WFAN/New York Benches Benigno
• UPDATED: Last week WFAN/New York midday co-host Joe Benigno was named in a $5 million, 39-page sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former CBS Radio account executive Lauren Lockwood. Benigno, 64, was originally scheduled to return to work Monday after a vacation, but Benigno has instead been placed on a leave of absence. Benigno’s presence is currently M.I.A. from the WFAN website, and his midday co-host Evan Roberts is listed as a solo act from 10am-2pm.
In a memo sent to advertisers on Friday and obtained by RAMP, Entercom Regional President and New York Market Manager Susan Larkin wrote, “As you may be aware, a former WFAN employee recently filed a lawsuit alleging inappropriate conduct at our station. We are reaching out to make sure that valued partners like you hear directly from us about the lawsuit and the steps we are taking. The former WFAN employee, Lauren Lockwood, was discharged in July 2017. We are prepared to defend that decision and this case generally. This lawsuit also includes troubling allegations that were not raised during Lockwood’s employment, but were made through this lawsuit seeking millions in compensatory damages.”
Larkin continued, “Most importantly, these allegations in no way represent WFAN and our values. They describe an organization that is quite different from the one I am honored to be part of every day, where I am proud to be a woman in a leadership role, and work collaboratively in the best interests of our community. That said, WFAN takes allegations of this nature very seriously, and we are looking into all of the allegations.”
In conclusion, Larkin wrote, “I can assure you that WFAN remains 100% committed to providing a valuable and effective platform for your brand, with the same broad reach and strong listener engagement that you have always enjoyed as our partner. As part of this effort, Joe Benigno initially will be on leave while we work through this matter carefully, to avoid any potential distraction from the great sports talk content our listeners, advertisers and community expect us to deliver each day. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to your continued partnership.”
