TV Weatherman Sacked for King Slur

KTNV-TV Las Vegas weatherman Rob Blair was fired after letting slip a racial slur aimed at the late Martin Luther King Jr.

During his Saturday morning weather report, Blair was giving a forecast for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, said: "For tomorrow, 60 degrees, Martin Luther Coon King Jr. Day, gonna see some temperatures in the mid-60s."

Blair apologized in subsequent newscasts, but the damage had been done. He was "no longer employed" by Sunday, according to a Journal Broadcast corporate spokesman.

Station VP/GM Jim Prather personally apologized, saying in a statement:

"Weekend weathercaster Rob Blair is no longer employed at KTNV-TV.

"Saturday morning, during a regularly scheduled weather report, Blair stumbled while attempting to provide a forecast for Martin Luther King Junior Day and uttered a phrase that viewers found offensive.  

"Subsequently, Mr. Blair appeared on the 8:00am, 6:00pm and 11:00pm Saturday newscasts to offer his personal apology. 

"This kind of incident is not acceptable under any circumstances. I am truly sorry that this event occurred."   

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.