San Francisco radio stations ban hit song ‘Royals’ during World Series with Kansas City Royals

SAN FRANCISCO – The popular song “Royals” by New Zealand artist Lorde is getting caught up in the fervour over the upcoming World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals.

Two San Francisco radio stations say they won’t play the song during the duration of the World Series. A Kansas City, Missouri, station responded with plans to play the Grammy-winning track every hour from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, the first day of the series.

“A few angry San Franciscans who don’t have a song called ‘Giants’ won’t rain on our parade,” Tony Lorino, program director of KZPT in Kansas City, said in a statement on the station’s website.

San Francisco stations KFOG and KOIT announced the bans last week as the Giants clinched the pennant and headed to the series. KOIT program director Brian Figula said in a statement that listeners called for the ban. KOIT is a sister station of KZPT in Kansas City.

Jim Richards, KFOG’s program director, said the station didn’t want to play a song that repeatedly says “Royals” while rooting for the hometown team.

“We’re all about the Giants here,” he said, adding that the ban was completely tongue-in-cheek.

Lorde has told VH1 that a photo of Kansas City Royals Hall of Famer George Brett signing autographs helped inspire her song when she saw the word “Royals” on his uniform.