Boston-based WEEI-FM "Dennis & Callahan" co-host Kirk Minihane has been "suspended without pay for a week" for disparaging on-air comments he made about Fox Sports' Erin Andrews, according to Chad Finn of the BOSTON GLOBE. Entercom Communications President & CEO David Field made the announcement Friday night, "just hours after Fox Sports informed him it was pulling all advertising from the company's more than 100 stations nationwide, including WEEI." Fox Sports President & COO Eric Shanks in a letter informed Field that "all Fox advertising would be pulled and no Fox Sports personalities would be permitted to be guests on WEEI." Shanks wrote, "The comments made by Mr. Minihane were boorish and sexist. Further, the 'apology' made by Mr. Minihane was juvenile and insincere. To make matters worse, the 'apology' was posted under a banner (allegedly approved by your Boston VP and Market Manager, Phil Zachary) hailing 'The Triumphant Return of Kirk Minihane.' I had hoped by this time we might hear a sincere apology from WEEI, or perhaps someone from your office might have reached out to Fox (which through our film and television businesses is a significant advertiser on Entercom stations). However, none of that has been forthcoming, and needless to say we are disappointed" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/26). SI.com's Richard Deitsch wrote Fox Sports is "going all-in" on WEEI. Fox Sports upper management -- many of whom "have wanted to go public with their animus over the comments -- met on Friday afternoon at the company's Los Angeles offices on how to respond to WEEI after Minihane's second set of comments" (SI.com, 7/25).
