The bad news is: Bernie Ward has been officially fired from San Francisco's KGO. 
The fierce "lion of the left" was indicted on federal child pornography charges in December after downloading images; e-mailing it on to others, and discussing the material in chat rooms. Ward and his attorneys said was doing research for a book.
Ward is a former Catholic priest, and host of a weeknight show and of God Talk on Sundays.
The somewhat better news for Ward fans: General Manager Micky Luckoff says KGO fired him before knowing all the details of the case, and that he wants him back on the air soon.
Luckoff says he believes Ward’s explanation that he downloaded and traded child porn as research for a book: “Technically, it’s against the law. He admitted what he did. There’s no reason to believe he’s a pedophile.”
Ward's next court appearance is January 24th; and he and the KGO GM will meet then. Indications are that Ward could be back on the air soon thereafter -- even before a possible trial wraps up: “We really value Bernie," says Lockoff, "He’s a very capable on-air talent.”
Meantime, KGO fills Ward's nighttime slot with part-time hosts. Fans can catch up on everything Bernie on the Support Bernie website.
I felt better after reading the KGO website. It has also been heartening to hear other KGO hosts be very vocal in their support of Bernie. I hope he is back on the air soon because I really miss him.
Posted by: sparky | January 20, 2008 at 07:17 PM
Unless there's 'solid' evidence otherwise he deserves to remain at his job, period!
Posted by: Duffman | January 20, 2008 at 07:30 PM
Too bad for him he's not a trooper or teacher. He could go on paid 'administrative leave' and collect another two years of salary pending trial while sitting at home.
Posted by: wutitiz | January 20, 2008 at 07:59 PM
Every pedophile should be stripped nekkid and his bare ass flogged with a wire coathanger soaked in urine.
Posted by: abob | January 20, 2008 at 08:19 PM
Hey, aboob, you ever considered being a talk radio host for the right? You'd fit right in, you know. No training required.
Sorry. No room for you on the left. Malloy's got that position. But the right has lots of openings...
Posted by: joanie | January 20, 2008 at 08:36 PM
not so fast joanie. abob may be in luck. after all, you never know, randi rhodes may end up ass over teakettle again trying to negotiate a freakin curb. yet another 'victim' of the vast right wing conspiracy.
or rush may run afoul of the authorities again.
Posted by: PugetSound | January 20, 2008 at 10:31 PM
As I previously established, Randi was attacked. Were you in on it? Why were you gone so long after it happened?
Posted by: storsie | January 20, 2008 at 10:45 PM
storsie, please elaborate on your theory.
Posted by: PugetSound | January 20, 2008 at 10:50 PM
I have gone over all this. Randi would have remembered the moments before going unconcious, UNLESS it was a blindside attack. She had her dog with her, proving that she was not in a bar and was not drunk. She remembered nothing, indicating a blindside attack. The attending physician confirmed it. Shortly after the attack, you seemingly disappeared from sight.
Working off a hunch, I ran all this by a lawyer friend, and he agreed that in a court of law, my "theory" would hold up.
Posted by: storsie | January 20, 2008 at 11:11 PM
Here's what really happened to Randi.
"She, in fact, fell down and injured her teeth outside of a Midtown Irish bar at around 6 o'clock Sunday evening after downing about fourteen Ketel One Bloody Marys. She was abusive to the barstaff and generally gross, crass, loud, and pretentious. I genuinely hope she has a speedy recovery. I never would've disclosed this (I believe that anyone should feel free to hang out at Irish pubs at any time and not be concerned about someone publishing their behavior) if Air America hadn't grossly interpreted a drunken indiscretion and allowed it to be morphed into some bullish rhetoric on air. Whatever journalistic integrity the station may have ever had is now completely compromised. The manipulation of the public diminishes any cause, whether just or fabricated."
From Gawker.com
Posted by: DT | January 21, 2008 at 10:26 AM
OMG D**T (Deep Thinker), you fell for that hoax? The person who made up the story about the 14 BM's claimed to be an employee at the Irish Pub, and posted anonymously on Gawker. When people went to check out the pub--there WAS NO PUB. However, the story line was suspiciously similar to the Sharkansky/Bell saga, suggesting a case of Internet revenge. And guess what, Shark has dropped out if sight in recent months.
What ever the case, D**T, the attending physician, i.e. doctor, i.e. man of science, stated that Randi's injuries were caused by attack, not fall.
Posted by: storsie | January 21, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Ah yes, the Gawker. The gossip site that lives to report on Paris, Britney, Lindsey Lohan, and the "good looking women on Fox News." They post the rumor about Randi next to photos from the website where you can design your own church reader board. That's some really fine journalistic reporting there, DT.
Posted by: sparky | January 21, 2008 at 11:42 AM
Next thing you know, old copies of the Dan Smoot report superimposed with today's news
Posted by: coiler | January 21, 2008 at 11:45 AM
What sounds more plausible, that 1) Randi had a few drinks, then fell? Or... 2) She was going for a walk, and some evil man from the right-wing hate machine was stalking her, waiting for the right opportunity to attack her? Or... 3) she was walking through a park in NYC and got mugged? I think it's either #3 or #1.
Posted by: DT | January 21, 2008 at 12:03 PM
Is it worth your constant obsession?
Posted by: coiler | January 21, 2008 at 12:14 PM
Whom do you believe D**T, an anonymous poster on Gawker who may have been Sharkansky, or posting at the behest of Sharkansky, or a man of science?
Posted by: storsie | January 21, 2008 at 12:17 PM
If you're asking me if I believe it's possible for a person to be mugged in NYC, yes I do.
Posted by: DT | January 21, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Was any cash/jewelry taken? I don't recall any mention of it. As an attractive, important gal-about-town she would have doubtless had her share of bling on her. None apparently was taken. WHY NOT???
Posted by: storsie | January 21, 2008 at 01:13 PM
According to the police report she was wearing sweats and was out walking her dog,smoking a ciggy.
Of course, I always wear my tiara when out walking my pooches but I don't live in the big city.
Maybe the fact that the coughin' nails cost 6 bucks a pack now caused someone to jump her for her smokes.
Posted by: sparky | January 21, 2008 at 01:54 PM
Bring back Bernie, he's needed in that 10:00 time slot. The guest hosts are a real drag, particularly that Karel character and his psuedo female voice.
Posted by: Upton | January 21, 2008 at 02:00 PM
sparky that's a good one ('coughin nails'). Randi is in need of an intervention, no doubt.
But please tell me, Sparky, that you are not taking the side of Sharkansky and his minions on this??
Posted by: storsie | January 21, 2008 at 02:10 PM
Nothing was taken from that woman who was stabbed to death on Capitol Hill on New Years Eve. So what if nothing was taken from Randi. That doesn't mean it was politically motivated.
Bernie belongs in prison. And if anyone believes that "I was doing research for a book" story, you're a gullible idiot.
Posted by: DT | January 21, 2008 at 03:38 PM
why in the hell would I support anthing sharkansky says??? I dont share your view that the Gawker rumor was started by him. He isnt that clever.
This thread is about Bernie...enough with Randi already.
DT, you would make a great lawyer. I would love to hear you tell a jury that if they found the defendant not guilty, they were idiots...
Posted by: sparky | January 21, 2008 at 03:56 PM
The trial, if it happens hasn't begun. Even his employers feel he is vindicated. I think a deal will be reached and Bernie back on the air soon.
Posted by: coiler | January 21, 2008 at 03:57 PM
Upton...there's nothing pseudo about Karel's voice! hah! I didn't used to like him but he kind of grew on me...when he sings along with disco and other dance tunes, its funny.
I usually dont listen to his whole show, though.
Posted by: sparky | January 21, 2008 at 04:02 PM
Sparky, be honest, if it were a right-wing, ex-priest radio host who had child porn on his computer, would you still believe him when he said he was just doing research for a book?
And oo you believe that Sen. Craig just has a "wide stance?"
Posted by: DT | January 21, 2008 at 04:04 PM
Sparky has a point here. Let's wait for a conviction. There have been quite a few cases around the country of false accusations in pedophila cases. I remember the Grant Snowden (FL) where then-prosecutor Janet Reno pretty much stomped a poor schlub's life to bits, and then it turned out he was innocent. Then there was the Wenatchee witch-hunt. Often the biggest accusers turn out to be themselves tainted. Mark Foley was an anti-predator grandstander.
Posted by: wutitiz | January 21, 2008 at 04:17 PM
DT, just because some libs are so quick to accuse conservatives of racism, sex-perversion, etc. doesn't mean we have to follow suit.
Posted by: wutitiz | January 21, 2008 at 04:22 PM
DT, I think anyone and everyone should be presumed innocent until the facts come in. I believe all the newsworthy Republicans accused of being predators either confessed or there was a ton of evidence. If you had done your research, you would know that no other judges have found evidence of Bernie being a pedophile. NObody here has denied that he transferred files of pictures. Nobody here thinks it was anything but a really stupid thing he did. But his lawyer has evidence that it was done on 3 specific dates, in less than a month's time frame, and never before or after those dates. Stupid, yes. Pedophile? That has not been proven, even after 4 years of searching. The only thing that has changed is who the US District attorney is==a close friend of Karl Rove.
Posted by: sparky | January 21, 2008 at 05:03 PM
for my nutter friends on both sides, enjoy!
NewBushCoins
Posted by: PugetSound | January 21, 2008 at 05:03 PM
OK Sparky, sorry for the Shark reference. Thanks for the Rove info. I think that tells us everything we need to know.
Posted by: storsie | January 21, 2008 at 05:28 PM
Sparky, as was shown by you in the other thread, we know how you get your facts.
Posted by: Nevets | January 21, 2008 at 06:08 PM
Nice Puts, funny.
Posted by: Nevets | January 21, 2008 at 06:13 PM
What HAS happened to Sharkansky, Blam?
Posted by: sparky | January 21, 2008 at 06:35 PM
when you are arguing with someone who is dumb as a box of rocks sometimes it isn't worth continuing the conversation.
Posted by: shadow | January 21, 2008 at 07:01 PM
this is the same guy who started the big Obama sign conspiracy.
lots of credibility there.
Posted by: shadow | January 21, 2008 at 07:03 PM
Hmmm. Sparky wonders what happened to Shark, and everybody suddenly shuts up. Hmmm.
Posted by: storsie | January 21, 2008 at 08:59 PM
I love Bernie and miss him immensely. I hardly listen to KGO anymore since he's been gone. Ray is their only salvation. Karel is pretty decent. screw the rest... well, I take thgat back, Brian Copeland is decent and Gene is a helluva nice guy but way to conservative for me. I hope Bernie does indeed return. Its been hard getting used to life without him every night...and that Rabbi Lapin who filled in on Godtalk is a real scumbag fascist
Posted by: Martin | January 21, 2008 at 09:17 PM
I love radio but... did anyone watch the CNN debate? I was at school so got to watch cable. Fireworks! Obama and Clinton are getting pretty scrappy. Edwards may still be the beneficiary.
Pretty interesting. I thought Hillary held her own while Obama got a little flustered.
Oh well, he's always got the audacity of hope to fall back on.
Posted by: joanie | January 22, 2008 at 12:06 AM
I think Mrs Clinton gets stronger with each debate and with each speech and/or question/answer session she gives. I think she be careful, however to be too much on the attack; she has the privlege of letting her husband do that and still remaining 'above' the fray.
I continue to be very impressed with her and I'll be proud to see her become POTUS.
Posted by: Duffman | January 22, 2008 at 05:31 AM
Several prominent Dems told Bill to back off..he is not helping her. I watched the debate and when John Edwards asked Hillary if she would join him in pledging to remove the influence of lobbyists from the White House, she got very pissed off and tried to evade the answer. She said she would have "honest" people working for her. So I guess her answer was "no".
Posted by: sparky | January 22, 2008 at 09:02 AM
Despite all of that I still support the bumper sticker that reads. MLEBWFP
Monica Lewinsky's Ex-Boyfriend's Wife For President ! :)
Posted by: Duffman | January 22, 2008 at 10:35 AM
And I know that you like the license plate frame on the back of my car extolling support for that woman, Duffy.
Posted by: chucks | January 22, 2008 at 12:13 PM
chucks: what was it again?
Posted by: Duffman | January 22, 2008 at 12:22 PM
"Tax Accountants For Hillary"
It is on the back license plate of my Rolls Royce.
I really get a kick out of the looks on peoples faces when they read it.
Posted by: chucks | January 22, 2008 at 01:10 PM
That's good...I have a good friend who is one (tax accountant) and I must pass that on to him! [Happens to be a staunch Republican, also] :)
Posted by: Duffman | January 22, 2008 at 01:14 PM
I'm sorry this question is so off topic. But, does anyone know the name/artist of the song that Erin Hart used to introduce her show while she was still at KIRO? It is driving me crazy that I can't find this answer anywhere, and I want to buy the song. Thanks!
Posted by: Liz | January 22, 2008 at 04:06 PM
Liz:
Should be "Smooth", by Santana w/ Rob Thomas (off the Santana Album "Supernatural" 1999).
Pretty sure this is the only song Hart opened the show with (single-note guitar riff w/ horn accompaniments, right?)
Actually, here's a link to the video
Posted by: mercifurious | January 22, 2008 at 04:29 PM
Wow, Mercifurious, thanks a million for responding so soon! Peace, Liz
Posted by: Liz | January 22, 2008 at 04:39 PM
oh gawd...I respect your right to like that song, Liz....but I have to turn it off when I hear it....she never used anything else. Gack.
Posted by: sparky | January 22, 2008 at 05:05 PM