KRLA radio puts Savage on suspension

KRLA-AM (870) suspended incendiary talk radio host Michael Savage on Tuesday, the day after the cable network MSNBC fired him for making anti-gay remarks on his TV program.

After a caller provoked Savage on his MSNBC show Saturday, Savage called the man “a sodomite” and told the caller: “Get AIDS and die, you pig.”

Terry Fahy, the station’s general manager, explained the indefinite suspension of “Savage Nation” with a prepared statement that noted the remarks attributed to Savage, “if accurate, are totally unacceptable to this station and its owner, Salem Communications Corp.,” the Christian broadcaster that owns two other stations in L.A.

Fahy’s statement also said: “We will only resume broadcast of his program if we are assured that an outrage of this type will not occur again.

“We continue to encourage a free and robust exchange of ideas,” Fahy said. “While we must guard against any reaction that would chill this kind of exchange, we believe that in this instance, Michael Savage has crossed the line. We all make mistakes, and Mr. Savage has clearly made a serious one.”

Mike Lofrano, chief operating officer of Talk Radio Networks, Savage’s Portland, Ore.-based syndicator, said he spoke with Salem officials Tuesday night and expects Savage to be back on the air “very soon.”

“It’s never happened on the radio program, nor would it,” Lofrano said. “We’re willing to give those assurances.”

Out of the 320 stations on which Savage airs, Lofrano said, the show was suspended by KRLA and three other Salem stations, as well as his Boston affiliate. He said other stations have voiced support for the host, as have listeners.

“It’s unfortunate that the incident occurred, and he gave his apology on the air the first time he was on the radio, on Monday,” he said. “It’s something that didn’t occur on the radio program. I just think we do a much better job of keeping crank callers off the air.”