CHIMP IN CHARGE; 5-YEAR-OLD TAKES ENGINEER CONTROLS AT RADIO STATION.

Byline: Donna Huffaker Staff Writer

He works for jelly beans, he wears a diaper, and he is the newest trainee at KIEV-AM (870).

Sporting black shorts and a T-shirt, a 5-1/2-year-old chimpanzee named Kenuzi waddled into the station Wednesday, slid on a headset and began banging buttons like a pro.

It was all part of a challenge issued by David Letterman on the ``Late Show with David Letterman'' when he quipped that any chimp could do a better job than his engineers.

``David Letterman was right. Chimps probably can do a better job than the current engineers,'' joked Bill Clark, the host of KIEV's ``Good Afternoon L.A.''

Letterman's challenge got Clark thinking about the possibilities, so he put out a casting call for ambitious apes that might want to work on his 60-minute broadcast on Sundays.

Attracted by the station's sweet salary offer of jelly beans, the youngest and hairiest engineer trainee adjusted the microphone levels and tweaked buttons on the board, which resembles a jetliner instrument panel. His trainer, Debbie Jacobson, said Kenuzi has been taught to work on computers.

Engineers at the station jokingly picketed the audition, with signs that read ``We won't monkey around'' and ``No monkey can take my job.''

But it's all in fun, said Ron Beaton Jr., the station's accounting manager.

``He impressed everybody,'' Beaton said. ``Management was just standing around amazed.''

Roughly 30 minutes after taking a seat at the engineer's panel, Kenuzi was ready for a break. Forget coffee or cigarettes. This trainee wanted to swing and flip and high-five anyone in arm's reach.

And it was time for a diaper change.

Jacobson, after helping Kenuzi with a few back flips, said the chimp's jumping and jovial demeanor meant he had a good time hitting buttons in the control room. But while Kenuzi is very smart and responded to her commands to smile, clap and cross his legs, chimpanzees are not meant to be pets, she said.

If you don't know how to control them, rambunctious apes could destroy your house in no time at all, Jacobson said.

Kenuzi lives in a chimpanzee facility in Sylmar and works as an actor on The Chimp Channel on TBS. Of course, he'll have to update his resume if Clark picks him for ``Good Afternoon LA.''

``He's got a pretty good chance,'' Clark said, noting Kenuzi will be on hand for Sunday's show.