Boston Herald, WRKO, John DePetro, Matt Amorello

NOT OVER YET?

Herald, Globe, Note 'Indirect' Apology





Just when storm clouds finally seemed to be lifting from the vicinity of WRKO talk host John DePetro, fresh stories in today's Boston Herald and Globe appear to have reignited the controversy.

After he called embattled Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Chairman Matt Amorello "Fag Matt" last Tuesday, a media firestorm erupted, with DePetro earning a two- day suspension from the station.

This time, the Herald and the Globe have both made the distinction between DePetro's general apology made Friday, as opposed to one directed specifically toward Amorello, which they say hasn't happened. Apparently, both publications believed this would occur on yesterday's show.

At least to us, it's unclear whether DePetro had been asked to apologize directly to Amorello.

Because your Radio Equalizer works for WRKO and filled in for him during the suspension period, we'll omit opinions here.


From the Boston Herald's Jessica Heslam:

Host apologizes for radio slur, but not to his target, Amorello


THE OUTRAGE:

WRKO radio host John DePetro was back behind the microphone yesterday after a two-day suspension, doling out apologies for his “stupid” on-air gay slur to everyone but the target of his verbal attack.

“On Tuesday, the language that I used was offensive. It was stupid, there was no excuse for it and I apologize,” DePetro said at the opening of yesterday morning’s show on 680 AM. “There were many, many members of the local and national community who were offended by that language.”

“I apologize to those people. I apologize to the management and listeners - you - of WRKO,” he said. “That is not the type of language that should be used on any show and certainly will not be used on my show ever again.”

But DePetro yesterday didn’t directly apologize to Amorello nor has he contacted the Big Dig boss. Turnpike officials have declined to comment on DePetro’s remarks.

“We discuss topics very passionately on this show, but we should never allow, and I should never allow, offensive language to enter into our discussion no matter how intense that it gets,” DePetro said during his public apology.

And from the Globe's Joseph P Kahn:

Calling his use of a homo- sexual slur ``offensive" and ``stupid," WRKO talk show host John DePetro returned to the airwaves yesterday from a two- day suspension and apologized for his choice of words in describing embattled Turnpike Authority chairman Matthew J. Amorello during Tuesday's show.

``There were many, many members of the local and national community who were offended by that language," DePetro said shortly after his show began at 9 a.m. ``I apologize to those people. I apologize to the management and listeners of WRKO. Plain and simple, that is not the type of language that should be used on any show and certainly will not be used on my show ever again."

Without offering a direct apology to Amorello, DePetro continued, ``We discuss topics very passionately on this show, but I should never allow offensive language to enter into our discussion, no matter how intense it gets. I want to repeat, there is no room for offensive language on this show by anyone, period. And I apologize."

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