Howard Eskin suspended from Citizens Bank Park after making unwanted advance toward an Aramark employee
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Howard Eskin, a longtime Philadelphia sports broadcaster and radio personality on 94WIP, has been suspended from Citizens Bank Park for the rest of the season after making an unwanted advance toward an Aramark employee.
"We learned of an unwelcome kiss by Howard Eskin towards an Aramark employee at Citizens Bank Park," Audacy, the parent company of WIP, said in a statement on Tuesday. "We take these matters very seriously. We immediately investigated and took action to address the matter."
Phillies statement on Eskin
The Philadelphia Phillies said the team takes the "allegations very seriously."
"We support Audacy's decision to suspend Howard Eskin from Citizens Bank Park," the Phillies said in a statement.
A phone call by CBS News Philadelphia to the 73-year-old Eskin was not returned. Eskin will continue to be on the air on WIP moving forward, according to Audacy, but he won't be on this weekend due to something unrelated to the incident at Citizens Bank Park.
"The safety of our employees is paramount, and when we learned that an Aramark employee had been subjected to an unwanted advance by an Audacy employee, we immediately began an investigation, which corroborated the allegations," Aramark said in a statement. "We then worked with Audacy and the Phillies to ensure that appropriate steps were taken to protect our employee and all of the Aramark employees at Citizens Bank Park."
76ers ban Eskin from facilities
A spokesperson for the Philadelphia 76ers said Wednesday the team does not intend to grant Eskin access to their training complex "until further notice" and has requested Wells Fargo Center not to let Eskin inside for games and team activities for the foreseeable future.
A spokesperson for Comcast Spectacor, which owns the Wells Fargo Center, said they "respect" any decision the Sixers made regarding Eskin.
"The Sixers control access and credentials for all of their events, including games and activities, in the Wells Fargo Center," the statement read. "We respect any decision they make regarding Mr. Eskin. We became aware of the incident regarding Mr. Eskin yesterday and will continue to monitor the situation."
Eskin has a long history in Philly sports media
Eskin has been a sports media personality in Philadelphia for decades.
Eskin, a Northeast High alumnus, helped 610 WIP launch the station's first-ever sports talk show in 1986. He has broadcast nearly 7,000 shows on WIP, which is more than any other sports talker in the country, according to his website. He's also had multiple stops at TV stations in Philadelphia.
Eskin had two different stints at KYW-TV, which is now CBS News Philadelphia, in 1982 and 1992. He's also worked at NBC10 and FOX29, where he currently is a contributor for the station's Eagles coverage along with being a sideline reporter for the team on WIP. Eskin also still hosts a show on Saturday mornings on WIP.
Eskin's son, Spike, rejoined the station earlier this year in WIP's afternoon drive slot after working as the program director of WFAN-FM in New York.
