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Herald update

WRKO radio today fired loose-lipped talk jock John DePetro for calling Green Party gubernatorial candidate Grace Ross a “fat lesbian” on his morning show yesterday.
DePetro Firing:
The station also fired DePetro’s board operator, Jimmy Kiesling.
DePetro, hired by the Entercom-owned AM station in 2004, has retained an attorney. “I was stunned and very disappointed,” DePetro told the Herald after station brass showed him the door at a meeting this morning.
“I have no doubt that terminating John’s employment was the right action to take,” WRKO program director Jason Wolfe said in a statement released today.

“In the context of what he said and the tone with which he said it, the comments were completely inappropriate, derogatory and will not be tolerated. I met with our corporate staff last night after listening to the tapes, and we decided to terminate John at that meeting. I informed him of the decision this morning,” Wolfe said.
In July, DePetro was suspended for two days and ordered to apologize on the air after he called ex-Big Dig boss Matt Amorello a “fag” on air. Wolfe’s statement said he had warned DePetro after the suspension that “any further comments of this kind would be dealt with in a severe way.”

On his show yesterday, DePetro, 39, expressed deep annoyance with Ross - who is openly gay - for her performance at Wednesday night’s televised gubernatorial debate. During the debate, Ross repeatedly insisted that she and independent candidate Christy Mihos were being ignored by the major party candidates, Democrat Deval Patrick and Republican Kerry Healey. The Herald has obtained a copy of the audio clip.
“I could go now a lifetime without Grace Ross,” DePetro said on yesterday’s show. “She has nerve. This whole business of you know, ‘Well since we’re being ignored. . . .’ No, you’re irrelevant. Get off the stage. I couldn’t stand her at the end. At one point I was about to yell, ‘Will somebody tell that fat lesbian to shut up!’ ”
DePetro said today he didn’t break any Federal Communications Commission (FCC) violations.
“It seems to be selective punishment. There wasn’t obscene language used. It was a throwaway two-second comment that I apologized for,” DePetro said.
The radio host said his comment was taken out of context. “I was voicing on the air my frustration of watching the debate with four (candidates) instead of two,” he said. “I didn’t mean anything mean-spirited. She knows I like her.”
Even Healey, the lieutenant governor, who has been the candidate of choice among most of WRKO’s right-leaning hosts, called DePetro’s comments “inappropriate” this morning.

Ross said his comment was “offensive.” When asked today if DePetro should have been fired, Ross said, “They run their own business. They have to set a standard and that’s fine.”
Mihos said it was a glaring example of negativity in a campaign that has gotten out of control.
DePetro, who wasn’t on the air this morning, has personally apologized to Ross.
Text of WRKO statement
Statement from Jason Wolfe, Entercom Boston
After learning last night of the remarks about Grace Ross made by morning talk host John DePetro, WRKO terminated his employment.
Jason Wolfe, vice president of AM programming and operations, Entercom Boston, commented:
“In the context of what he said and the tone with which he said it, the comments were completely inappropriate, derogatory and will not be tolerated. I met with our corporate staff last night after listening to the tapes, and we decided to terminate John at that meeting. I informed him of that decision this morning.
I had told John after his suspension in July for describing then Massachusetts Turnpike Chairman Matthew J. Amorello with a homosexual slur that any further comments of this kind would be dealt with in a severe way.
I have no doubt that terminating John’s employment was the right action to take.”
WRKO believes that talk radio is an informative media that benefits all of us by providing a forum for public discussion. However, there is no place at WRKO for the use of such inappropriate references as made by John.
WRKO regrets the reference to Grace Ross.