Home Login RADIO ONLINE RSS Facebook
Advertisement

Judge Declines Warrant to Arrest Seth Dunlap for Extortion


Seth Dunlap
Seth Dunlap

New Orleans police asked a judge last Wednesday for a warrant to arrest former WWL sports/talk host Seth Dunlap on a count of extortion, reports the New Orleans Times-Picayune/Advocate. But Magistrate Commissioner Robert Blackburn rejected the warrant and the newspaper's sources said he didn't find the evidence that backed up a charge of extortion.

One source told the newspaper that the detective presented evidence that the openly gay radio personality used his phone to launch a homophobic insult at himself via the radio station's Twitter account before demanding nearly $2 million to settle complaints about a hostile workplace. Dunlap was fired by Entercom's WWL last week and he denies the allegations.

At the center of the controversy is a tweet that originated from WWL's Twitter account referring to the 35-year-old Dunlap as a "fag." Dunlap, who is openly gay, then wrote a lengthy post on his personal Facebook page recounting the challenges he'd faced working in sports media as a gay man. The offensive tweet quickly vanished - but not before drawing nationwide attention, with many offering support for Dunlap and condemning WWL Radio.

The station investigated and claims the tweet in question came from an IP address associated with Dunlap's phone. Station management then went to the NOPD and accused Dunlap of sending the tweet before demanding the station pay him $1.8 million to avoid a lawsuit he planned to file, alleging a hostile workplace environment. The station claimed both the tweet and the demand came at a time when Dunlap was facing significant financial problems.

Advertisement

Latest Radio Stories

Eric White Named PD for Charlotte, Raleigh Rock Outlets
Eric White
Eric White
iHeartMedia has appointed Eric "E" White as Program Director for three of its Rock outlets in North Carolina: Alternative WEND (106.5 The End) and Classic Rock WRFX (99.7 The Fox) in Charlotte, and Classic Rock WRDU (106.1) in Raleigh. White steps into the role following the departure of Chris Crowley More

Civic Media Expands into Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Civic Media
Civic Media
Civic Media has announced a major expansion into Michigan's Upper Peninsula through an asset purchase agreement filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to acquire five radio stations from J&J Broadcasting, based in Iron River, WI. The acquisition will be completed More

WLS-AM Partners with FOX News Audio to Expand Programming
WLS-AM in Chicago
WLS-AM in Chicago
News/Talk 890 WLS-AM has announced a new partnership with FOX News Audio to bring a range of national news and talk content to Chicago radio audiences. The collaboration launched today and includes the addition of The Guy Benson Show, airing live weekdays from 2-5pm, along with hourly More
Advertisement

Veteran Radio Host Dave Randall to Retire After 40 Years
Dave Randall
Dave Randall
After more than 40 years behind the microphone, beloved Southern California radio personality Dave Randall has announced his retirement. Randall, currently heard weekdays on 95.1 KBBY and 103.3 KRUZ in Ventura, will sign off for the final time at the end of July, concluding a storied broadcast career that More

WZGV Charlotte Rebrands as InsideTheGame.bet
WZGV-AM in Charlotte
WZGV-AM in Charlotte
WZGV-AM, formerly known as "ESPN Charlotte 730 The Game," has officially rebranded as "InsideTheGame.bet," becoming the first station in the Charlotte market dedicated to sports betting content. The station's new identity launches in partnership with VSiN, The Sports Betting More

Ray Hopkins Elected to Board of Broadcasters Foundation
Ray Hopkins
Ray Hopkins
The Broadcasters Foundation of America has announced the election of Ray Hopkins, President of Paramount U.S. Distribution, to its Board of Directors. With more than three decades of experience in the media industry, Hopkins brings extensive leadership and distribution expertise to the Foundation's mission More

Return to Menu

Advertisement

Subscribe to our Newsletter
Radio news and headlines delivered right to your e-mail box -- and it's free.

Advertisement

Advertisement