Tavis Smiley Quits Tom Joyner Radio Show Over Obama Hate

[CatWoman]

Richard Prince reports that Tavis Smiley is leaving the "Tom Joyner Morning Show":

"He called me yesterday and said, 'I quit,'" Joyner said.

Joyner said Smiley told him he was working on too many projects, but believed the real reason was that "he can't take the hate.


"He can't take the hate he's taken over Barack Obama. He's always busting Barack Obama's chops. They call. They e-mail. They joke. You know Tavis like I do. He needs to feel loved"...


Smiley had been critical of Obama for not attending Smiley's annual "State of the Black Union" symposium on Feb. 23. Of the presidential candidates, only Sen. Hillary Clinton accepted the invitation. Obama said he would send his wife, Michelle, but Smiley insisted that was not good enough.

"I'm catching hell," Smiley acknowledged in an interview then with Michael H. Cottman of BlackAmericaWeb.com.

Tavis acknowledged the situation on his website and told readers that he will address the situation on Tuesday:

Friends and Supporters:

By now, you may have heard of my departure from the Tom Joyner Morning Show.


I am traveling today and am not available to respond directly. I will address what you heard on the Tom Joyner Morning Show next Tuesday at 8:25 AM EST, during my normal commentary on the show.


Warmest Regards,

Tavis




http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/11/tavis-smiley-quits-radio_n_96246.html

[Alter Ego]

1. He can't take hate mail?

Wow, he's just like her. No criticism tolerated! Otherwise I shall become angry!

You wouldn't like me when I'm angry...

[Texas Hill Country]

16. ummm... he shouldnt have to put up with being called Uncle Tom and Napkinhead

[goldcanyonaz]

24. Or the ever popular sellout, like I've been called.

[Alter Ego]

36. OK, that's a bit of a problem.

I did not know that part.

[Texas Hill Country]

48. yeah, along with all the AA superdelegates... the pressure is VISCIOUS.

[Spider Jerusalem]

62. The pressure is thick and resistant to flow?

The word is 'vicious'.

[Bake]

70. Actually the word you're looking for is "viscous."

That would be thick and resistant to flow ...

:rofl:

Bake

[Texas Hill Country]

72. sorry for the typo...

:)

[Bake]

68. But none of the Obots are racist, of course.

None. Napkinhead and Uncle Tom, just for criticizing their candidate. Fucking amazing.

Bake

[Spider Jerusalem]

75. These are African-American Obama supporters.

it takes a bit of a stretch to call them 'racist'; suich terms have a highly different context than they would coming from a white person. And you can't honestly call it racism. (Oh, and I see you didn't get the memo re new civility guidelines.)

[Bake]

79. Then perhaps I should just call it racial prejudice.

AA's calling other AA's Uncle Tom for not supporting an AA for president.

Racist, prejudiced, call it whatever politically correct term you like. I call it like I see it.

And by the way, I don't even know what the hell "Napkinhead" refers to ...

Bake

[Spider Jerusalem]

82. Your vision isn't all that good then.

It's stupid to say that members of one racial/ethnic group can exercise racial prejudice against other members of that same racial/ethnic group. Hypothetical scenario: Irish Catholics call a somewhat prominent Irish Catholic entertainment personality a sellout for supporting the Ulster Unionist candidate; are they expressing anti-Catholic or racist sentiments?

[Tarheel_Dem]

83. we've said the same thing about Condi Rice, Michael Steele,

Ken Blackwell, et al for years. Tavis' subliminal support for Hillary was a problem with the TJMS audience, who overwhelmingly support Obama. Tavis held Obama to a much higher standard than even the Republicans, and that includes Hillary. Tavis has a right to put his opinions out there, and call public figures to task, but a "professional" is prepared for the blowback.

Keith has been called names by the right for years, and now the Hillarities have joined forces with them, but Keith hasn't announced he's quitting because he can't take the heat. A man who has made his name on his critique of public figures, can't cry foul when that criticism is turned on himself.

That pathetic display of a "protest" by HRC supporters was free speech, but when you put yourself out there, be prepared for criticism, and that includes Tavis & Hillary.

[Window]

61. Last year at Tavis' symposium, he wore Senator Obama out. Said he wasn't black enough, etc.

The crowd booed him (Obama) mercilessly. I believe Senator Obama announced his candidacy the same day the symposium was held and Tavis was pissed he didn't attend.

[JoFerret]

64. Obama hate is pretty powerful stuff

...check DU for evidence.

[goldcanyonaz]

2. I know how he feels, believe me, I know exactly how he feels.

I've been labeled a sellout for my support of Clinton, I can't even imagine the letters that he is getting.

This is a tough election for many of us.

[NashVegas]

45. I'm Sorry To Hear That

Rough year :(

[OzarkDem]

50. and its coming from those who purport to be Dems

Hatred is not a Democratic value, it is NOT what we stand for.

Obama supporters, you are wrong, wrong, wrong. Hate has no place in this election it has no place in the Democratic Party.

[JoFerret]

65. the identity politics game has been played to the hilt by Obama folk.

.

[AX10]

90. It is these kinds of personal attacks from the activist base..

that will make it next to impossible for people such as myself to support Obama in the fall.

[anonymous171]

3. I wish Taylor Marsh would do that.

But I like Tavis Smiley, even though he tried to generate drama against Obama.

[monicaaida]

4. help someone please post this new penn poll as a new thread

help someone please post this new penn poll as a new thread


TEMPLE UNIVERSITY: PENN POLL HILLARY 47 OBAMA 41


Senator Hillary Clinton leads Senator Barack Obama by 44 – 35 percent among Pennsylvanians likely to vote in the Democratic presidential primary on April 22. Nineteen percent remain undecided or refuse to express a preference, but that group leans toward Obama. Adding in the undecided voters who lean to one candidate or the other shrinks Clinton’s lead to 47 – 41 percent.

Asked to express an opinion about the candidates on a scale from 0 to 10, just 1 percent of likely voters say they don’t know enough about the candidates to rate them. “Not many Pennsylvanians who are


Percent

Preferences of undecided

Including preferences of undecided
Clinton

44

3

47
Obama

35

6

41
Another candidate

2


2
Don’t know/not sure

17


9
Refused

2


2

likely to vote in the primary remain uncertain about the candidates or their choice,” said Michael G. Hagen, director of Temple’s Institute for Public Affairs. “That’s why, despite the growing intensity of the campaign, we’ve seen very little reliable change in the polls over the past several weeks.”

Differences among demographic groups are stark:
• 83 percent of blacks favor Obama, compared to 31 percent of whites
• 79 percent under the age of 30 favor Obama, compared to 28 percent over 60 years old
• 55 percent of women favor Clinton, compared to 32 percent of men

The contest is strikingly close, however, among white men, with Obama leading in that group, 40 – 35. That group also is especially likely to express equally favorable opinions about Clinton and Obama. “White men stand out as the group with the most ambivalence about the candidates, as a group and individually,” said Hagen. “That is certainly the reason the candidates have focused so much of their attention on white men in recent weeks.”

The race remains close enough that turnout will be critical, especially in the all-important allocation of convention delegates. The two sides bring different assets to the turnout contest. The Clinton campaign has the backing of more of Pennsylvania’s top elected officials, but the Obama campaign will have more money to spend to get out the vote.

As the Poll shows, supporters of the two candidates also may be motivated to vote by quite different considerations: Clinton supporters are more likely to have a history of voting, while Obama supporters are more engaged in this particular election. The difference is due partly to the age difference between the two groups—the average Obama supporter is seven years younger than the average Clinton supporter—and partly to the success of the Obama campaign in attracting the support of people with little political experience. “Habit and enthusiasm are both very important ingredients in getting people to the polls, and these camps have the two in different measures,” according to Hagen. “It will be fascinating to see how the differences between these coalitions and between these campaign organizations interact to determine the primary’s result.”
Clinton supporters Obama supporters
Some people seem to follow what’s going on in government and public affairs most of the time, whether there’s an election going on or not. Others aren’t that interested. Would you say you follow what’s going on in government and public affairs most of the time, some of the time, only now and then, or hardly at all? (percent “most of the time”) 55 63
Would you say you have been very much interested, somewhat interested, or not much interested in the political campaigns so far this year? (percent “very much interested”) 55 63
How much thought have you given to the coming primary election for president--a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or none at all? (percent “a great deal”) 54 62
How often would you say you vote—always, nearly always, part of the time, or seldom? (percent “always”) 66 60
Do you happen to know where people who live in your neighborhood go to vote? (percent “yes”) 85 82
Have you ever voted in the polling place or division where you now live? (percent “yes”) 83 76
Thinking back to the election in November of 2006, when Bob Casey ran against Rick Santorum for US Senator from Pennsylvania, did things come up that kept you from voting, or did you happen to vote in that election? (percent “yes, voted”) 71 69
Have you ever voted in a primary election for President, Congress, or Governor? (percent “yes”) 82 73

For this Temple Poll a randomly selected sample of Pennsylvanians registered to vote were interviewed by telephone between March 27 and April 9, 2008. Once the interviewing was complete, the data were weighted to correct for unequal probabilities of selection and response, and to ensure that the demographic characteristics of the sample match the population of registered voters in Pennsylvania. The sample included 583 likely voters, identified on the basis of their voting history and engagement with the campaign. With a sample of this size, the overall margin of error attributable to sampling is 4 percentage points. The sampling error for subgroups is larger.

Additional results from the Poll will be released over the next several days.


http://www.temple.edu/newsroom/2007_2008/04/stories/Templepoll_Pennsylvania.htm

[Texas Hill Country]

54. he had a legitmate complaint.....

[loveangelc]

5. who cares

is he very important? i doubt it.

[monicaaida]

7. hey

it's the next primary... voters care

[loveangelc]

8. about a talkshow host? i doubt it....

[CatWoman]

9. I for one do

I like Tavis Smiley.

I also like Tom Joyner.

[redqueen]

17. Same here. (nt)

[Tatiana]

21. I like them both too. That's what makes this such a sad and awkward thing.

Hopefully, after the presidential election is over, Tavis will be back. He's an insightful commentator, but I think he's just a wee bit envious of Obama.

[jaysunb]

23. Jealous, might be a better description.

n/t

[goldcanyonaz]

27. Why jealous?

[CatWoman]

28. I'd like to know the answer to that too

:shrug:

[goldcanyonaz]

32. *still waiting*

[IndianaJones]

37. I had a similar discussion with an Obama supporter regarding Smiley...his comment...

was to bring up an old saying that black people are like a barrel of crabs...when one tries to get out, the rest will pull it back down.

That is the mentality you are dealing with.

[goldcanyonaz]

40. Wow, I've never heard that saying before. I better get out more.

[IndianaJones]

42. I'd never heard it either. I just assumed it was another quaint white people thing. nt.

[goldcanyonaz]

43. LOL! I guess you gotta be white to understand it, which I'm not.

[jaysunb]

53. Crabs in a barrel is not a good analogy here.

I think Catwoman understands better than she's letting on. LOL .

As I said in my post, this is something that's been brewing long before the campaign. What's it about ? I don't have a clue. But having been a Black man for more than 60 years I can tell you it could be about anything...from professional jealousy, some perceived slight or maybe even a woman. After all, Tavis IS from Chicago although he lives here ( L.A. ) now, there has surely been interaction between these two.

On personal note, I respect Tavis for his smarts and his many accomplishments. I've observed him in social settings and we have mutual friends that I highly respect. Several of those "friends " have seen the back of Tavis's hand and been a victim of his arrogance and inability to let others receive credit when it's due. Serious personality flaws that don't come across to a radio or TV audience can usually be found with many high profile personalities. I suspect Tavis suffers from this as well. Too bad it had to come up at such a pivotal time.

[Window]

66. I've said as much a year ago when Tavis started in on Senator Obama.

[knixphan]

87. yes.

[TahitiNut]

46. I get some similar vibes, my friend.

Just impressions, of course ... and I like Tavis. I'll often tune in for his interviews and commentaries ... but I do get a twinge of "huh?" occasionally. Tavis seems to occasionally let loose some pique that seems defensive of his position/role that's contrary to what I'd call either "generous" or "loving." It's hard to figure ... since I usually like his humor and insight. It just seems to crack at some strange times.

:shrug: Go figure.

[NashVegas]

47. I've Never Heard Tavis

I think TJ is one of the all-time greats, though I don't get to listen anymore.

[redqueen]

15. Uh... he's actually a very popular commentator.

Might want to at least try to find out some info before brushing people off like that.

[OzarkDem]

51. Democrats care and we reject it

Take your hate elsewhere, its not welcome in the Dem party.

[cbayer]

56. Actually, I think he is.

You may not have heard or see him, but Tavis Smiley speaks very clearly and without holding back about some very important issues, including racism. He is a strong voice for black unity and pride and highly respected among many progressives of all colors. He continues to strongly and loudly advocate for the philosophy of MLK. To dismiss him as unimportant is incorrect, imo.

[alcibiades_mystery]

81. Only the most influential voice in black media

With probably the smartest show on NPR bar none.

Do you live on a secluded island?

[southlandshari]

93. delete

[blogslut]

6. Stay strong, Tom

signed,

A fan from the old K104 days. Work that neck!

[redqueen]

18. Damn!

That's a blast from the past. K104... heheh...

:hi:

[blogslut]

26. Mr. Joyner has been an active supporter of music artists

...since forever.

I dig him.

[Window]

67. I like Tom. Tavis not so much.

[Saturday]

10. Tavis has got to learn you can't say anything critical of Obama.

A Black man can't criticize a Black man for not attending the "State of the Black Union" symposium. Maybe Tavis has a point since Obama has gotten huge (80%-90% Black turnout votes? Don't tick off those Obama supporters Tavis.

[ellacott]

69. That's so far off base, it's deeper than that

[oasis]

11. (1) What was Obama's official excuse for not attending Tavis's annual event?

(2)Was he trying to avoid being on the same stage as Louis Farrakhan?

Inquiring minds want to know.:think:

[stahbrett]

25. He was busy running for President

Do you realize how many events the candidates are invited to? They can only accept a small fraction of them, and they work them in to best fit their campaign strategy.

[anamandujano]

29. The same reason he didn't attend the King event last week.

He thought it would cause too much commotion, being the big shot that he is. (Translation: He needs to be the center of attention and he was campaigning. :shrug:)

[NOLALady]

58. He would have been the center of attention

in New Orleans at the Black State of the Union.

[Tarheel_Dem]

84. you are so full of it. Rev. Sharpton and the King family who were the

organizers had a conversation with Obama about this, and it was agreed that this was about Dr. King, and not about Obama. Obama's presence would have caused a media frenzy, and would have detracted from the original purpose of the occasion.

Rev. Sharpton told the Tom Joyner & Michael Baisden audiences that they felt no slight at all. For those of you who choose to make this an issue....were you there?

[jasmine621]

12. Obama; Unifying whites and dividing blacks. How to beat Hillary. nt

[NJObamaWoman]

20. Oh please any black person would have to deal with this. You

just don't get it do you? Do you understand black culture and what was handed down from the plantations all the way to present day? There is a divide in the black community. If you support the black candidate than you are basing it on race but if you are supporting the white candidate you are an uncle tom. We have issues in our community that is why Bill clinton was labelled the first black president. You could throw me as a black woman into Barack's place and the same issues divides would happen.

[NJObamaWoman]

13. Good.....WTF is a "State of the Black Union" Symposium?

I watched that garbage and again I find that it was a waste of my time. This is why I feel the black community is struggling because we aren't taking action. Instead we are on TV talking about the issues instead of taking care of the issues.

*shakes head* when is the black community going to stop talking and start doing?

[ampad]

35. Exactly and Tavis was soo good at the talk wasn't he

Don't get me wrong I think Tavis is important to the black community but we need more action for our community not more forums. I think Tavis let his ego get the best of him on this one. Tavis getting his panties all in a bunch because Obama didn't attend the forum is a bunk. The man is running for president. Tavis wanted him to announce his run for office on his show and I can understand how Tavis might feel slighted but he needs to get over it already. As far as the hate mail well folks shouldn't be threatening people with bodily harm. I would hope that Tavis is not getting death threats but if he is getting told about himself then good. I feel that Tavis handled the whole situation as if he was a spoiled, jealous, drama queen. Get over it already.

[Texas Hill Country]

14. good for him!

[cbayer]

19. That's quite a presumption on Joyner's part.

Why don't we wait until Tavis gives his own explanation.

For the record, Tavis Smiley has endorsed neither candidate. He has had both of them on his show and appears to genuinely support them both.

He was upset that Obama did not attend his event (Clinton did) and he openly said that he thought it was a mistake on Obama's part. He did receive a lot of flack for doing that, but stood by his position.

I like Tavis Smiley a lot and I respect his general neutrality on the primary race. There are those who will attack him for not openly endorsing Obama and for having criticized him, but IMO he has been very fair.

[ellacott]

74. He hasn't been fair onn Tom' show

He has been openly critical of Obama but has not been consistent when it comes to Hillary. That's been pointed out to him but he never directly answers that question. There are other black commentators who have been critical of Obama and they haven't received the backlash as Tavis has because they have been fair.

Also Tavis has been insulting to the people that do support Obama and he frequently would make comments like he knows better than everybody else and when blacks get disappointed that he will be sitting back and saying I told you so.

[jaysunb]

22. I wondered how long it would take...

He's been on a Obama hate thing long before the symposium. Tavis has lost a lot of street cred over his behavior, and it will only get worse as he tries to badger other Blacks to take his position. ( Henry Louis Gates being the latest.)

Too bad...he could have soared even higher. :evilfrown:

[leftynyc]

34. He hates Sen Obama?

Has he said why?

[cbayer]

59. Where do you get that idea?

The only criticism I have heard from him was that surrounding Obama not attending his symposium. Have you seen his interviews with Obama? Can you link me to something that shows he has been on an "Obama hate thing"?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

30. we feel your pain Travis,,,,it's kind of like being a Hillary supporter here on DU

[Catherine Vincent]

31. They expect Smiley to kiss Obama's ass and he's not goanna do it.

Good!

[IndianaJones]

33. he was bama of the week for this week. nt.

[uponit7771]

38. Tavis!! He's not panderting to black folk, white folk, gay folk, blind folk, tall or short folk !!!

He doesn't need to, he panders to all Americans at one time and that makes people pissed that they don't get the access they "feel" the should get.

Smiley is on the wrong side of this one.

[Beacool]

39. Don't you just feel the "unity" in the party?

It warms my heart to see how much "hope" and "unity" Obama brings to the party. Change I do see, change for the worse!!!

Isn't in it heartwarming to see the pressure that is put on any black elected official or other people who dare to support Hillary over Obama? Imagine the outrage if Hillary was pressuring the women and McCain the white elected officials.

Even John Lewis, a man who stood next to MLK, said that he was pressured to change his endorsement.

And then they have the gall to say that the Clintons are the ones who played the race card!!!!!!!

[Catherine Vincent]

41. I don't want to blame Obama on this but imo, it seems like the Clinton's are hated even more

than when the right wingers were hating on them. I've been listening to archived audio of cspan's Washington Journal today (I haven't listened for months) and the open phones are more hateful than ever bringing up the Clinton's on BOTH lines, not just the republican line. A few kept repeating that Bill Clinton is such a crook because he's making all that money on speaking fees since he left office. The callers make no sense whatsoever. And of course, you'll get some Obama supporter here to chime in with their typical bullshit answer and say that they brought it on themselves.

[Beacool]

44. Those same people must have forgotten the $1M that the japanese paid Reagan

for one of his speeches when he left office, and that was in the 80s, a million bucks was worth something back then. LOL!!!

As for the hate, the Clintons are far from perfect (as are the other politicians), but they certainly don't deserve the hatred spewed by the RW and LW of both parties.

Oh well, I guess that we never learn. The only thing the hatred has done is make many Hillary supporters more determined not to vote for Obama if he's the nominee. We can start getting used to saying "president Mccain"

[AX10]

89. It seems that both extremes are beating on the Clintons.

That in part, tells me that we moderates should back HRC!

[ellacott]

76. People pressured Oprah

They said she betrayed women. John Lewis originally supported Obama but was pressured by Bill not to endorse him.

[LittleClarkie]

49. Rather like Ed Schultz hammering Hillary for not being on his show

as some have said the motivation is for the Ed hate.

Either way, seems like a bit of an ego thing. Show up for my event or I will hammer you. How about going after someone because you don't like their policies, and not because they didn't kiss your talk show butt.

[roguevalley]

55. it was incredibly stupid of her not to go. three full hours of radio

time to say whatever they wanted. I suppose she presumed she was such a lock then, they didn't do it. mistake.

[LittleClarkie]

57. Indeed, since Ed was rather favorable toward Hillary before that.

That was part of what has turned me off from her. The arrogance.

[OzarkDem]

52. Obama is running on the "divide and conquer" strategy

The hate is a deliberate by-product of his campaign. They thrive on hate, they mistakenly assume its the only way they can win.

[Cali_Democrat]

60. What did Obama do to get Smiley to leave?

I don't think you should hold Obama accountable for this.

[OzarkDem]

63. I do hold him responsible

He has turned his supporters into hateful, angry vengeful people who are an embarrassment to the Dem party.

You don't see Clinton supporters engaging in "freeplike" hate. Not with Kerry or even Gore supporters.

[democracy1st]

71. thats stupid

He hasn't turned his supporters into anything,you guys will blame him for the sun coming up. Look Barack Obama isn't trying to become The President of African Americans he's trying to become President of the United States of America. Tavis went overboard

[ellacott]

77. Very true

On another station they said that Tavis punked out and took his toys and went home.

[Window]

73. Not a damned thing. But, damn Obama, it's raining here today.

[alcibiades_mystery]

78. Tavis Smiley has the smartest talk show in ALL media

Why he would have to put up with Joyner's listerners' shit is a complete mystery.

[jaysunb]

85. You might want to check Arbitron.

You might get a clue as to WHO & HOW MANY Joyners listeners are.

Tavis is punking himself, and everybody in my community knows it.

[TacticalPeek]

80. I can dig it.

It's worser than Dean-Edwards 04.



:)

[kwenu]

86. Like most media folks there is not enough space for his ego and the rest of his body in one room.

[JoFerret]

88. He has been bullied

by the Obama thought police.

[DemBones DemBones]

91. If I'd been getting death threats, I think I'd have quit, too.

He needs to think about his life and the lives of his family.

Obama, Mr. Unity. :rofl:

[southlandshari]

92. A sad development

I have been a big Tavis Smiley fan for years. I still am. He is one of the few truth-tellers - of any race - remaining in the ranks of today's journalists.

I'm also a long-time listener to the TJMS. My daughter and I heard Tom Joyner talking about the call from Tavis Smiley yesterday morning on our way to her school. It was very clear that this had affected him - and Smiley - on a deep and personal level.

In case this hasn't already been posted:

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/entertainment/index/tavis041108

I have a lot of thoughts about this, but for now will just say that this makes me very, very sad. I don't even want to read this thread - which, btw, has garnered about 30 times more posts than any thread I or anyone else has posted about Tavis Smiley or Tom Joyner and their ideas in the past four or five years.

I wonder why that is.

:(

[Political Heretic]

94. I'm not for Hate mail, but I think he should take flak for his decision.

Meaning, I think people who don't agree with how he's handled it should write him and tell him so, keeping a certain level of decorum while doing it.

[SoCalDem]

95. I really like Tavis, BUT, I think he takes himself a little too seriously at times.

I always enjoy watching him and I can understand why he was upset when Obama did not attend his symposium.

I understand perfectly why Obama did not attend though.

At that particular time in the campaign, Obama was desperately trying to NOT be the "black candidate".. I think he always "knew" that he would have their support in the final analysis, so he felt confident in being excused..

Had he gone, there would have been a zillion distorted YouTube videos all over the place..

The other candidates NEEDED to go, to try and get what few voted they could, and because if they did NOT go, they would be criticized..

In a way , he almost bullies them into showing up, even though they know they will not be all that well-received. It's almost a rite of passage..

I always watch his show, and enjoy his conversations with his guests, but I think he's taking this whole issue a little too personally.. Obama is not running for president to provide his presence as a guest for Tavis' show..

Oddly, I think if Tavis had asked him to appear for the whole 1/2 hour PBS show, Obama would have taken him up on it..

[TragedyandHope]

96. Unfortunate

I'm not a regular viewer of his show, but I do enjoy it when I tune in. I have some family members who are bigger fans and have been following his career for years. Even before this news, I have had an ongoing debate with them on my impression that Tavis seems to have control/ego issues that make him appear unduly uncomfortable in situations where everyone isn't following along with the tone he sets.

I'm not exactly sure of the specifics here, but Tavis seems to have deeper personal/character issues relating to this decision. If he supports the other candidate or prefers not to endorse either, he should stick with his guns. If he wants to hold Obama's feet to the fire on the issues, that's fine too. He should have continued the show and stuck to his position. Since he chooses not to, he is either conflicted about his own position or he has other reasons (such as feeling personally slighted or not having the insider connection and influence he would have liked). Or maybe he's just using this as an excuse to shift his career focus to concentrate on TV and other projects rather than radio.

It's disappointing to see this kind of situation arise between two positive figures in the community, especially since they seem to share the same respect for intelligent discourse (contrary to most media and political figures) and both use their influence to address many of the pressing issues of the country.