Three Strikes: Dan McNeil Out
• Entercom has fired controversial Sports-Talk host Dan McNeil, the now former afternoon co-host on WSCR (670 The Score)/Chicago, less than 14 hours after he tweeted a disparaging comment about the outfit worn by an ESPN sideline reporter during Monday Night Football, igniting a social media firestorm.
As chronicled by longtime Chicago media journalist Robert Feder, McNeil, who was in his third stint with The Score, sent out a tweet questioning Maria Taylor‘s choice of wardrobe during her MNF debut. “NFL sideline reporter or a host for the AVN annual awards presentation?” McNeil tweeted, referring to the annual adult film awards show.
McNeil deleted the tweet about 30 minutes later, but it had already created a late-night social media uproar and a rebuke from Taylor, who tweeted, “Well Danny Dearest if you would like to continue making sexist comments about me… please bring your misogyny with you to the NBA Countdown double header I’ll be hosting tomorrow night. Hey ladies remember you can wear whatever you feel confident in!”
In a Tuesday staff memo obtained by Feder, Rachel Williamson, SVP/Market Manager of Entercom Chicago, announced that McNeil had left the building. “For each one of us our words have power. For our brands and on-air personalities that is amplified and brings increased responsibility in how we chose to use our voices. Last night’s tweet, and its degrading and humiliating tone to a fellow female broadcaster, was unacceptable,” Williamson wrote, adding, “We have the best teams in Chicago, and we must hold ourselves to high expectations to continue to be leaders in our organization, our industry and our community. We apologize to all who were offended by Dan’s words, especially Maria.”
