Madison Square Garden Bans Staffers From Business With Entercom Stations In Reaction To WFAN/New York Host's Comments

Spat With Entercom

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN and its owner JAMES DOLAN have issued an order to all employees at its businesses across the country, including the NEW YORK KNICKS and RANGERS, the FORUM in LOS ANGELES, and the CHICAGO THEATRE, to stop doing business with all ENTERCOM stations, reports the NEW YORK POST's ANDREW MARCHAND. 

The edict, which covers appearances by MSG players and personnel on the stations, appears to be the result of comments made by ENTERCOM Sports WFAN-A-F/NEW YORK midday host MAGGIE GRAY in AUGUST that criticized DOLAN and his band J.D. AND THE STRAIGHT SHOT for releasing a song critical of HARVEY WEINSTEIN when the GARDEN itself had been accused of a hostile work environment in a sexual harassment suit by ANUCHA BROWNE SANDERS against ISIAH THOMAS in 2007. In the comments, GRAY called DOLAN "a vile piece of trash" and "a human embodiment of an online troll" for rehiring THOMAS to run the WNBA's NEW YORK LIBERTY after the suit. GRAY made an apology on the air last week but the POST reports that the ban is continuing.

In a statement that appeared in the POST and NJ.COM, MSG said, "ENTERCOM aired a hate-filled rant directed towards MSG, its employees and its Exec. Chairman in AUGUST of this year.  They chose to take no action to remedy this until the start of this season. Only after learning they would not receive special access to players and coaches did they elect to offer an insincere half-hearted apology. We wish them no ill will. However, we decline to carry on a business relationship. We will continue to afford ENTERCOM league-mandated access only.”

KNICKS and RANGERS games air on WFAN's direct format competitor, ESPN Sports WEPN-F (ESPN NEW YORK 98.7FM)/NEW YORK.

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