ADC Update: WRKO Fires Host Who Called for "Eradication" of Palestinians 

The Boston radio station WRKO-AM today announced that it has fired one of its talk show hosts, John Osterlind also known as "Ozone," following comments calling for the "eradication" of the Palestinian people. On August 19, ADC President Mary Rose Oakar wrote to WRKO Program Director Mike Elder urging that Mr. Osterlind be dismissed when the suspension was completed. On August 12 around 6 a.m., a caller to the morning drive program on WRKO-AM cho-hosted by Mr. Osterlind suggested the "eradication of the whole Arab race." Mr. Osterlind expressed interest in the eradication of the Palestinian people, and opened up the phone lines to discuss this program of "eradication." His co-host, Mr. Peter Blute, made significant efforts to urge Mr. Osterlind to retract his comments or drop the subject of "eradication" of the Palestinian people altogether. Mr. Osterlind was suspended without pay for two weeks, pending further review of his relationship with the station. Today he was dismissed. Former Congresswoman Oaker wrote to WRKO on August 19, "Certainly, we commend your action in removing Mr. Osterlind from your airwaves as quickly as possible following this outrageous eruption of bigotry and hatred against an entire people. However, we also strongly feel that it would be unwise, and even irresponsible, to return him to broadcasting after the two-week suspension is concluded in a few days. We believe that the only appropriate response to Mr. Osterlind's genocidal tirade is his dismissal as a broadcaster for WRKO. There can be little doubt that had his call for 'eradication' been directed towards most other national or ethnic groups, had he directed them, for example, towards people of African, Jewish, Irish, Italian, Japanese or Hispanic descent, his career as a radio talk show personality would have been at an end on August 12. It is not in any way more acceptable or less offensive to direct a call for "eradication" towards the Palestinian people than toward any of these communities. It is evident that. Mr. Osterlind is unfit to be entrusted with an open microphone on one of the oldest and most respected AM radio stations in the United States. We urge you to seriously review and terminate Mr. Osterlind's employment by your station." ADC thanks WRKO-FM for their proper decision on this matter. Comments such as these have no place in the broadcasts of any American radio station. _______________________________________________