Lowell MA Radio: WCAP Hosts Walk After Spat With Owner

The two co-hosts of the WCAP 980 AM show "JMac and the Bear" abruptly quit this past Wednesday after the radio station's owner interrupted the conservative show during political talk.

According to The Lowell Sun, the hosts, John MacDonald and George Zaharoolis, quit the brokered show after station owner Sam Poulten, a Democrat, cut into a talk the duo was having with outspoken Republican activist Mary Burns about the U.S. presidential race.

WCAP 980 AM (5 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Sam Poulten

MacDonald called it "an unnecessary verbal attack," and told Poulten in a resignation notice that the owner's interruption was a violation of his and Zaharoolis' freedom of speech. MacDonald also quit his Thursday evening show, "The Pulse."

Poulten came on to the show after a Republican candidate for state representative called in. Poulten cited the station's policy of not having a candidate on the air within 30 days of an election in order to be fair to all candidates.

However, The Valley Patriot reported Poulten admitted that he didn’t want candidates on talk for free on shows 30 days prior to the election because he wanted them to pay money for the airtime. The Patriot story also stated station owner Sam Poulten is a member of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee, is campaigning for Hillary Clinton for president, and has a long history of harassing conservative on-air hosts, as well as manipulating airtime to prevent conservative discussions from taking place.