Stroudsburg (PA) station fires host for repeating Imus’ slur

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: Allentown Morning Call

Gary Smith, a morning radio show host in Stroudsburg, has been fired for using the same phrase that got Don Imus suspended.

After reviewing an air check of the "Gary in the Morning" show, Smith has been dismissed from 93.5 WSBG-FM for his comments, Rick Musselman, COO of Nassau Mid-Atlantic, said in a prepared statement issued this morning.

Musselman said Smith took it upon himself to use "I'm a nappy-headed ho" as the "Phrase that Pays" on the air at WSBG yesterday morning.

Musselman added, "Gary has done a tremendous amount of good in the community over the past 17 years as the morning voice of WSBG, but his comments yesterday crossed the line. He used the phrase with full knowledge of the reaction to Don Imus' use of the exact same phrase just a day earlier, which is the reason he was terminated and not suspended.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/easton/all-radiofiring0411-cn,0,1352401.story?coll=all-news-hed

[soothsayer]

1. o for pete's sake

[Acadia Blue]

2. Why do these people need to make racist sexist remarks? Is it

because since the republicans have been in charge they think its ok to let their real feeling out? What Imus said about those women athletes was not only racist, it was very very sexist. He is obviously afraid of women who can play sports well.

I am very liberal but sick of the republican bottom feeding with language. O'Reilly and Rush have turned this country into a hate fest of language. Imus is old and I don't know if he does not realize that that sort of language is very hurtful and ugly.

[Acadia Blue]

3. Note: the media is using this to ignore other more important news.

[Dhalgren]

4. It doesn't matter why the "media" is doing this. This asshole should have been fired.

And good riddance! This is no longer funny, if it ever was. This isn't just some kind of "mis-speak" issue or a "boys say the darnedest things" bullshit. This is about what we will and will not tolerate on OUR air waves. Lots of people should be losing their jobs and I hope they do...

[tomhayes]

5. Wow, I think you've bought the hype

You are focusing on almost meaningless banter instead of demanding the true problems such as Limbaugh, Beck, Savage, Medved, Oreilly, et. al and are instead focusing on this.

You're two steps away the kind of madness that drives Cheney to find Al Qadea everywhere they aren't.

Forget Shock Jocks right now and focus on bigger issues. Then when those are fixed you can work on shock jocks.

Just a friendly suggestion. I'm listening to Air America right now.

[Dhalgren]

8. These are our air waves. I did not say that I didn't want anyone else addressed.

You need to relax and take a breath. Why do you have to not deal with some in order to deal with others? That makes no sense. Here, a radio station fired an offensive, purveyor of hate speech. I think that is great. The fact that other hate speakers have not yet been fired has nothing to do with the correctness of the firing of this one. Take them all off the air, don't wait and go in the order of some list someone has made. Take 'em out when you have the opportunity.

Oh, and P.S. screw your "friendly suggestion"

[tomhayes]

11. You're doing it in the wrong order...

First go after the really dangerous ones, then go after the idiot shock jocks.

-OR-

Go after the harmless ones and then let the dangerous ones tout that racism has been solved and that you're going after them on a *partisan witch hunt*.

One Million "Nappy headed ho" comments from Imus do less damage than a "Decreasing taxes NOW always doubles tax revenue LATER" talk from Hannity, or "Inner City Youth" stuff from Perot.

After you have Imus apologize, be fired, and then maybe what, told to hide under a rock for enterity or else!, I doubt you'll have any support from "the media" to help you go after the real problems.

Or prove me wrong, keep it going and clear *all* (or most) of the trash off of the airaves. I dare you.

Oh, and thanks for the insult, jerkhole :)

[Dhalgren]

17. You were the one who compared my reaction to hate radio with Cheney's

lying about terrorist, but I'm the "jerkhole"? You act as though if you can't get the worst offenders, you should leave the lesser offenders alone. That is not only stupid, it is counter productive. Yeah, because you can't arrest Al Capone, you should just forget about the pick-pockets at the train station. As I said before, take them down as you can. Small fry? Sure, but a "fry" nonetheless. Before you start throwing your weight around like you know what is best for everyone, you should put on a few more pounds. I haven't been advising you as to what you should do, you should have the courtesy, manners, and gumption to do the same. I don't know where you have been (maybe under a rock?), but if you want to wait for ""the media" to help you" do anything, you will be under that rock for a long time. Get wise, sonny, then come back and we'll talk. :hi:

[murielm99]

13. I think liberals can walk and chew gum.

We can focus on this, and on the bigger issues, too.

We can relieve the symptoms, like the shock jocks, and treat the disease at the same time, which is getting rid of this neo-con administration.

[tomhayes]

15. Prove me wrong then

>We can relieve the symptoms, like the shock jocks, and treat >the disease at the same time, which is getting rid of this neo-con administration.

Just get Michael Savage or Neil Bortz off the air. They are HUNDREDS of time worse than Imus.

If Savage or Bortz aren't gone in 6 months then you've failed in my eyes.

Six months for people much much worse than Imus. Do it. Becuase this time Matt Lauer isn't going to help you.

[murielm99]

20. Prove you wrong?

I've failed? WTF?

I disagree with your diatribe, and you think you have a right to send me on a quest?

I think a great deal has been accomplished by getting rid of one of these people. And the amount of attention this incident is getting in the MSM is more than I expected. I think it is a good start. And that is the point here -- I THINK. If you want me to prove something wrong, it has to be facts, not opinions. You are arguing opinions.

We are getting closer to being in a position to do something about this. We took Congress. We can take the White House, too. We can reinstate the Fairness Doctrine. That is the best way to get rid of these people. Hate radio blossomed when the Fairness Doctrine died. When we have a way to counter these people, they will go the way of the dodo. People will get sick of them when more people become aware of them. I don't think many of them have that wide an audience to begin with.

What the hell does Matt Lauer have to do with anything? And what are you doing to change things, beyond posting on a message board? Do you work for your local or state Democrats? Do you write LTTEs or guest editorials? Do you call Congressmen and Senators? Do you work a precinct or run for office? If you do, great. If not, get out of your chair and get a life.

[Mushroom]

18. We're two steps out of madness!

Enough is Enough spread across America like a Deep Impact. Get some passion man - feel the Power!

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

[JoFerret]

19. Meanwhile

...celebrate that at least these creeps are exposed for what they have always been.

[kestrel91316]

6. Bill Handel on KFI in Los Angeles has been throwing it around

repeatedly for days. I think he thinks this is excusable by virtue of his using it while discussing Imus' behavior, but clearly he and his cohorts just like to be able to say "n--- h---- h-" repeatedly. They laugh about it.

[jollyreaper2112]

7. well fuck

So now it looks like, in addition to the "n-word", we now have the "n-h-h words".

I dream of the day that Limbaugh is held to such high standards.

[left is right]

10. small victories, whereever and whenever you can get them

that's the way wars are won. Maybe if enough stations act on principle we can eventually take down the limbaughs, and becks that are polluting our airways

[kestrel91316]

12. I just didn't want to risk getting flamed for saying the actual words.

[Zodiak]

9. Our rock station in Columbus

99.7 features a couple of shock jocks who were proudly saying it...they even put it in their promos.

But Columbus, OH media is wholly owned by Clear Channel, so expect no repercussions. The other day, the shock jocks were telling morning commuters that we should go to war with Iran to stop their nuke program.

Shock jocks may not be as visible as Hannity, etc., but they contribute just as heavily to the political discourse. People emulate them to be "cool".

[Doctor_J]

14. All the third-rate wannabes wil be throwing this around now

to try to make it up to 2nd-rate. I continue to be amazed at how stupid right wingers are.

[FarCenter]

16. Was it the "nappy-headed" or the "hos" part?

What got him fired? Was it "nappy-headed" or "hos"?

My guess is that it was the "nappy-headed" part, since women are referred to as "hos" all the time in the media.

I doubt that there would have been such a fuss if his radio show hadn't been broadcast on MSNBC TV. Imus is pretty bland for talk radio.