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Alan Berg

Alan Berg (1 January 1934-18 June 1984) was an American liberal talk radio host from Denver, Colorado who was murdered by two white supremacists in 1984.

Biography[]

Alan Harrison Berg was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1934, and he became an attorney in his hometown. However, he became an alcoholic after experiencing neuromuscular seizures, and his wife convinced him to abandon his practice and come with her to her hometown of Denver to seek help. He was ultimately diagnosed with a brain tumor, and, after it was removed, Berg wore long bangs to cover the scars from the surgery. While operating a clothing store, he met KGMC-AM host Laurence Gross, who invited him to become a guest host on his show; after Gross retired, he made Berg his successor. He was hired by KOA on 23 February 1981, and he became known as a liberal host who frequently picked on white supremacist groups. He became an outrageous host for criticizing his far-right guests, including LaRouchist Ellen Kaplan, whom he introduced as "a vile human being" and praised Henry Kissinger's wife attack on her, leading to Kaplan hanging up. At 9:30 PM on 18 June 1984, after returning home following a dinner date with his wife, he was shot 12 times by two white supremacist gunmen.


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