That's her on the left, and I believe, her "partner" on the right.
Posted on 11/03/2006 11:28:04 AM PST by raccoonradio
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. 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.
She's openly gay and fat, he states the obvious and gets fired...that sucks.
LBT
-=-=-
That is soooo Gay ...
His comments about the candidate are accurate, btw--I mean, that's what she IS, even though obviously it was intended as an insult. But you know how sensitive we are these days: Call the President a Nazi, that's free speech; call a fat lesbian a fat lesbian, it's hate speech.
He was merely offering a factual description - fat, lesbian - undeniable facts - and then asking for her to shut up. I supposed it's the "shut up" that got him fired. So much for free speech in the land of Mass-holes!!
It's a safe bet that Howie's "unnh UNNH!" (Scondras clearing his throat) sound effect won't be heard for a few days
(except maybe in hourly intros...?)
>>has retained an attorney
(TV AD): "Are you a radio talk show host unfairly fired for what you said on air? Hi! I'm Attorney
James Sokolove..."
I was thinking about that also. What about calling Teddy Fat-Boy? What about the Barney Frank jokes. What will we have left?
He should have immediately followed with "not that there's anything WRONG with that..."
If I were him I'd turn it around on the station, accuse them of being homophobes and obesity deniers.
If other Boston DJs had honor, they'd have a "Spartacus" moment and spend the rest of the day making "fat lesbian" comments.
John DePetro is an awful host.
It takes more to be host than just occasionally stumbling onto the right opinion.
He should just tell Jason Wolfe that's he's sorry he misinterpreted his remarks.
That only works for John Kerry or other Dems
Her original running mate, Wendy Van Horne dropped out and didn't give much of a reason:
.
These people are hard core leftists, but they are campaigning for offices that Republicans aren't even putting up candidates for this year, like Secretary of State and Treasurer. Another left-wing party is contesting the State Auditor's race. The Republicans aren't bothering.
Back in the day, when Tip O'Neill was Speaker of the U.S. House, his only election opponent was Laura Ross, the Communist Party candidate. Don't know if she and Grace are related.
Ross said she was lesbian right on her literature, and people could see her picture, as it was...Last night on WTKK
Michael Graham was saying that the real reason one shouldn't vote for her is not her looks nor her sexual orientation but the fact that she's basically a Communist who feels Israel has no right to exist--went to a "Black September" rally that glorified terrorists who kill Jews and not their victims.
That's better.
Her original running mate, Wendy Van Horne dropped out and didn't give much of a reason...
Tired of getting chased around the desk, maybe?
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