Exactly six months ago today, WLW-AM's Bill Cunningham called former University of Cincinnati basketball coach Bob Huggins live on his Bill Cunningham Show in which Huggins used an offensive homophobic slur.
Cunningham laughed heartily when Huggins remarked on Monday, May 8, about "all those (slurs), the Catholic (slurs)," while talking about a Crosstown Shootout game years ago when Xavier students reportedly threw sex toys from the stands when the Muskies played Huggins' UC Bearcats. Then Cunningham said Huggins was "the best… the best ever."
The reaction was swift from Huggins and Xavier.
But not from Cunningham or iHeartMedia, which broadcast Huggins' hateful comment on 50,000 watts heard across the Midwest on the station that calls itself "The Big One."
I've not heard a contrite word in the last 26 weeks about the incident from Cunningham or WLW-AM, the city's No. 1-rated station, which will broadcast most of the XU basketball games this season. (Tonight's opener is on WKRC-AM at 7:30 p.m.; next Monday's game at Purdue will be on WLW-AM at 8 p.m.).
Within four hours of his Cunningham Show remarks May 8, Huggins issued an apology for using "a completely insensitive and abhorrent phrase that there is simply no excuse for." A month later, he resigned as West Virginia University men's basketball coach after his arrest in Pittsburgh on suspicion of drunken driving — although later he denied that he actually resigned.
Xavier President Colleen Hanycz said May 10 that Huggins' "deplorable mischaracterizations and homophobic slurs directed toward our LBGQT+ and Catholic communities were repulsive and offensive."
But Cunningham has never said a word publicly about why he laughed raucously at Huggins' remark denigrating Catholics. And he's never explained — or apologized — for why he or a producer didn't use the delay button to "dump" or "bleep" the ugly words before they could be broadcast.
Bob Huggins knew the comments were toxic, and issued a second apology in 48 hours regretting "the hurt they unfairly caused others."
But his name isn't on WLW-AM's government license to use the public airwaves. Our airwaves.
And Huggins didn't force himself onto the station. He was invited by Cunningham, who proclaims himself "the Great American."
And when Huggins said the ugly homophobic words, Cunningham laughed.
A truly great American would have admonished Huggins immediately for using such offensive language. A truly great American would have apologized to Xavier (his alma mater) and to listeners.
And a truly great American would have made it a teaching moment for his huge afternoon radio audience, explaining why the remark was offensive.
But he didn't.
And since then he's said nothing publicly about the incident.
Cunningham has ignored my repeated emails asking why he laughed at Huggins' offensive slur; asking why he hasn't apologized for doing so; and asking if he's ever apologized in private to any Xavier officials. D.J. Hodge, WLW-AM general manager and Cincinnati iHeartMedia market manager, also has ignored my emails.
Nobody at Xavier would say if Cunningham or iHeartMedia had ever apologized to the university for broadcasting words XU's Hanycz called "repulsive and offensive." Nobody would say if anyone at the university has reservations about Xavier basketball games returning to iHeartMedia stations this fall.
Tom Eiser, associate athletic director for communications, deferred comment to Doug Ruschuman, Xavier associate vice president for marketing and communications. Ruschman responded to my email but didn't answer the Big One — my question about whether Cunningham or iHeartMedia ever apologized.
"Thanks for your note. Yes, we are excited to get basketball season started. And yes, our radio broadcasts are contracted through iHeart — best estimate is that we've been on their airwaves for three-plus decades.
"Specific to Huggins last spring, we don't have anything to add at this point. Given the relationship, our team in Athletics has regular interaction with iHeart," Ruschman wrote.
The Great American loves to sit behind WLW-AM's powerful microphone and ridicule, insult, mock or laugh at those who disagree with his conservative views: Democrats, liberals, environmentalists, progressives and particularly politicians named Biden, McCain, Clinton and Obama. That's been his schtick for years.
Six months ago, I wrote "Is The Big One big enough to apologize?"
Now we know the answer.
Cunningham and iHeartMedia are still unapologetically laughing all the way to the bank.
