Lonsberry suspended after on-air comments
Joseph Spector and Rick Armon

(September 22, 2003) — A local conservative radio host was suspended for two days Monday after he made two on-air comments that allude to Rochester’s black mayor as a “monkey” and “orangutan.”

Bob Lonsberry, midday talk show host with WHAM-AM (1180), gave a two-minute taped apology at the beginning and end of his three-hour show Monday before a guest host took over.

“I mean neither the mayor nor anyone else any personal harm or insult,” a somber Lonsberry said. “And I would certainly apologize for any interpretation of my words which would appear to be racist. I am not a racist. But then racism is in the eye of the beholder, not in the heart of the speaker.”

Lonsberry made two controversial remarks in recent weeks that allude to Mayor William A Johnson Jr.’s campaign for Monroe County executive.

In the latest on Thursday, Lonsberry played what he said was the last caller of his show. Classical music with monkey sounds were then heard.

Lonsberry responded, “Freakin’ monkeys loose up at the zoo again. That’s really fine, really fine. Yeah, yeah, and he’s running for county executive. What is with that? I think we better go now.”

Late last month, Lonsberry made the first comment after an orangutan briefly escaped from its his cage at the Seneca Park Zoo.

“Headline: Orangutan escapes at zoo, runs for county executive. Fascinating stuff,” Lonsberry said.

The comments drew sharp rebukes from Johnson, who has been a frequent target of Lonsberry. And county GOP Chairman Stephen J. Minarik III said Lonsberry should have been pulled off the air for the insensitive remarks.

“That type of commentary is beneath the standards of public discourse,” Minarik said Friday, when contacted about the comments.

On Monday, Minarik questioned whether the suspension was long enough.

“It seems to me, considering the severity of the commentary, that may not be enough,” Minarik said.

Lonsberry didn’t mention the mayor by name, but Johnson said Lonsberry knew what he was doing, especially since it happened twice.

“I think the connection is much too close and someone of his intelligence... that’s not an accident,” Johnson said Friday about the fact that his name wasn’t specifically mentioned. “It’s not a slip of the tongue. He should know better.”