Three Suspended By WPEN (97.5 The Fanatic)/Philadelphia In Wake Of Fake Caller Incident

Suspensions

Three staffers, including PD MATT NAHIGIAN and producers PAT EGAN and JASON MYRTETUS, have been suspended for three days over the fake-caller controversy at GREATER MEDIA Sports WPEN (97.5 THE FANATIC)/PHILADELPHIA, reports the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER.

EGAN's assumption of a stereotypical "black" dialect for a regular fake caller, "Dwayne from Swedesboro," to MIKE MISSANELLI's afternoon show touched off a controversy (NET NEWS 8/23) when uncovered by PHILADELPHIA sports and media blog CROSSING BROAD; while crosstown CBS RADIO Sports WIP fired their own afternoon host JOSH INNES for undisclosed reasons (NET NEWS 8/24) after he reacted to the "Dwayne" incident with a full show's worth of talk about it and a tweet of a photo of AL JOLSON in blackface, THE FANATIC had until today not disciplined anyone for the ruse.

The INQUIRER had earlier reported that NAHIGIAN was scheduled to meet with BLACK LIVES MATTER PENNSYLVANIA leader ASA KHALIF on FRIDAY to try and head off protests planned at the station, but the status of that meeting is now unclear. MISSANELLI said, with concurrence from the three suspended staffers, that he did not know that "Dwayne" was a fake, despite the character's broadly stereotypical dialect and references.

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