Newstalk staff call on station to remove George Hook from airwaves after comments on rape

By Joe Leogue

Staff at Newstalk have called on management to “remove” George Hook from the airwaves following his comments on rape last week.

A draft letter has been circulated among and signed by around 20 members of staff, calling for Mr Hook’s removal.

"There's a lot of staff who are not happy, as [the controversy over Hook] really reflects on the rest of us," a source at the station told the Irish Examiner.

Speaking about the victim of an alleged rape case on last Friday’s ‘High Noon’ programme on Newstalk, Mr Hook questioned if there is “no blame now to the person who puts themselves in danger”.

He has since apologised for the comments, and the Dalata Hotel Group, the show’s sponsors, terminated its deal with Newstalk as a result of the remarks.

A draft letter, circulated among staff but not yet presented to management said the signatories “wish to express our utter repudiation of the views expressed by George Hook on High Noon last Friday.”

We also wish to express our profound disappointment with management in Communicorp at their failure to deal with this issue swiftly and decisively,” the letter, seen by the Irish Examiner, read.

“The longer George Hook remains on air, the more reputational damage this station will suffer: damage that will unfairly reflect on the hardworking and professional staff at Newstalk.

“Misogyny should never be normalised, and we call upon management at Communicorp to defend the reputation of the station and the reputation of the staff at Newstalk by removing Mr Hook,” the letter read.