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Severin apologizes as he returns to airwaves

E-mail|Link|Comments () June 2, 2009 03:45 PM

By David Abel and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

Talk show host Jay Severin offered a "sincere apology" today for "hurtful, unkind, and wrong" remarks he made about Mexicans in the midst of the swine flu panic, vowing to do better as he returned to the air on Boston's WTKK-FM following a month-long suspension.

Jay Severin

"Most especially to the members of the Mexican community and Mexican-American community, I regret my remarks and apologize for them. I am sorry," Severin said, reading a prepared statement at the top of his 3 p.m. show in a mea culpa that ran 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

Listen to an excerpt from Severin's apology.

WTKK-Radio

Severin acknowledged that even for his listeners who were not offended by his remarks, he "let you down by appealing to something less than the best and brightest in you, and for this I am also sorry."

He concluded with a "personal pledge that I will do my best to make ours the best show on radio. And, as ever, thank you for my job."

WTKK suspended the right-wing talk show host on April 30 after he described Mexicans as "primitives" and "leeches" and called Mexico an exporter of "women with mustaches and VD," among other comments.

Severin's remarks prompted complaints to the station from those who considered his comments hateful and threatening.