Garrison Keillor Fired Over Alleged Improper Conduct – By Alexa Lardieri (usnews.com) / Nov 29 2017
The former host of ‘A Prairie Home Companion’ announced he was fired by Minnesota Public Radio over allegations of improper behavior.
Garrison Keillor, former host of “A Prairie Home Companion” was fired from Minnesota Public Radio Wednesday after being accused of improper conduct by a former co-worker. (Jeff Baenen/AP)
Garrison Keillor, longtime host of “A Prairie Home Companion,” announced Wednesday he had been fired by Minnesota Public Radio because of allegations of improper conduct.
MPR released a statement announcing the termination of Keillor and separation from his private media companies after “learning of allegations of his inappropriate behavior with an individual who worked with him.” The company was notified last month of allegations against the 75-year-old former host, which reportedly took place while he was responsible for the production of “A Prairie Home Companion,” a show he had hosted since 1974.
According to the statement, MPR President Jon McTaggart informed the MPR board chairman and a special board committee was convened. An outside law firm was hired to conduct an independent investigation, which is ongoing.
“MPR takes these allegations seriously and we are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful and supportive work environment for all employees and everyone associated with MPR. We want a workplace where anyone who experiences unwanted behavior feels comfortable in reporting concerns to MPR. Discrimination, harassment, retaliation or other inappropriate behaviors will not be tolerated,” the statement reads.
In an email, Keillor told the Associated Press he was fired over “a story that I think is more interesting and more complicated than the version MPR heard.” He did not elaborate.
Keillor retired as host of his long-running public radio show in 2016. However, he maintains a business relationship with MPR through private media companies. As a result of the allegations, MPR and American Public Media will end distribution and broadcast of “The Writer’s Almanac” hosted by Keillor, and rebroadcasts of “The Best of A Prairie Home Companion,” also hosted by Keillor, change the name of APM’s weekly music and variety program hosted by Chris Thile and separate from the Pretty Good Goods online catalog and PrairieHome.org.
“Garrison Keillor has been an important part of the growth and success of MPR, and all of us in the MPR community are saddened by these circumstances,” McTaggart said. “While we appreciate the contributions Garrison has made to MPR and to all of public radio, we believe this decision is the right thing to do and is necessary to continue to earn the trust of our audiences, employees and supporters of our public service.”
Keillor’s termination comes just a day after The Washington Post published a column he wrote in which he labeled calls for Sen. Al Franken’s resignation “pure absurdity” after the Minnesota Democrat was accused of groping a woman and making unwanted advances.
PB/TK – I’m telling ya, with all this crap of sexual harassment/inappropriate sex behavior coming out, if I find out Mr McFeely and Lady Aberlin were being sexually inappropriate in the Neighborhood I’m gonna freak out!
