Two radio hosts who called New Jersey’s attorney general “turban man” were suspended late Wednesday after Gov. Phil Murphy described their words as “hate speech.”
NJ 101.5’s Dennis Malloy and Judi Franco will return to the air on Aug. 6, the network announced the next day after the pair issued a joint apology.
The pair was yanked off the air because of statements they made about state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal during Wednesday’s “The Dennis & Judi Show.”
“We use humor and sarcasm to make a point and add color to the broadcast; in this instance, we were off the mark. It was a mistake we both deeply regret,” said Malloy and Franco’s apology, which was shared on the network’s website.
The comments ignited a firestorm of criticism, forcing the network to act.
“We take these comments seriously and echo Dennis and Judi’s sincere apology to Attorney General Grewal and his family, as well as the Sikh and Asian communities. Dennis and Judi are known for their plainspoken brand of humor, but in this case, the language used was clearly demeaning and inappropriate,” network president Ron deCastro said.
Murphy said he was “outraged by the abhorrent and xenophobic comments” made about Grewal.
“Hate speech has no place in New Jersey, and it does not belong on our airwaves,” Murphy said in a statement. “Station management must now hold the hosts accountable for these intolerant and racist comments.”
During the segment that created the controversy, Malloy and Franco were talking about Grewal’s recent decision to ask prosecutors to adjourn marijuana prosecutions. Malloy said he couldn’t remember Grewal’s name, and told Franco “I’m just going to say the guy with the turban.” Franco then called him “turban man” (the tape is below).
They then tried to justify use of the terms, and spent much of the segment doing just that.
Grewal fired back on Twitter. “My name, for the record, is Gurbir Grewal. I’m the 61st Attorney General of NJ. I’m a Sikh American. I have 3 daughters. And yesterday, I told them to turn off the radio,” he wrote.
This isn’t the first time NJ 101.5 has run afoul for offensive remarks. Former host Craig Carton once mocked former Acting Gov. Richard Codey’s wife because she suffered from postpartum depression.
Here are recordings of the remarks:
Here is their apology:
YouTube photo/video
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