A St. Louis Public Radio talk show host who resigned last month had made colleagues uncomfortable on several occasions with comments about female guests, according to a station report published Friday.
After St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh abruptly left the station March 27, a show guest posted on Facebook that station leaders had “reportedly” reprimanded Marsh for greeting her at the station with “You look good.” Marsh said station executives asked him about the comment in a meeting, prompting his departure. But St. Louis Public Radio GM Tim Eby told media outlets that Marsh’s comment was not a concern. Eby said he could not discuss the meeting further, citing personnel matters.
The latest report from the station’s newsroom brings several new incidents to light, including that earlier in March several members of the St. Louis on the Air team objected to another comment of Marsh’s. Referring to a female aide visiting the studios with a county executive, Marsh asked, “Can I take her home with me?”
EP Alex Heuer emailed Marsh about the comment. The host told St. Louis Public Radio that he was referring to the aide’s efficiency and his remark was misunderstood.
A show producer also emailed Marsh on the day of the “You look good” remark about overhearing him say that the interview ran long because “a pretty woman always takes precedence.”
Marsh told the station’s reporter that he’s “angry” and “humiliated” — “I give myself an A+,” he said. “Regardless of what these things look like, they were not disrespectful.” But he said he will continue listening to the station and supporting it financially.
The station is looking for a new host for St. Louis on the Air, which Marsh had anchored for 13 years.