Radio star sacked over Kennedy assissination comments

By Adam Higgins • May 29, 2008 - 10:54

Kennedy was diagnosed last week with malignant glioma

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A Pittsburgh-area sports talk show host has been fired for controversial remarks he made earlier this month regarding Senator Edward Kennedy.

Mark Madden said on air he hoped Kennedy "would live long enough to be assassinated."

Madden has been permanently removed from the air, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, for saying on his ESPN Radio 1250 talk show:

"I'm very disappointed to hear that Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts is near death because of a brain tumour. I always hoped Senator Kennedy would live long enough to be assassinated."

Kennedy was diagnosed last week with malignant glioma, which is often fatal within only a few years.

Though Madden apologised a couple of hours later on the air for him comments, ESPN Radio decided to terminate his contract and yank his show from the air.

ESPN Radio 1250 could not be reached for comment.

This isn’t the first time Madden has caused controversy on the air.

He was once disciplined for calling professional wrestler Dallas Page “leatherface,” a derogatory nickname the wrestler had acquired in his career.

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