The minute we learned about it we jumped on it,” he said on air Sunday. “We learned about this Sunday morning, unfortunately quite a while after the incident happened. Reingold said the station’s decision to fire Kappell was not influenced by the call from the city’s mayor. “These words have no place on News10NBC’s air, and the fact that we broadcast them disheartens and disgusts me that it was not caught immediately is inexcusable,” Reingold said. He added that the station believes in holding reporters and anchors “to the highest standard.” Park during our Friday evening broadcast,” Reingold said. “I apologize for our broadcast of a racial slur in a reference to Martin Luther King, Jr. Reingold said in a statement released Sunday that Kappell was fired after an internal investigation and discussion. WHEC’s vice president and general manager Richard A. We also want to know what measures will be taken to prevent incidents like this from occurring in the future.” “We expect a complete explanation of what happened, who was responsible and why nothing was said immediately after the Friday broadcast. “This is completely unacceptable and contrary to all standards of broadcasting,” the statement read. The organization’s statement said it viewed a recording of the incident provided by a viewer. The Rochester Association of Black Journalists (RABJ) also issued a statement Sunday condemning the use of the racial slur on air. “It took the station nearly two days to apologize, and only after the station was shamed into doing so by a backlash on social media,” the statement read. The mayor and city council called for Kappell’s termination and for an examination of WHEC’s response to the incident. There must be real consequences for the news personality involved and also for the management team that failed to immediately apologize and address the slur.” “It is beyond unacceptable that this occurred. during its Friday News broadcast,” the statement read. “It is wrong, hurtful and infuriating that WHEC Channel 10 broadcast a racial slur in reference to Dr. Warren and the city council to release a statement Sunday. If you did feel that it hurt you in any way, I sincerely apologize,” he said.Ĭlips of Kappell using the racial slur made the rounds on social media over the weekend, prompting Rochester Mayor Lovely A. That was not a word I said, I promise you that. “I had no idea what some people could have interpreted that as and I know some people did interpret that the wrong way. Kappell said as soon as he heard the mispronunciation he “put emphasis on ‘King’ and moved on.” Please keep my family in your prayers.Posted by Jeremy Kappell on Monday, January 7, 2019 I wanted to take this time to explain our side of the story. I had no idea the way it came across to many people,” he said in a video posted to Facebook Monday night.Ī heartfelt thanks to all those who have been supporting us. In my mind I knew I mispronounced, but there was no malice. So fast to the point where I jumbled a couple of words. If you watch me regularly you know that I tend to contain a lot of information in my weather cast, which forces me to speak fast and unfortunately I spoke a little too fast when I was referencing Dr. “What happened on Friday, to me, it’s a simple misunderstanding. Kappell said his use of the slur was a mistake caused by speaking too quickly. In a video viewed by CNN, Kappell says “King” immediately after using the slur and continues with the broadcast. A television station in Rochester, New York, fired a meteorologist Sunday after he used a racial slur on air.ĭuring WHEC-TV’s Friday evening broadcast, Jeremy Kappell said “Martin Luther Coon Park,” when referring to a downtown Rochester park named after slain civil rights movement leader Martin Luther King Jr.
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