(from 2008 – The Shroud Of Kevin Slaten Toast)

St. Louis yack radio fixture Kevin Slaten is no stranger to CSTB...and we might be hearing from him again before much longer. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Dan Caesar reports Slaten will be sharing the airwaves with the newspaper’s Bryan Burwell ; not the same program, but certainly the same microwave and coffee machine.

Burwell has been the target of Slaten rants that rip the premise of many of his columns for being either too soft or off base. But Burwell said Thursday he has no problem working on the same station as his most outspoken detractor.

“He’s my teammate, I’m cool with him,’’ Burwell said. “I have no issues whatsoever, I’m a thick-skinned guy. I don’t know half the things he may or may not have said about me anyway. Everybody’s got an opinion, bygones are bygones. The first thing I did when we had our first team meeting was walk up and shake his hand. He shook mine, we smiled and laughed.

“And I know people made a big deal about us being on opposite sides of the team (publicity) picture. I’m like ‘Oh, please.’ It’s irrelevant, it’s a non-issue.’’

Slaten said he’ll still have his opinions, but nothing is personal with either columnist.

“I’ve never had any personal feelings one way or another, I just disagree with some things they write,’’ he said. “It’s perfectly my right to comment on it as a talk-show host. I’m sure they disagree with me sometimes. Burwell’s never hesitated to criticize me. If it becomes personal, that’s another story. I comment on what they write, in the purview of what I do.’’