(This story has been updated with a statement from the company (see below).
WTIC-FM host Gary Craig uploaded a video to YouTube last weekend that caught the eye of the City’s Mayor who called it racist. According to The Hartford Courant, Craig was walking around the Latino Fest on the riverfront when he recorded himself saying some things that offended city officials.
Craig called the video “Latino Fest Fartford” and said, “I walked into some kind of parallel universe or something. What the hell? Now I don’t have to go to Cuba.” And the paper says he started singing the theme song to I Love Lucy. Despite saying he was not trying to offend anyone, City officials were not amused.
Mayor Luke Broni said, “I was at the riverfront Saturday afternoon, and the festival was everything I love about our city: people of all different backgrounds coming together at our beautiful riverfront to celebrate the dance, music, and food of one of our largest and most vibrant cultural communities here in Hartford. CBS Local Media, the owner of 96.5 TIC FM, should get this trash off of their website.”
The video was taken down from YouTube and the WTIC website.
Craig told The Courant he “wasn’t trying to offend anybody and was just trying to have fun.”
APD Ryan Jones provided Radio Ink with the following two statements this morning after our headlines were delivered:
Statement from WTIC-FM: “Gary’s video was inappropriate and was not in line with our station’s values. We are taking this matter seriously and have communicated to Gary that there is no place for this type of content on our station.”
Statement from Gary: “I would like to take the time to address the video I made at last weekend’s Latino Festival. I recognize that it was a poor attempt at being humorous. It was insensitive and stupid, and I sincerely apologize.”
