Anchor for Fox Affiliate Taken Off the Air After Calling Rachel Maddow an 'Angry Young Man'
Last Friday, nearly a month after she posted a disparaging, homophobic remark about MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on her Facebook page, Tricia Macke, weeknight news anchor at Cincinnati's FOX 19, finally issued a quasi-apology on behalf of herself and her employer.
On October 12th, Macke published a single sentence status update: "Rachel Maddow is such an angry young man." When viewers pointed out to Macke that her "Fox" was showing and she should apologize, the newscaster responded "I am sorry. I should have said antagonistic."
Both the original update and the response were subsequently deleted, but national and local LGBT advocacy groups refused to let Macke's comment slide.
Their demands for an apology were sort-of met on Friday, when Macke issued the standard "sorry if you were offended" non-apology on Facebook.
It seems, however, that a halfhearted walk-back wasn't quite enough for station bosses, who reportedly suspended Macke according to the Cincinnati Enquirer's John Kiesewetter.
But Macke's suspension will likely be short-lived: According to WXIX-TV General Manager Bill Lanesey, she is expected to be back behind the anchor desk today.