Radio Static?

Has nothing been learned from the racial and sexual verbal attacks launched over the airwaves last spring at the Rutgers women’s basketball team?

Within the last two weeks, CBS Radio announced that Craig Carton, former co-host of “The Jersey Guys” on 101.5 would be sharing the reins of a new sports-focused program to air in the slot previously filled by Don Imus. The show premiered today.

In offering Carton this platform, CBS has simply replaced one shock jock with another. Are we supposed to find it more acceptable that Carton is being paired with the clean-cut former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason?

Does CBS really think no one would mind or even notice? A simple Google search on Craig Carton will produce a laundry list of red flags.

The recent Star Ledger (“ CBS didn't stay sorry long”, 8/16/07) and TheRecord (“Here we go again: WFAN recycles trash-talk with Carton”, 8/16/07) editorials got it right.

Now I am sure many of you Carton fans will come to his defense and remind us about how much Carton gives to charity or how he is a devoted family man. But that’s not really what this debate is about.

Being charitable or nice to one’s family does not entitle anyone to a free-pass to act and speak in a discriminatory manner. Particularly not someone on a publicly licensed and regulated broadcast outlet.

BTW, in the interest of Full Disclosure, I am a Rutgers alum and current part-time lecturer.

Rutgers Women’s Basketball Coach C. Vivian Stringer concluded five months ago: “We all need to make changes.

Yes, it happens to be Mr. Imus, but beyond Mr. Imus, it's all of us. Do we understand what's going on in our society?”

Apparently the management at CBS Radio does not.