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SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, is upset with KSL Newsradio for coverage of a scholarship funding battle. He opened a committee meeting Wednesday morning with remarks directed against two talk show hosts.
"I just want to express my extreme disappointment in the broadcast media, particularly KSL radio, both through their Nightside and through Doug Wright this morning," Sen. Stephenson said to open up a meeting of the education interim committee.
At issue is the funding of the New Century and Regents scholarships. The state originally pulled back funding to 25 percent but Tuesday announced that funding would be restored to 75 percent.
Stephenson said the talk show hosts have epitomized the statement "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and they seem to have as little as anyone."
He's upset with comments that lawmakers eventually gave in to the "Facebook crowd," a reference to a group primarily made up of students upset with the original cut.
The nearly 90 second opening statement ended with a scolding: "I think it's a terrible disservice to the listeners of their shows, and I hope they'll knock it off," he said.
Stephenson later clarified his remarks in an interview with KSL Newsradio's Maria Shilaos on Utah's Noon News. He said the "Facebook crowd" had no influence on their decision, that they would have increased the funding anyway, calling it "the right thing to do."
E-mail: athomas@ksl.com
