Will CraP24 hire a non-white muslim lesbian to replace him?
LIEberal media does not believe in free speech?
Stephen LeDrew was so sure he would be back on his popular CP24 Live at Noon show he had two special guests lined up for the day of his return following a one-week suspension.
TTC boss Andy Byford and former foreign affairs minister Peter MacKay were booked. LeDrew had his coloured glasses and bow tie picked out.
The comeback didn’t happen. Instead, the former Toronto mayoral candidate said he was called into an office where “people were snarling at me.” It turns out the suspension for his appearance on Tucker Carlson’s FOX News program is not the only punishment.
“I was fired,” said LeDrew. “Fired for cause for violating our competition clause. Merry Christmas.”
The one-time Liberal Party of Canada’s president found himself in trouble for a Dec. 1 appearance on Carlson’s show where he defended a 15-letter acronym LGGBDTTTIQQAAPP being used in schools to protect against bullying.
LeDrew defended it to a skeptical Carlson but, he said, Bell Media decided to admonish him for “going on a competitor’s show without prior permission.”
LeDrew, a lawyer, said he was asked to sign a letter of apology that would allow him back on the air Dec. 8.
“I was worried the wording of the letter would not let me talk to law society events or the kids at Ryerson, but I was going to sign it because I wanted to get back on,” he said.
But after pushing his comeback date to Dec. 11, he was kept from the studio when he arrived.
“I was later ushered out and not allowed to go and get my coat,” he said. “I guess I shouldn’t have giggled when CTV news told me that Fox was its competition.”
LeDrew, who wished he could have said goodbye to his “terrific” colleagues, said he was also told he should not have done media interviews following his suspension.
Bell has not commented other than to say “Stephen LeDrew is no longer with Bell Media.”
It is disappointing because as a viewer and occasional guest, I think Stephen was very good at his job. He did it with professionalism, style and flare for seven years.
If there was a story in Toronto, LeDrew was the place on TV where viewers and newsmakers would go. That he could be dismissed over this seems over the top. How are characters and free thinkers to work in this kind of environment? TV and radio needs to be edgy and controversial instead of rigid and politically correct.
LeDrew doesn’t believe this was because of his “fish or fowl, frick of frack” answer to explaining the definition of what a “two spirited” person is but more about appearing without clearance and “that I talked with the press.”
Ironic, he was talking about free speech on the show.
“They just want everybody under their thumb,” said LeDrew. “I am OK. It just means I will be able to spend more time with my family over the holidays.”
But after that, LeDrew said he will be available to do commentary.
“This is a serious time in our country,” he said. “I will still talk about important issues.”
Just not on CP24.
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