Morning Show Pulled From Air For Joking About Boston Explosions
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A Sacramento-based syndicated morning talk show has been pulled off the air following criticism of jokes made about Boston, a day after the marathon bombings.
Entercom's KRXQ 98 Rock has pulled their morning show Rob, Arnie and Dawn after CBSSports1140 morning host Don Geronimo criticized the trio on his show for discussing if it's "too soon" to make jokes about Boston and joking about a "top 5 list" of reasons to hate the city.
"Maybe I'm the one with the problem. I'm the one who's the shock jock doing the shock jock radio show and I don't feel good doing jokes about what happened in Boston," Geronimo said on this show Wednesday.
At one point, with fake Boston accents, Rob, Artie and Dawn talked about people losing their limbs.
They go on to discuss how one couple's relationship might change after one man went to see his girlfriend at the finish line and lost his legs.
"He'll hold that over her head forever. Yeah she can never leave him now. No she can't," they said.
RELATED: The Don Geronimo Show – April 18, 2013
A statement criticizing Geronimo was posted on the Rob, Arnie and Dawn website.
"Our show came under attack from a Sacramento radio host who would love to call himself a 'competitor,' but who instead is just another bottom-feeder looking and hoping for ways to better himself by disparaging and defaming us, our show and others in the local media market," the statement read regarding Geronimo.
"It bothers me even more when I read this bull "s" statement which is blaming me. It's blaming me for simply pointing out what they did on their radio show," said Gernonimo.
The trio's statement also criticized 98 Rock's decision to pull the show.
"For reasons unclear to us, our Sacramento carrier, 98 Rock (KRXQ), allowed itself to be bullied and misled by the local radio host who so grossly distorted truth and facts," the statement read in part. "We understand a radio station's desire and instinct to protect itself for economic and political purposes, but this is absurd."
The statement ended with a call-to-arms of the show's "faithful listeners and all other truth-seekers" to call and email the station.
Entercom Vice President and Market Manager Sean Shannon released a statement late Wednesday morning addressing the station's decision not to air the syndicated radio program.
"This Monday in Boston was a tragedy. There is nothing funny about it. We disagree with how Rob, Arnie and Dawn treated those events and thus took their syndicated show off the air. We prefer the focus to be on our friends, colleagues and the city of Boston in this difficult time."
According to the statement on Rob, Arnie and Dawn's website, the show will return on Monday.
