List of on-air resignations

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This is a list of on-air resignations. These are resignations in the public eye.

On radio

• William (Rosko) Mercer, known to his fans simply as Rosko, resigned on-air twice: first from WOR-FM in October 1967 over the station's employment of radio consultants; and then again in 1985, when he left WKTU-FM while on the air, again over a dispute with the station management.
• November 1991 – Terry Durney becomes first radio presenter in Britain to resign live on-air. He presented the weekend request programme on BBC Radio Lancashire. He cited the reason as the station's new management team who were making the station a more "speech and sport" broadcaster.^[1]
• 8 August 1993 – Dave Lee Travis, BBC Radio 1 DJ resigned on-air, citing "There are changes being made at the station that go against my principles" in reference to Matthew Bannister's plans for the station.^[2]
• 2001 – Mal Meninga – his attempted political career lasted a mere 28 seconds. Becoming fazed in his first radio interview, he resigned as a candidate on-air shortly after the broadcast commenced.
• January, 2001 – Journalist Juan Gonzalez announced his resignation whilst co-hosting Democracy Now!, in protest over 'harassment and muzzling of free speech' from the Pacifica Radio Network.^[3][4]
• August, 2006 – Inetta Hinton, presenter on WBLX-FM, resigned on-air with the phrase "I quit this bitch."^[5]
• November, 2006 – Bob "The Blade" Robinson, presenter on WRDU, resigned on the air after Clear Channel Communications switched the format of the station he was on for 22 years from rock to country. He played "The Song Is Over" by The Who and then left after the song was cut off.^[6]
• 2007 – Opal Bonfante resigned from London Calling, citing creative differences with Radio London's new management.
• February, 2008 – Lucas Campbell, presenter of "Rock of Ages" on Chorley FM, resigned on-air after station chiefs decided to shift the show to a later slot.^[7]
• 9 February 2014 – Dublin, Ireland: 2FM Presenter and former station boss John Clarke quit his daytime Sunday show in dramatic fashion, telling listeners he was "reading the signs" and implying he was leaving the programme before he was forced out.^[8]

On television

• 10 February 1960 – Jack Paar announced his resignation from The Tonight Show and walked off during mid-broadcast, after discovering NBC had censored a joke.^[9] Paar returned one month later.
• July 15, 1974 - In an infamous incident which was broadcast on live television, Christine Chubbuck drew a revolver on herself and committed suicide, with her final words indicating her on-air resignation: "In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in 'blood and guts', and in living color, you are going to see another first — attempted suicide."
• November, 2012 – Bangor, Maine: WVII anchors Cindy Michaels and Tony Consiglio resigned on air, citing "some recent developments (that) have come to our attention." ^[10]
• February 2014 – Liz Wahl resigned from Russia Today on-air to protest the network's coverage of Russia's annexation of Crimea.^[11]
• September 21, 2014 - KTVA reporter Charlo Greene declared herself as the president of the medical cannabis organization Alaska Cannabis Club, which is campaigning for the legalization of the drug. She ended the outro with a profane statement, resigned on-air and walked off the set.^[12]

References

1. Alex Hudson (2 August 2011). "How do you have an honourable resignation?". BBC News. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
2. The cull of Radio 1 | BBC Radio
3. http://www.savepacifica.net/20010130_wpfw.html
4. Community Radio Report – June 2001
5. American Rhetoric: Inetta the Moodsetta – On-Air Resignation from WBLX Radio in Mobile Alabama
6. Danny Hooley (January 29, 2008). "'Blade' returns to air". newsobserver.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
7. McCully, Gordon (21 February 2008). "Chorley FM DJ quits on air". Chorley Citizen. Retrieved 2008-06-26.
8. "Former 2fm boss quits live on air, delivers withering parting shot to new regime".
9. TV ACRES: Censorship & Scandals – Jack Paar's Water Closet ("WC") Joke
10. "Maine News Anchors Resign Live On Air Over Station's Unethical Journalistic Practices".
11. "Liz Wahl, Russia Today anchor, quits her job on air". CBC News. 2014-03-06. Archived from the original on 2014-03-07. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
12. http://www.krem.com/video/featured-videos/Alaska-news-anchor-quits-on-live-TV-276294941.html