Dr. Laura Schlessinger announced Tuesday night that she would end her radio show following her N-word rant last week.
"My contract is up for my radio show at the end of the year and I've made the decision not to do radio anymore," she told Larry King. "The reason is I want to regain my First Amendment rights. I want to be able to say what's on my mind and in my heart and what I think is helpful and useful without somebody getting angry, some special interest group deciding this is the time to silence a voice of dissent and attack affiliates, attack sponsors. I'm sort of done with that."
Dr. Laura emphasized that she is "not retiring" but rather just ending her radio show.
"I'm not retiring, I'm not quitting, I feel energized actually," she said. "Stronger and freer to say the things that I believe need to be said for people in this country."
Schlessinger said she will continue to write books and to publish on the internet and maintain her speaking engagements.
Last week, she apologized for using the N-word eleven times in five minutes with a black female caller.
She insists, however, that the decision to leave radio was her choice and not forced upon her by her syndicator.
"Were you gonna have a new contract?" King asked.
"Yeah," Dr. Laura responded. "We've added five stations this week and added sponsors. This is not an issue of I'm losing anything."
Schlessinger said the outrage over her use of the N-word led her to feel as though her First Amendment rights were being infringed upon.
"Living with the constant fear of affiliates and sponsors being attacked is very distracting," she said. "I never called anybody a bad word. I was trying to bring — and obviously it has become a national discussion now — I was trying to make a philosophical point. And I made it wrong, but I wasn't dissing anybody. I was trying to make a point, and for that to say that I should be silenced is the reason why I'm saying to you that I'm obviously losing First Amendment rights."
Video to come...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/17/dr-laura-to-end-radio-sho_n_685652.html Video http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008170071 Transcript http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201008170070
In an interview this evening on CNN's Larry King Live, Dr. Laura Schlessinger announced that when her radio contract expires at the end of the year, she will not seek to renew it. Schlessinger said that she was ending her show in order to "regain my First Amendment rights." According to Schlessinger, in the wake of her racial screed last week, highlighted by Media Matters, "my First Amendment rights have been usurped by angry, hateful groups."
Schlessinger was fifth on TALKERS magazine's 2010 list of "most important radio talk show hosts in America," behind only Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, and Michael Savage. According to Schlessinger's website, more than 200 affiliate stations broadcast her syndicated show. During her CNN appearance, Schlessinger stated, "I'm number three in most listened to talk show hosts in America."
On August 10, Schlessinger launched into a racially charged rant, during which Schlessinger -- in her own words -- "articulated the 'n' word all the way out -- more than one time." Schlessinger also told an African-American caller that she had a "chip on shoulder," and suggested that "If you're that hypersensitive about color and don't have a sense of humor, don't marry out of your race." The next day, Schlessinger apologized.
On August 12, Media Matters posted full audio and transcript of Schlessinger's rant, which had apparently been expunged from her website. We also documented her history of incendiary remarks. Schlessinger became the subject of a firestorm of media coverage. She responded by slamming the media that "rebroadcast" her rant.
On August 16, Media Matters released a joint statement with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Women's Media Center, and UNITY Journalists of Color, condemning Schlessingers comments and stating that "This week, we will hold these advertisers accountable and find out exactly where they stand." Today, Motel 6 announced that in the wake of her comments, it would be severing its relationship with the radio host.
At the top of her interview with King, Schlessinger said of her rant that she "was trying to make a point to help" the African-American caller with "her hypersensitivity." She added that she was "trying to make a philosophical point," but that she was "wrong."
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