Radio Host (Karel, SF) Gets the Hook for Joe-the-Plumber Comments

[Newsjock]

Source: Wall Street Journal

The Supreme Court is still pondering whether to permit fleeting expletives on the airwaves, but a San Francisco radio station isn’t waiting for the decision.

A host on San Francisco’s top-rated KGO told his fans Tuesday that the station had fired him over comments he made a few days before the election about Joe Wurzelbacher, the suddenly famous unlicensed plumber who got caught up in the candidates’ tax policy debates.

Charles “Karel” Bouley, a weekend personality, thought his microphone was off as the station aired a brief newsclip. Unfortunately for him, it was still on, whisking his insights about that night’s Joe-the-Plumber update to thousands of Bay-area listeners.

His comments about Wurzelbacher arguably weren’t fleeting. In fact, Bouley used several colorful expletives to describe the Ohio everyman, as well as wishing him dead.

Read more: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/11/11/radio-host-gets-the-hook-for-joe-the-plumber-comments/

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More from Brad Kava:
http://www.examiner.com/x-448-SF-Radio-Examiner~y2008m11d11-Karel-and-Engineer-Fired-in-a-One-Paragraph-Email-and-Three-Minute-Phone-Call

Charles "Karel" Bouley, San Francisco's lone gay voice on KGO-AM (810) talk radio, was fired Tuesday afternoon, a week after some profanities went out on air when he thought his microphone was off.

"They silence the most prominent gay voice in the Bay, right as Prop 8 passes. How lovely," said Karel in an email.

... In his defense, Karel says that he was told by the engineer, who left the studio to use the bathroom, that his microphone was off. The engineer was also told, he says, to make sure it is off during breaks because Karel talks to his chat room during the breaks, saying things not appropriate for the air.

[msongs]

1. dude, who is responsible for what words come out of your mouth? that's right nt

[ben_meyers]

2. Old radio business adage

Every mic is live at all times, just ask Jesse Jackson.

[last1standing]

3. Any microphone should always be treated as live.

In that respect this is Bouley's own fault and he needs to take responsibility for his actions.

That said, the only part of his comments that seem termination worthy is that he wished someone dead. That's just low-class and hurtful on a personal level.

Regardless, I'd be willing to bet he's snapped up by a competitor relatively quickly. This is just a stupid mistake and most companies wouldn't hold it against him if his ratings were good.

[RavensChick]

4. What the hell?!?!?!

:wow:

Sad.

[hangman86]

5. And yet I'll bet Joe Scarbarough isn't going to lose any work.

These fucking morons who run the media! So unfair. :-(

[Puzzler]

6. Not taking any chances?

There are no chances to take with the FCC. If the FCC comes after KGO, they'll do it anyway. As far as I know, they go after the stations for what WAS said, and not whether the host was fired or not. Bottom line is they can still fine KGO regardless of what they did with Karel.

Tough break for him anyway. The circumstances were somewhat different that a normal studio, clearly.

[ej510]

7. Too bad Karel was a good progressive voice on the weekends and

for spot duty during the week.

[Puzzler]

8. Yeah...

I'm listening to Gene Burns on KGO right now, and he's defending Karel :)