State Rep Blasts Being “Sabotaged” by Granahan on WPRO
GoLocalProv News Team and Kate Nagle
State Rep Blasts Being “Sabotaged” by Granahan on WPRO
“I hosted on WPRO for two days. Look, I used to be a Boston broadcaster. I spent ten years on air,” said Ruggiero, of filling in the 6-9 P.M. time slot for two days last week, which is usually the Tara Granahan Show. “I had on Senator Whitehouse, we talked about the Senate confirmation hearings, I had [State Senator] Josh Miller on to talk about marijuana legalization, [Speaker] Mattiello on the car tax, Rep. Serpa on UHIP.”
Ruggiero was the first talk show host at WPRO to interview Raimondo (who has been on news with Gene Valicenti) after John DePetro left, as the station was the subject of a boycott by Democratic officials while he was on air.
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Ruggiero said she took issue when she had Raimondo on — and Granahan called in.
“When the Governor came on, I wanted to break a couple of stories,” said Ruggiero, of the interview that took place on Thursday. “I knew about the two-year free college proposal, and her plan to increase the minimum wage.”
“So it’s strange that someone off-the-air would push their way back on, and then take credit for ‘interviewing the Governor,” said Ruggiero. “That was my leverage and equity with getting the Governor on. WPRO would have had those stories first, but [Granahan] sabotaged it.”
Ruggiero said that Granahan pressed Raimondo on the UHIP problems.
“It was good to hear Republicans talk about UHIP, talk about the social services that Rhode Islanders need,” said Ruggiero. “Maybe the UHIP debacle is an eye opener. Maybe this year we won’t see major cuts to social service programs.”
SLIDES: Infamous Talk Radio Controversies
Infamous Talk Radio Controversies
Arbitron Ratings Scandal
In 2008, radio host John DePetro found himself in the midst of a ratings controversy. The Boston Herald reported,
The briefly stellar ratings of controversy-dogged-talkmeister John DePetro’s Providence radio show tanked yesterday after a whiff of scandal forced Arbitron to reissue its spring survey of listener-dial habits.
In the 6 to 10 a.m. weekday slot occupied by the self-proclaimed “Independent Man” on WPRO-AM (630), “the reissue ranked WPRO at number nine” among valued 25- to 54-year-old listeners, “down from the number four rank in the original release,” program manager Paul Giammarco and station market manager Barbara Haynes announced in a joint statement.
Candidate Name-Calling
DePetro was fired from Boston radio station WRKO in 2006 for calling then-gubernatorial Rainbow Party candidate Grace Ross a "fat lesbian."
Office Scuffle
The Providence Journal's Mike Stanton reported on an altercation in 2009 between DePetro and radio host Ron St. Pierre.
DePetro said he was hit -- and scratched -- in the eye with a balled up paper with a staple thrown at him by St. Pierre.
Buddy's Return - to Radio
After five years in prison for racketeering conspiracy from 2002 to 2007, former Mayor of Providence Buddy Cianci returned to the public eye with a radio show on WPRO.
While controversial, Cianci's continued popularity has people wondering if Buddy might just make another run for Mayor in 2014.
Chafee's Talk Radio Ban
Upon taking office in 2011, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee announced that he would not appear on talk radio shows and barred state employees in agencies and departments that report to him from doing the same during work hours.
Governor Chafee is among the elected officials who have signed the "For Our Daughters" pledge.
Dennis and Callahan
WEEI sports radio hosts John Dennis and Gerry Callahan were suspended in 2003 when they referred to an escaped gorilla as a "Metco gorilla" waiting for a bus to Lexington -- with Metco being bus program that buses inner-city students to suburban schools.
Boston's WCVB reported that advertisers Dunkin' Donuts and Blue Cross pulled back station support in light of the incident.
Severin Suspended
WTKK's Jay Severin was fired for making comments about sleeping with female employees over the years.
Radio Ink reported on Greater Media's reaction to the incident.
"Greater Media today ended its relationship with Jay Severin. Our company has always encouraged a free and open dialogue on a variety of issues and topics, and we will continue to be guided by that principle. But we also demand that our on-air talent maintain an appropriate level of civility, and adhere to a standard that respects our listeners and the public at large.
Imus' Racial Remarks
in 2007, nationally syndicated talk show host Don Imus called Rutgers women's basketball players "nappy-headed hos." Imus was suspended -- then fired -- by CBS Radio.
Five years later, Imus was back on the national radio circuit, as reported by New Jersey.com
Rush Limbaugh
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh is no stranger to controversy; his latest remarks prompted the Democratic National Committee to call on Republican leaders to boycott the Daily Caller, which defended Limbaugh's remarks in an article entitled, "Liberals want to stop men from checking out women."
