Michael Sorsa, host of the American sports radio show WBIG-FM and associated with the name "Don Geronimo," was fired Sunday night after he made sexist comments at reporter Sharla McBride. While talking to co-host Crush Young, the host yelled at McBride as she walked past, "Hey Barbie Girl." He added: "I thought she was encouraging." He later continued the broadcast when he recognized McBride and treated her again in an objectifying manner.
"After an internal investigation, Don Geronimo no longer works on the radio show WBIG-FM. We take these types of incidents very seriously and this behavior is inconsistent with our core values," Aaron Hyland, president of iHeartMedia, said in a statement to The Washington Post. In addition, superiors banned Geromino and Young from attending the training camp they were covering during the investigation and stopped broadcasting the recorded interview.
McBride (Photo: screenshot, Instagram)
"When I heard the comments at me, I felt insulted and very embarrassed," the journalist said. "In my 17 years as a professional journalist, I have never experienced such blatant disrespect while trying to work. Their words were sexist and echoed misogyny. No woman should have to experience this in the workplace, and I appreciate the quick response of managers on this issue."
"We took swift action when we learned that an iHeart employee threw sexist and objectifying comments at a journalist while she was live," the executives said in a statement Friday.
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