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Talk Radio Aflame Over Perceived Snub of Legendary Host
January 17, 2008 1:38 PM
Talk radio is taking a break from its nonstop nattering over the political campaigns to talk about a controversy involving one of its own.
Sean Hannity and others are criticizing a leading radio industry publication's decision to withdraw an award for controversial longtime conservative talk-show host Bob Grant because of apparent concern over what critics call a history of racially insensitive remarks.
According to the media watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, Grant had referred to African-Americans as "savages." The group also objected to how he referred to Haitian refugees as "sub-human infiltrators," and that he once decried the prevalence of minorities in New York City by saying, "To me, that's a bad thing. I'm a white person." Grant also stirred outrage among many for calling then-New York Mayor David Dinkins a "washroom attendant." Dinkins is African-American.
Grant has said his use of the word "savage" had "nothing to do with race," and denied he had made any comment in which he "put down an entire race of people."
Radio and Records (R&R) magazine had planned to bestow the 2008 News/Talk/Sports Lifetime Industry Achievement Award to Grant. In a statement on its Web site Wednesday, Radio and Records wrote that it had made the decision "upon further review and consideration of Bob Grant's complete body of work."
"R&R is sensitive to the diversity of our community and does not want the presentation of an award to Mr. Grant to imply our endorsement of past comments by him that contradict our values and the respect we have for all members of our community," the statement read.
The award was to be given at Radio and Records' annual Talk Radio Seminar, slated to be held this March in Washington, D.C.
Critics of the magazine's decision have zeroed in on what they perceive to be evidence of a double standard: Among other TRS keynoters scheduled to speak is Rev. Al Sharpton, whose career as a public figure is studded with controversial comments about race in America.
On his radio show Wednesday, Hannity criticized the R&R decision, and played several audio clips of Sharpton making remarks that Hannity characterized as divisive and possibly racist. Hannity asked why Sharpton would be featured at the R&R event, given their stated concerns, and suggested that radio personalities were likely to boycott the seminar.
Grant himself appeared on Hannity's show, and accused R&R of practicing a "double standard." Grant blamed a single individual, whom he would not name, who Grant says is out to destroy him.
Grant has dominated New York radio for decades. He popularized the talk format on WMCA and WABC, before being fired from WABC following a callous remark about the death of former Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, an African-American. In a statement released at the time of his dismissal, Capital Cities/ABC, which owned the station, said Grant "has been terminated by mutual agreement."
He then was hired by WOR where he retired in 2006. On his final WOR show, Grant received congratulatory calls from then-New York Gov. George Pataki, former House Majority Leader Newt Gingrich, former New York Mayor Ed Koch (whom Grant once called "the arrogant emperor"), talk show giant Howard Stern and others.
Late last year, Grant re-appeared on radio as the evening talk host on WABC, now owned by Citadel Broadcasting.
Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.
January 17, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (28)
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Bravo TO the Magazine for not rewarding this Jerk with a lifetime achievement award for being racially insensitive
(In the old days we would call it being a BIGOT)long AFTER the Civial Rights Movement had taken place. !!!!
Posted by: Leprkin | Jan 17, 2008 2:18:05 PM
Here we go again with the very vocal 11% of the population (the blacks) trying to dictate to the other 89% of us what our standards should and shouldn't be. It's okay for their music and celebrities to use very nasty racist terms about the rest of us, but this constant digging up of old news to try to hurt prominent white people has to stop! Where is the backlash against this unfairness, people?!
Posted by: Susan in Chicago | Jan 17, 2008 2:23:37 PM
i'm from new york, and this git has poisoned the air here too too long. congratulations to Radio and Records for not caving to rightwing bashers and whiners.
oh, and btw...
"It's okay for their music and celebrities to use very nasty racist terms about the rest of us"
rubbish. it's never okay. who says it is?
Posted by: petey | Jan 17, 2008 5:29:32 PM
As someone who grew up in NYC and listened to this jerk with his belligerent racist views, I applaud R&R for recognizing the error of awarding a lifetime achievement award to a lifetime moron. Moreover, I seriously doubt that 89% of the population hold Grant's outrageous opinions and, if they did, even more kudos to R&R for doing the right thing in the face of such overwhelming ignorance.
Posted by: Peter | Jan 17, 2008 5:57:14 PM
What the hell is this? Since when is second-hand tripe from Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting worthy of mention by ABC News? Never heard of this guy. Never heard of this magazine. Couldn't care less, and hard to see how anyone else (except a few rambling ditto heads - apparently some on your staff) could either.
Please feel free to not post at all if you really think the news day is this slow.
Posted by: Bill B. | Jan 17, 2008 6:45:07 PM
Sounds like someone is jealous...
Thou shalt not Bash.
Thou shalt not be Racist.
Thou shall not be Insensitive.
Thou shall not...
(You get the idea...)
Posted by: ToungeTyed | Jan 18, 2008 11:19:24 AM
Bob Grant never met a situation he could not make worse. He's been a pustule on public discourse in New York from the very beginning. Poison ivy won't touch him for fear of contamination.
I feel sorry for anyone who hates having to be polite to other races - too bad, the train has left the station, we expect it now - but Bob Grant is an absolute sewer-rat and the sooner he fades into obscurity, the better this world will be.
Of course Sean Hannity is upset. It might happen to him, too, in his vicious stupidity.
Posted by: Panskeptic | Jan 18, 2008 4:29:11 PM
This guy sounds like a pig and I agree with it. Tho I'll also agree there appears to be double standards going anymore, and blacks can be racist as well.
Posted by: Sandra | Jan 18, 2008 4:32:34 PM
I had a dream last night, well, more like a nightmare.
I dreamed I was in a room with all the listeners of Bob Grant last night with Mr Grant’s voice blaring over the loud speaker.
Was I scared to death.
There were men with tatoos, confederate flag T shirts and typically holding a beer. There were skinheads, we know who they are. The woman were downright frightening, sort of a preview of next week’s female wrestling program.
I don't believe I heard one word spoken that consisted of more than 3 syllables.
They all were, however, very loyal, loyal to all that holds that certain elements of our country together such as, freedom of speech provided of course that you agree with them, human rights if it does not include anyone with other than there skin color. Oh yes and, war, they just seemed to love war. It means your patriotic.
I must tell you this too, I believe I spotted Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, good ‘ole boy Rush standing near the men’s room door.
I actually was out of bed before the alarm went off
wars,
Posted by: John | Jan 19, 2008 1:02:48 PM
Amen to the people that notice the blacks can make comments, sing about it and call one another names and no one does a damn thing about it. The double standards that exist in this country are appaling. As for this guy, I will refer my judgement until I have heard him. Geez, could it be that the media misquoted this guy, sure that one has never happened. Nevertheless, if he has made bigoted statements, then he should not receive a reward, but people give this man the benefit of the doubt. Has he ever been sanctioned by the FCC? Has he ever been suspended or fired for remarks by his own employer? Why have we not heard about his shenanigans in the media? Is he not "big" enough? We just recently heard about the young lady that made a remark about lynching Tiger Woods in an alley, why not this guy if he's been doing it for years?
Posted by: julesverne | Jan 19, 2008 11:16:20 PM
If Grant is so popular, this will die down and then he, too, will be offered another radio job, just like Don Imus.
BTW, gratuitous name dropping is a nuisance, unless the author gets paid by the word.
Posted by: shortnativetexan | Jan 20, 2008 6:16:09 PM
Typical comments from the Democrat Party. All they do is show, yet once again, that their collective stupidity is surpassed only by their mind numbing intellectual dishonesty.
Bottom line is that political correctness is nothing but a cop out for those who have no guts and who can't handle the truth of life. Cry me a river over your being "offended" by everything you don't like, because that's all it ends up being. As long as you like it, it's not offensive, but anything that you don't like, it's suddenly offensive and had to be erradicated.
Now do I like Sean Hannity? Absolutely not. Do I like Bob Grant? I don't even know who he is, let alone ever heard his show. Am I a Republican? Nope. I am an Independent, with a conservative bent, but I'm tired of all the crying and whining that the liberal Democrat Party does whenever they don't get their way or something they like is getting hammered. Deal with it!!!
Live isn't fair and the sooner you deal with the good and the bad, the sooner you'll be able to deal with reality, and when that happens, well, you'll see that your life will get infinitely better. But it will never get better as long as you spend your life trying to get rid of everything you don't like, or sue everybody you don't agree with; basically putting your nose and business where it doesn't belong.
And hopefully one day, and I hope that day comes sooner rather than later as I fear for this country if it doesn't, that nose will get shattered repeatedly until you liberal crybabies learn to shut up, go about your business and leave everybody else alone to figure out life for themselves.
Posted by: Thirteenburn | Jan 21, 2008 6:30:32 AM
Has there ever been an african american fired because of a remark about another race?
Posted by: smith | Jan 21, 2008 9:16:50 AM
YEA! Another feeding the masses so as to create disharmony and incite violence gets his wings clipped! BRAVO!
Posted by: Susan Crossen | Jan 21, 2008 11:21:58 AM
susan in chicago, this guy's prominent? I've never heard of him. Of course, I would rather have hot needles plunged into my eyes than listen to a conservative radio host like Hannity or Rush Slimebaugh.
Posted by: jason c | Jan 21, 2008 11:52:49 AM
Is that a bad toupé or what?!?
Posted by: Alamo.308 | Jan 21, 2008 11:59:39 AM
Susan in Chicago:
It's not just blacks who find this jerk reprehensible. It's anyone who is not a racist and tries to think for himself rather than repeat the hatred, these talk radio jocks disperse.
And to those of you who think there is a double standard, Al Sharpton and other controversial black celebrities get in lots of trouble when they make racist statements, too. But no one talks about giving them awards.
Posted by: Bill | Jan 21, 2008 3:44:14 PM
Congratulations to R&R for realizing their mistake and cancelling an award to this creep. Also congratulations to CAIR for boycotting Michael(Savage) Weiner show. Freedom of speech doesn't compel sponsers to pay for these creeps staying on the air. I would suggest a contribution of all you readers to CAIR to help put Weiner out of business. Weiner is suing CAIR for using his hate speech to convince sponsers to drop his show. Even more pathetic he is begging for donations from his listeners to sue CAIR. Weiner is apiece of shlt.
Posted by: bushrots | Jan 21, 2008 3:53:53 PM
FOX News is the truth. Conservative radio gives you the rest of the facts the others omit. Would I lie?
Posted by: Mitch | Jan 23, 2008 3:56:39 PM
What's the problem?
Imus came back, and we all know about that one...
Is this one any different?
Mitch,
Fox News spreads the news like the rest of them - Thick. It's their job to please [The White House].
Would you lie? Are you Human?
If so, then yes, you do lie.
It's in our nature to do things that please us - and lying is one of them.
If you're not human, then you are of an animal species we've never heard of or you're not of this planet.
I suspect the latter...
(Snicker, Snicker...)
Posted by: ToungeTyed | Jan 24, 2008 2:49:01 PM
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