Talking Ugly
Submitted by Al Diamon on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 8:18am.
On Saturday morning, May 3, Kevin Crocker was hosting his weekly program "Talking Maine" on WLOB radio in Portland (1310 AM and 96.3 FM), when, according to an account posted online, he referred on the air to the host of another show on the station by using profanity and an ethnic slur.
According to JJ Jeffery, owner of WLOB, no tape recording of the incident exists, but postings on the Web site As Maine Goes indicate Crocker became enraged at Lou Castaldi, who hosts a fitness show on the station immediately following Crocker's program. Posters on the site said that near the end of Crocker's air time, shortly before 10 a.m., Castaldi entered the studio and interrupted Crocker's show by making a few political remarks. Crocker became angry and asked Castaldi to leave. At some point - the accounts online and from station personnel vary - Crocker, apparently believing his microphone was turned off, launched into a string of insults aimed at Castaldi, including at least one ethnic slur referring to Italians and one swear word.
According to the on-line account of an As Maine Goes poster identified only as "jemhunter," Crocker "used a lot of vulgarity. He then got a caller that asked him to recind (sic) his [ethnic] remark and he refused to. I was astonished at the entire exchange."
Jeffrey said he was at the station when the incident occurred by did not hear what was said. He planned to speak with Crocker and Castaldi before taking any action.
"It's never happened before," he said. "We have to figure out what to do. We have to think it out. These are great guys. I'm just curious as to what [Castaldi] said to make [Crocker] explode. I'd just like to know what was said, because Kevin is not the kind of guy to lose his temper."
Station general manager John Van Hoogenstyn said, "Something did happen. I'm not sure what, but if it was what's said to have happened, it certainly is not to be condoned or accepted. I have to investigate."
Crocker did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Castaldi said he'd left the studio before the alleged comments were made and did not hear them. But he said he received several e-mails from listeners informing him of Crocker's remarks.
"I'm trying to be low key," he said. "I don't like that word [the ethnic slur], but I'm trying to be diplomatic. I may not have been so diplomatic if I'd heard it. I don't want to make a big thing out of this, because I don't want to embarrass the station … I'm sure it was a lapse of judgement on his part."
Federal Communications Commission rules ban the use of profanity on the air. If a complaint is filed by a listener against WLOB as a result of this incident, the FCC would investigate, and the station could be fined. Ethnic slurs are not specifically prohibited by the FCC, but other talk-show hosts, most notably Don Imus, have been fired for such comments.
- Filed May 5, 2008
Al Diamon can be e-mailed at aldiamon@herniahill.net.
According to JJ Jeffery, owner of WLOB, no tape recording of the incident exists, but postings on the Web site As Maine Goes indicate Crocker became enraged at Lou Castaldi, who hosts a fitness show on the station immediately following Crocker's program. Posters on the site said that near the end of Crocker's air time, shortly before 10 a.m., Castaldi entered the studio and interrupted Crocker's show by making a few political remarks. Crocker became angry and asked Castaldi to leave. At some point - the accounts online and from station personnel vary - Crocker, apparently believing his microphone was turned off, launched into a string of insults aimed at Castaldi, including at least one ethnic slur referring to Italians and one swear word.
According to the on-line account of an As Maine Goes poster identified only as "jemhunter," Crocker "used a lot of vulgarity. He then got a caller that asked him to recind (sic) his [ethnic] remark and he refused to. I was astonished at the entire exchange."
Jeffrey said he was at the station when the incident occurred by did not hear what was said. He planned to speak with Crocker and Castaldi before taking any action.
"It's never happened before," he said. "We have to figure out what to do. We have to think it out. These are great guys. I'm just curious as to what [Castaldi] said to make [Crocker] explode. I'd just like to know what was said, because Kevin is not the kind of guy to lose his temper."
Station general manager John Van Hoogenstyn said, "Something did happen. I'm not sure what, but if it was what's said to have happened, it certainly is not to be condoned or accepted. I have to investigate."
Crocker did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Castaldi said he'd left the studio before the alleged comments were made and did not hear them. But he said he received several e-mails from listeners informing him of Crocker's remarks.
"I'm trying to be low key," he said. "I don't like that word [the ethnic slur], but I'm trying to be diplomatic. I may not have been so diplomatic if I'd heard it. I don't want to make a big thing out of this, because I don't want to embarrass the station … I'm sure it was a lapse of judgement on his part."
Federal Communications Commission rules ban the use of profanity on the air. If a complaint is filed by a listener against WLOB as a result of this incident, the FCC would investigate, and the station could be fined. Ethnic slurs are not specifically prohibited by the FCC, but other talk-show hosts, most notably Don Imus, have been fired for such comments.
- Filed May 5, 2008
Al Diamon can be e-mailed at aldiamon@herniahill.net.
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