Follow-up: Ward fired from KGO - for now

KGO-TV in San Francisco reports that embattled KGO Radio host Bernie Ward was officially fired by the station, effective at the end of 2007.

Ward has been off the air since he was indicted on federal child pornography charges last month – he admits downloading images from the internet and trading them with people he met on-line. His attorneys have said Ward was doing research for a book at the time.

KGO Radio General Manager Micky Luckoff said the station took the action against Ward before knowing full details of the case, and that he wants him back on the air soon. Luckoff believes Ward’s explanation that he downloaded and traded child porn as research for a book: “Technically, it’s against the law. He admitted what he did. There’s no reason to believe he’s a pedophile.” Luckoff adds that Ward’s arrest “hit us like a ton of bricks.” Luckoff says Ward and his attorneys have assured him that the talk show host’s involvement with child porn is confined to the three incidents outlined in the federal complaint.

The door is still open for Ward to return, and he and Luckoff will meet after the next court appearance January 24th. Luckoff says that he would hire him back, even before a possible trial wraps up: “We really value Bernie. He’s a very capable on-air talent.”

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