Regular readers are well aware of the story of Maggie Fuller, who spent 14 years as morning show co-host at MediaCom talk WNIR/100.1 “The Talk of Akron”.
She’s no longer there, of course, leaving the station at the same time as co-host Stan Piatt, in a situation that could perhaps best be called messy…and embarrassing for the station.
From our item last December, bouncing off an article by Beacon Journal pop culture writer Rich Heldenfels:
Fuller filed for unemployment, claiming the station had mishandled the incident and left her no choice but to resign.
What you’ve probably heard in offices and studios and coffee shops is now public record, thanks to Fuller’s win on the unemployment claim and Heldenfels’ article. (And yes, Rich talked with us on social media at the time – he heard it all, too.)
The incident in question, from the Heldenfels article:
The latest decision, by Kevin Thornton of the Ohio Unemployment Compensation Review Commission, concluded:
“A coworker of claimaint [Fuller] unleashed an obscenity laced tirade against her at a station sponsored party at a country club. … [T]he employer conducted no investigation into the matter, other than getting a statement from the coworker, even though they could easily have spoken to the management of the country club and the morning host [Stan Piatt], who hosted the party.”
The decision said failure to investigate and to discipline (WNIR midday host John) Denning showed the station did not take his conduct seriously and also faulted WNIR management’s “failure to discipline the coworker in a meaningful manner for his despicable behavior.”
After signaling that her legal fight wasn’t over, Fuller has taken the next step…preparing a sexual harrassment suit.
She’s opened up a GoFundMe account to pay various legal fees that need to be put up in advance, even with a lawyer working on a contingency basis:
I was awarded unemployment, but the case will be going before the courts soon. I have an excellent employment attorney, Nancy Grim, who is working on a contingency basis. I still need the suit filing fee (approx. $400) and I pay the court reporters for transcripts (in advance) ($1000.00 to $4000.00) Court reporters have about 8-9 people to who will be questioned at $75.00 per hour. Several of these people are witnesses who offered to testify. Although I am working, I am breaking even and cannot get these fees together in time. I could really use your help.
We asked Maggie Fuller to elaborate about her case, and the decision to file suit.
“I have taken some grief from people who really don’t understand the story or just don’t want to understand, but I expected it,” Fuller tells OMW. “I know this court case will take it’s toll on my resources, financially and emotionally, but I have a great attorney, and I am ready for what is to come.”
And there’s no question the former morning co-host at “The Talk of Akron” misses her time in the studio.
“I have already had an offer to work in radio, but I have a non-compete for a while. I also have an online radio project in the works with a friend,” she says. “I can work outside radio because I am a licensed counselor…working in mental health now. I do miss radio, and chatting it up in the morning with the boys and the callers.”
She misses it, she tells us, even though the radio business can chew people up and spit them out.
“I am really bothered by the whole concept that some people believe that people in radio should put up with poor treatment, because there is always someone waiting in the wings to take your seat,” she says. “I have heard of many stories from both men and women in radio. Someone has to take a stand, and say ‘we’re worth something and worthy of basic human respect’.”
As a bonus (so to speak), Maggie Fuller’s “GoFundMe” page has the actual wording allegedly used towards her by John “Couch Burner” Denning at that country club (what Heldenfels called a “notoriously crude anatomical reference”)…with some characters blocked out.
We won’t repeat it here, for fear of running afoul of public computer language filters…it’s not the kind of language we use either in public or private…
John “Church Burner” Denning has a foul mouth and has no business being on radio. I’m astounded that he’s still on the air. It sure seems to me that Bob Frantz would be a great addition to the station. If the station’s management is reading this board, you certainly should consider giving the 10 to 3 timeslot to a broadcast professional.
Bob Frantz called me an SOB on the air. After hanging up he again called me a SOB, ranted for minutes, and did not respond in any intelligent manner. Broadcast professional? Broadcast bully!
Did you deserve be called an SOB? You have repeatedly mentioned this incident but failed to describe what preceded his outburst. I’ve heard lots of callers on local radio who deserved to be called SOBs, and I’m sure you have too. But since no one but you knows the circumstances of your conversation with Bob Franz, then it really isn’t an issue. In the past, I heard him go off on a number of callers who had it coming to them, so if he shows some emotion and passion, then good for him. That makes for entertaining radio. But I’ll even go as far as saying that if Franz called you an SOB, then perhaps you might have deserved it.
I’ll never be able to figure out the people that make donations to people on that site. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and find another job, lady. Going after somebody with deep pockets over an incident at a party, hoping to squeeze a settlement out of them by attempting to embarrass them through the media. You were constructively terminated, and you are receiving unemployment benefits. That’s all you’re entitled to. Life is tough and some co-workers are crappy. Suck it up.
And don’t forget to pay back those that donated to your cause when you discover there aren’t enough rubes willing to contribute to it. Thanks, the IRS appreciates your attention to this matter.
AJ this was a work related “Party” and they were all on the clock. And Denning was very crude and rude. He doesn’t seem to have respect in women. I would like to see him fired, along with Oliver.
Don’t feel the least bit sorry for her. If she was that disgusted, she should have completed her contract and leave. It’s done all the time. By pulling that stunt, WNIR listeners were denied, for a third time in little over a year’s time, a chance to say goodbye to a long time host. There are many radio and TV teams that do not get along off the air, but it is not known while on the air. One such example is the TV 5 news team of John Hambrick and Dave Patterson in the 1970’s. They did not get along at all, but the viewer never saw any animosity on the air. Dave Patterson admitted in the 1980’s of the situation, but never made an issue of it, and even had accolades for John last year when asked to make a statement on his passing.
If Maggie’s attorney was so confident of winning, wouldn’t he front the money for these expenses? Attorneys make out big with these contingency cases and will nickel and dime the client. And, if she if triumphant, is another radio station or other type of business really going to hire her knowing of this lawsuit.
Maggie was a good co-host, but that was it. When Stan was out, it was real painful listening to her hosting the show. That is a problem The Kaiser does not have now. Listening to this past Saturday’s show, Angela’s presentation with Chris not being there was very smooth as there were no hesitations. The Kaiser hit a home run with Chris and Angela, and they have done a great job making listeners forget the prior hosts.
As for Couchburner…….he really needs to do the honorable thing and leave to allow Jim Isabella take over that slot. Jim would have made a much better replacement for Howie, who really could never be replaced.
And a question for Maggie should she win. Will she refund people that actually contributed to this nonsense?
The two new hosts are terrible – they talk over each other constantly & have nothing meaningful to say (surprised they are in radio at all).
Not sure why Maggie was so shocked hearing those comments from Couch burner. Although no one has a right to talk like that, Maggie’s language was pretty foul on the air. She as well as Stan talked about every subject imaginable (loved to shock listeners) and put down many people including other WNIR show hosts. She was very disrespectful towards Howie when they did their monologue and stomped off the air after a confrontation. In addition, she did not like her job as much as she’s saying now. She actually left WNIR for the Elyria job that didn’t work out….without one word of “good bye” to the listeners! Now she’s begging for their help.
She also attended college while working at WNIR and earned a degree in a different field and talked about moving on. She was not happy there at all. Her commercials were boring and uninspiring… Like someone was forcing her to read a script. Listen to the difference in Angela’s commercials and on the air personality.
I do wish her well in whatever she does next but I do not support her in this cause or case against WNIR.
This lawsuit will be tossed out in 5 seconds. Maggie never actually HEARD the alleged comments herself. How can someone be hurt by something they didn’t even hear? As far as her claim that her microphone was turned off during their “joint” broadcasts, they were on the air for less than 15 minutes per day while one show was ending and the other was beginning and it is a standard radio practice to silence a microphone while others are talking. Maggie sounds like a bitter person with a personal ax to grind and it is my opinion that she does not deserve a penny from anyone to help fund her lawsuit nor a penny from her former employer. Whatever happened to “sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me”? Maggie is a licensed counselor? Would you let someone counsel you who was unable to resolve her own inner problems and is only trying to hurt others by bringing lawsuits? What is her counseling method, “If you don’t like someone, or if you heard from a third party someone said something bad about you, sue them, that will make you feel better!”?