Jeremy Kappell is out of a job and his reputation has been destroyed. Kappell, until a few days ago, was a TV meteorologist on the NBC affiliate in Rochester. During his weather report on Friday night he stumbled over "Martin Luther King Junior Park" and instead of saying "King" he uttered what sounded like a racial slur. To a lot of people it seemed like just a simple slip of the tongue and it was IDENTICAL to ESPN personality Mike Greenberg's gaffe a few years ago. Back then, Greenberg said it was an innocent mistake, he apologized and everyone moved on. Kappell though, was immediately thrown under the bus by the Rochester mayor, city activists and TV station management.
Logic, and the facts, lead me to believe this guy is getting screwed. No TV personality, even a racist one, would intentionally include a racial slur in a broadcast... especially when he has a young family and his wife doesn't work He has no history of racist comments or behavior and denies ever using the term in his private life. I listened to the original broadcast and an interview Kappell later did with our radio affiliate, WHAM. To me, he appears to be believable and a man with personal integrity. Weak and frightened TV management in concert with hysterical, self-promoting politicians have destroyed Kappell and his family and they did so without really even considering whether he truly deserved such a fate. Unless there's something in the shadows we don't know about, this stinks! - Chuck
Kelly and I talked about Kappell's plight this morning:
Here's the WHAM interview with Kappell and host Bob Lonsberry. You decide for yourself.
Photo: WHEC