New Jersey 101.5 loses advertisers over flap with gov.
The New Jersey Record reports less than a week after acting Governor Richard Codey almost duked it out with a trash-talking New Jersey 101.5 (Millennium Radio Group's WKXW-FM Trenton) DJ, advertisers are calling the provocative radio station on the carpet. Two sources tell the site several major 101.5 advertisers, including Horizon Blue Cross, Public Service Electric and Gas Co. and Flemington Car and Truck Country, are pulling ads to protest disc jockey Craig Carton's on-air jokes about Mary Jo Codey's mental health.
The first lady has spoken openly about her recurring depression, including bouts of postpartum depression that induced violent feelings toward her newborn children. She has admitted wanting to place one child in a microwave oven.
Several advertisers have thus far pulled commercials from the station, the sources said, estimating that the potential drop in revenues could be millions of dollars. The ad losses are already threatening to affect operations and personnel decisions at the station, the sources said.
"It is not a good time to be associated with this station,'' said one advertiser who asked not to be identified. "You don't make fun on the air of something as serious as mental illness and then refuse to apologize."
Emma Byrne, a former spokesman for PSE&G, said the company's management was disgusted by the radio station's defense of its disc jockey.
Byrne said Ralph Izzo, the company president, urged officials from other New Jersey companies to boycott the station or withdraw their sponsorship of radio station events. A company official met with the radio station last week to convey its displeasure, she said.
She said the company did not level an ultimatum, but suggested that it might not be willing to serve as a sponsor of future events "in light of their actions." PSE&G has co-sponsored several 101.5-events, including political debates.
Carton, co-host of the popular ''Jersey Guys,'' said on the show that Codey should approve marijuana for medical uses, ''so women can relax and have a joint instead of putting their babies in a microwave,'' according to a partial transcript that the Governor's Office obtained. ''Women who claim they suffer from this post-partum depression,'' Carton continued, ''must be crazy in the first place.''
Recently, Codey confronted Carton in a hallway when he was at the studio to tape the weekly "Ask the Governor" program. The two had a brief shouting match and Codey, flanked by New Jersey state troopers, suggested they fight it out.
Nothing came of the challenge. But Codey's action was cheered by many, including his wife, who said she was "pleased as punch." Carton, in turn, called Codey a "schoolyard punk" and demanded an apology, which did not come.
After the advertisers threatened to pull out, an intermediary was brought in to negotiate a truce between the Governor's Office and the radio station, a source familiar with the talks said.
Earlier last week, the station posted an open letter on its website:
"An open letter from New Jersey 101.5,
It's unfortunate that the print and television media have misinformed and spun a sensationalized one-sided story to the public. With that being said, The Jersey Guys, Craig Carton announced yesterday that he has a better understanding toward people that suffer from mental health illnesses and postpartum depression. Carton decided to be proactive toward such an important subject that opened up so much discussion and vowed to do more research into this topic. Craig also wants to spearhead a station initiative toward creating more public awareness for mental health and postpartum depression. New Jersey 101.5's increased initiative will be another of the many ways that New Jersey 101.5 helps public, community, health and charitable endeavors."
Are you reading this from a forwarded email?
