by AMELIA WADE 5:30 AM Thursday Aug 11, 2011
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/
Brendan Telfer says Tony Veitch (pictured) made 'mischievious'
comments on air. Photo / Supplied
Broadcaster Tony Veitch caused his colleague Brendan Telfer strife
yesterday over an off-air conversation that became public - with
racial undertones.
Veitch told his Radio Sport breakfast audience that he had just had an
amusing conversation with Telfer off-air. He said they had been
debating whether it was fair for South African amputee athlete Oscar
Pistorius to compete in the world championships with carbon-fibre
legs.
"Now all of us reckon he shouldn't," Veitch said on his show. "My
reasons are quite simple: it's eight runners versus, you know, two
legs, two arms. So Telf, while he was losing the battle, then yelled
out in front of the whole newsroom: Okay, you ban that guy, what's
next? We ban fat people from the Olympics, and blacks?"
Telfer said on his later morning show that Veitch's comments had led
some of his listeners to believe he was racist. He received a call
from one man who said he understood that "in the heat of the moment in
an argument" Telfer yelled in front of his colleagues that he did not
think "blacks or black people" should be allowed to compete in the
Olympics.
Telfer was forced to interrupt the caller and said that Veitch's
earlier comments were "mischievous".
"It was a private conversation ... I said: 'Why is it you want to
restrict so many people from competing in sport? I mean, soon you'll
be saying thin people can't compete. Fat people can't compete. Short
people can't compete. Tall people can't compete. Black people can't
compete.'
"And Tony, unfortunately ran into the studio and blabbed that out on
air which made me look like a racist," he said on-air.
Telfer said Veitch had apologised to him.
"I took offence [over] what he said because it was - he didn't mean to
make me sound racist, but ... at the time I wasn't in the studio with
him to point out he what he was saying was misguided and mischievous."
Telfer last night told the Herald the two had later worked out their
differences but would discuss the disagreement at the end of Veitch's
show this morning.
"He accepts that he could have perhaps chosen his words a little more
wisely. And I in turn said some things to him, which in hindsight I
probably regret - I got a little heated as he came out of the studio.
It was a bit of a storm in a teacup and we've both moved on," Telfer
said.
Veitch resumed radio work earlier this year following the fallout from
his court case involving former partner Kristin Dunne-Powell.
He plead guilty in court to a charge of injuring with reckless
disregard after admitting he had kicked Ms Dunne-Powell in the back,
while she was on the ground.
In 2005, Veitch apologised for "unjustified" comments after he
compared tennis star Serena Williams to an ape.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/
"Veitch Watch"® is compiled by HECTOR STOOP, for Daisycutter Sports
Inc.
No comments:
Post a Comment