BLOOMSBURG — A Bloomsburg radio station remains under fire after now suspended employee posted alt-right tweets and a video. More than 60 protestors gathered outside the station on East Main Street in Bloomsburg Tuesday against WHLM radio director of new media and on-air host Dave Reilly.
As a result of the uproar, Reilly was suspended without pay by the station Tuesday. Reilly’s father, Joe Reilly, owns the station.
One of the Wednesday night protestors, Wendy Lynn Lee, a professor of philosophy at Bloomsburg University, says Dave Reilly has had a history of white supremacist views, “For me, this is just one more piece of a long history of bigotry in my hometown that I want to see eradicated.”
Dr. Lee does say however, she supports the ACLU in defense of white supremacists’ right to speak, “That doesn’t mean the right to engage in acts of violence. They have the same right to speak that I do, and they’re speech is my opportunity to confront them directly, which I do.”
Dr. Lee also had some strong words regarding President Donald Trump’s handling of the Charlottesville rally, “President Trump isn’t playing the fence. President Trump is sending a dog whistle to his racist, bigoted base. This is right and wrong. There’s nothing mysterious going on here. He’s playing to his base and he knows who put him into office.”
WHLM has continued to lose more of its advertisers in wake of Dave Reilly’s actions, including Bloomsburg University and several other banks and businesses. The University is also studying whether WHLM will continue broadcasting its sports events. WHLM has also posted another statement on Dave Reilly’s suspension…you can see that at WKOK.com.
