WFDF/Detroit Suspends Host Who Claimed Three Local Journalists Are Sexual Harassers

Suspension

ADELL Talk WFDF-A (910AM SUPERSTATION)/DETROIT has suspended Rev. W.J. RIDEOUT III for making claims that three members of the local media were sexual harassers but then failing to offer evidence or facts about the allegations. 

The DETROIT FREE PRESS reports that Rev. RIDEOUT, the pastor of OUR GOD'S PEOPLE CHURCH who hosts a show on SATURDAY evenings, called a press conference on DECEMBER 6th alleging that management at WXYZ-TV were informed of sexual harassment claims against anchor MALCOM MADDOX but promoted him and reassigned the victim; Rev. RIDEOUT then named two other journalists, one from WXYZ-TV and another from the FREE PRESS, as predators but did not offer specifics.  MADDOX was placed on administrative leave by WXYZ-TV after the press conference.  Meanwhile, the same afternoon, WFDF afternoon host STEVE NEAVLING said on his show that he had heard of three journalists being accused of sexual harassment but did not offer names, although he identified them as two TV reporters and one editor for a newspaper, and as the same people RIDEOUT had identified.

WFDF CEO KEVIN ADELL told the FREEP that Rev. RIDEOUT "was making these accusations and I asked, where are the victims? He had no victims.  My question is where are the standards? What are the journalistic standards? Where are the victims? Former victims? You have to have journalistic standards.... I don't want people to use my airwaves to feather a nest for media attention."  Because he did not name names, ADELL said, NEAVLING was not suspended but was told to drop the story unless someone comes forward.

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