The work week is already over for Tony Massarotti. The Boston Herald reports that the 98.5 The Sports Hub afternoon host has been suspended for the remainder of the week by Beasley Media after making an insensitive joke on Friday’s edition of Felger & Mazz.
Massarotti was on air Monday. He offered an apology for a joke deemed racist by some in the audience. He promised that his words did not have racist intent, but acknowledged that it is understandable for people to think they did.
Mike Felger opened the show on Tuesday by acknowledging what he called a “heartfelt apology” from his partner on Tuesday. He then addressed Massarotti’s absence.
“Because Beasley Media strives to create a diverse and inclusive workplace and these comments went against its core values, the company has decided to suspend Tony for the rest of the week without pay. In addition, all of our employees at Beasley Boston will be taking sensitivity training to redouble our efforts to create a culture of understanding,” Felger said, acknowledging that part of it was a written statement from the company.
Felger was broadcasting Friday’s show from a remote location. On a video feed, the audience and Tony Massarotti could see that there were two Black men in the room behind him. Massarotti then said that the last time Felger was in a similar situation, his car was stolen.
“On a personal level, quickly, we all feel really bad about this, starting with the fact it was said in the first place,” Felger said Monday. “Minorities in this country have to put up with a lot of crap and comments like that just make it harder for them and we apologize for that.”
