs.
“A pop radio station in Vancouver laid off all of their staff yesterday. Whoever is on the controls this morning has been playing ‘Killing in the Name’ on repeat since 6am (it’s now 9:30). It’s beautiful,” the tweet read.
However, according to the local news, this move could be intentional and used to signal a shift in the format of the radio channel.
In other news, Rage Against the Machine will begin their Public Service Announcement tour next month.
The band also announced that it will donate the ticket sales for their reunion concerts in Wisconsin and Illinois to local reproductive rights organisations.
