Quote:
Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...0666609.htm?1c
Posted on Mon, Jan. 17, 2005
Las Vegas Weatherman Fired for MLK Slur
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS - A television weatherman was fired after referring to slain
civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. as "Martin Luther Coon
King" on the air, station officials said.
Rob Blair, of KTNV-TV, was delivering the extended forecast Saturday
morning when he said: "Martin Luther Coon King Jr. Day, gonna see some
temperatures in the mid-60s."
Jim Prather, vice president and general manager of the ABC affiliate,
said Blair stumbled when he uttered the remark, but the excuse was not
enough to save his job.
"This kind of incident is not acceptable under any circumstances, and
I'm truly sorry that this event occurred," Prather said.
Blair, who worked at the station for about three months, apologized
during the station's 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts Saturday.
"I in no way intended to offend anyone," he said in the apology. "I'm
very sorry."
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No excuses. No stumbling. You don't refer to Dr. King as
Coon unless you have issues. I also learned that he also referred to Dr. King as
Kong.
(I'm going idealist here, because I know this hemmorhoid will get another job.
)
Somebody's career needs to end over this. Hopefully, the National Association of Black Journalists keeps this in a data bank and sends alerts to the Radio-Television News Directors Association or whoever would make hiring decisions on people.