Dear Marshall....
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 9:38 pm
...GET THE HELL OUT OF MY CONFERENCE!
*************
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - A guest host for a radio sports talk
show says he has been fired because he discussed the arrests of two
Marshall football players on the air.
J.J. Hester said he has been notified he was "released" from
the Insider Sportsline-Statewide show produced by Kindred
Communications.
"That's absolutely why, because of that show," he said.
Hester said he also was relieved from broadcasting high school
football games. He is still employed as an advertising salesperson
for Kindred.
Kindred owns several Huntington stations, including flagship
station WRVC, 930-AM, as well as the Herd Insider, a publication
for Marshall fans. Kindred produces the show for ISP Sports, which
owns radio and promotional rights for Marshall sports and other
schools' sports, including Virginia Tech and Central Florida.
Marshall and ISP have been partners since 1998.
Hester said the arrests of reserve quarterback Bernard Morris
and Roger Garrett, a defensive back, were a hot topic on his
Tuesday show. Morris was charged with malicious assault and Garrett
was charged with assault by threat early Sunday.
Hester said he expressed some strong opinions, stressing the
potential two- to 10-year penalty Morris faces. He said he changed
the topic and blocked callers from discussing the arrests after
receiving a call from Jim Woodrum, general manager for the Marshall
partnership who is an ISP vice president.
"I loved that job. It's like they took my life away. I loved
doing the show. I'm distraught, I'm hurt and everything," Hester
said Wednesday on Paul Swann's sports talk show on WVHU, 800-AM, a
Huntington station owned by Clear Channel Communications.
Kindred Communications President Mike Kirtner said Thursday the
company has a policy prohibiting editorializing by on-air hosts,
although callers are welcome to voice opinions.
"Our announcers are instructed to be moderators. We are not
trying to create news. Unfortunately, right now we are," Kirtner
said.
"J.J. Is a little high strung and he can get very opinionated.
We have had other occurrences with this," said Kirtner.
He said Woodrum demanded that Hester be removed.
"This was something he did four or five hours a week," Kirtner
said, emphasizing that Hester is still employed as a salesperson.
"He is a good young person," Kirtner said. "In a market this
size, I think our goal is to help people get their careers started
and let people learn from their mistakes and their victories. That
is one reason, rather than just throwing him out with what has
happened, we are going to work with him."
The victim in the alleged incident that led to the players'
arrests said Morris poured beer over her head in Goodfellas Bar
about 1 a.m. Sunday. The woman, who was not identified, began to
walk away and Morris allegedly grabbed her by the neck and struck
her in the face with a beer bottle, according to a Huntington
Police Department incident report.
A fight then broke out in the bar, according to the police
report. The woman claimed she was confronted by Garrett as she
tried to leave. Garrett had been thrown out of the bar earlier, the
report said. She ran and Garrett was restrained by others outside
the bar, the report said.
The woman was treated and released from St. Mary's Medical
Center for a cut on her upper lip, a cut on her right ear and
redness on her neck, The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington reported.
Marshall coach Bob Pruett has said Morris and Garrett will not
play in Saturday's game at Kent State.
It wasn't the first time Garrett has been arrested this season.
He was charged with malicious wounding after an Aug. 22 fight
outside a bar involving an Ohio State player. That charge was
dismissed at the request of prosecutors on Sept. 15.
Ohio State defensive end Redgie Arden suffered a broken nose and
other facial injuries in the August incident.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
*************
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - A guest host for a radio sports talk
show says he has been fired because he discussed the arrests of two
Marshall football players on the air.
J.J. Hester said he has been notified he was "released" from
the Insider Sportsline-Statewide show produced by Kindred
Communications.
"That's absolutely why, because of that show," he said.
Hester said he also was relieved from broadcasting high school
football games. He is still employed as an advertising salesperson
for Kindred.
Kindred owns several Huntington stations, including flagship
station WRVC, 930-AM, as well as the Herd Insider, a publication
for Marshall fans. Kindred produces the show for ISP Sports, which
owns radio and promotional rights for Marshall sports and other
schools' sports, including Virginia Tech and Central Florida.
Marshall and ISP have been partners since 1998.
Hester said the arrests of reserve quarterback Bernard Morris
and Roger Garrett, a defensive back, were a hot topic on his
Tuesday show. Morris was charged with malicious assault and Garrett
was charged with assault by threat early Sunday.
Hester said he expressed some strong opinions, stressing the
potential two- to 10-year penalty Morris faces. He said he changed
the topic and blocked callers from discussing the arrests after
receiving a call from Jim Woodrum, general manager for the Marshall
partnership who is an ISP vice president.
"I loved that job. It's like they took my life away. I loved
doing the show. I'm distraught, I'm hurt and everything," Hester
said Wednesday on Paul Swann's sports talk show on WVHU, 800-AM, a
Huntington station owned by Clear Channel Communications.
Kindred Communications President Mike Kirtner said Thursday the
company has a policy prohibiting editorializing by on-air hosts,
although callers are welcome to voice opinions.
"Our announcers are instructed to be moderators. We are not
trying to create news. Unfortunately, right now we are," Kirtner
said.
"J.J. Is a little high strung and he can get very opinionated.
We have had other occurrences with this," said Kirtner.
He said Woodrum demanded that Hester be removed.
"This was something he did four or five hours a week," Kirtner
said, emphasizing that Hester is still employed as a salesperson.
"He is a good young person," Kirtner said. "In a market this
size, I think our goal is to help people get their careers started
and let people learn from their mistakes and their victories. That
is one reason, rather than just throwing him out with what has
happened, we are going to work with him."
The victim in the alleged incident that led to the players'
arrests said Morris poured beer over her head in Goodfellas Bar
about 1 a.m. Sunday. The woman, who was not identified, began to
walk away and Morris allegedly grabbed her by the neck and struck
her in the face with a beer bottle, according to a Huntington
Police Department incident report.
A fight then broke out in the bar, according to the police
report. The woman claimed she was confronted by Garrett as she
tried to leave. Garrett had been thrown out of the bar earlier, the
report said. She ran and Garrett was restrained by others outside
the bar, the report said.
The woman was treated and released from St. Mary's Medical
Center for a cut on her upper lip, a cut on her right ear and
redness on her neck, The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington reported.
Marshall coach Bob Pruett has said Morris and Garrett will not
play in Saturday's game at Kent State.
It wasn't the first time Garrett has been arrested this season.
He was charged with malicious wounding after an Aug. 22 fight
outside a bar involving an Ohio State player. That charge was
dismissed at the request of prosecutors on Sept. 15.
Ohio State defensive end Redgie Arden suffered a broken nose and
other facial injuries in the August incident.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
