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WLW Radio host Bill Cunningham is in the spotlight following West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins' homophobic comments on his radio show. Huggins directed homophobic slurs referring to the Xavier fans and denigrated Catholics on Cunningham's show.
Here's what Huggins said when responding if he would recruit any Xavier players in the transfer portal:
“Catholics don’t do that. ... I tell you what, any school that can throw rubber penises on the floor and then say they didn’t do it, by God they can get away with anything.
“It was the Crosstown Shootout. What it was, was all those (expletive), those Catholic (expletive), I think.”
Huggins coached one of Xaviers' rivals, the Cincinnati Bearcats between 1989 to 2005. Huggins apologized for his comments after the public outrage for his controversial remarks, saying:
“I used a completely insensitive and abhorrent phrase that there is simply no excuse for — and I won’t try to make one here. I deeply apologize to the individuals I have offended, as well as to the Xavier University community, the University of Cincinnati and West Virginia University."
The University of West Virginia has taken a strong stance against their head coach, suspending him for the first three games of the upcoming season. He will return to the sidelines, but with a $1 million salary deduction.
The Hall of Fame coach's earnings will be directly going in support of WVU’s LGBTQ+ Center, the Carruth Center, and other state and national organizations that support marginalized communities.
There has been some outrage regarding Bill Cunningham, with some believing he shouldn't be let off the hook. Before we look into that opinion, here's a look at who the radio personality is. Cunningham is a 75-year-old radio talk show host named WLW, a local radio show in Cincinnati.
He hosts two shows called "The Big Show with Bill Cunningham." broadcasted locally on weekdays, and "Sunday Nights with Bill Cunningham," heard nationally on weekends by Premiere Radio Networks.
Cunnigham started WLW in 1983. His main line of work is in the field of Law. He is a lawyer by profession, having worked as a staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Cincinnati-Public Defender Division and as Assistant Attorney General in the office of the Ohio Attorney General.
Cunningham works for Steven R. Adams' law firm. He is married to Judge Penelope R. Cunningham. He also hosted a TV show named "The Bill Cunningham Show," which aired on The CV between 2011 and 2016.
Bill Cunningham and WLW haven't addressed Bob Huggins' comments
Bob Huggins' homophobic comments warranted him a hefty fine and suspension. The show's host, Bill Cunnigham, is yet to address the comments. He didn't object to it when they were made, either.
Cunningham laughed off those comments. Many believe he should be held accountable for this incident. Cunningham has a reputation for making controversial remarks during his broadcasting career.
However, Cunningham's show has only received flak online. There haven't been any significant actions taken against him or his show by the radio program for his role in this unfortunate incident.
