WKXW New Jersey 101.5 midday hosts Dennis Malloy and Judi Franco issued an apology Thursday for comments made Wednesday regarding New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal on their popular, statewide radio show.
“We offer our sincerest apologies to Attorney General Gurbir Grewal as well as the Sikh and Asian communities for a series of insensitive comments we made on our show. For 21 years, the Dennis and Judi show has been unscripted and free form. 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. We respect all cultures and beliefs and are deeply sorry for the pain caused to the Sikh community, our co-workers and our beloved listeners.”
New Jersey 101.5 announced that the station had suspended the pair for 10 days, and they will not return to the air until Aug. 6.
Addressing the apology and the suspension, New Jersey 101.5/WKXW-FM president Ron deCastro added, “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. New Jersey is a state that is rich in diversity, and our radio station has served as the people’s voice for nearly 30 years. With Dennis and Judi’s help, we will use this incident as a learning moment to further a dialogue of inclusiveness for all residents of our great state.”
Grewal, the nation's first Sikh attorney general, was referred to as "turban man" and "the guy with the turban" as Malloy and Franco discussed Grewal's recent move telling municipal prosecutors not to pursue charges for marijuana arrests.
The station said Malloy, a New Jersey Broadcasters Hall of Fame inductee who has hosted the show with Franco for more than 20 years, told her he couldn't remember Grewal's name. Malloy then said, "I'm just going to say the guy with the turban" and the hosts, after that, continued to call him "Turban Man," it added.
The hosts acknowledged the offensive nature of their remarks -- for the most part.
“If that offends you, then don’t wear the turban and maybe I’ll remember your name,” Malloy said.
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