Radio Host Fired for 'slip of the Tongue' Racial Slur Against Rice

An American radio station has sacked a talkshow host who used a racial slur to describe the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice.

In a slip of the tongue, Dave Lenihan, a presenter for KTRS radio, in St Louis, Missouri, used the word "coon" while arguing live on air that Ms Rice should become the next commissioner of the National Football League.

"She's got the patent resumé of somebody that has serious skill. She loves football, she's African-American, which would be kind of a big coon," said Mr Lenihan. "Oh my God - I totally, totally, totally, totally am sorry for that. I didn't mean that."

He later told a local television news channel he had meant to say "coup".

The general manager of KTRS, Tim Dorsey, said: "I apologise to Condoleezza Rice and to our listeners for having to hear a remark like that."

On air, Mr Dorsey said: "It was a most unfortunate racial slur. There can be no excuse for what was said. Dave Lenihan has been let go ... there is enough hate. We certainly are not going to fan those flames. That is not what we're about."

The local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People applauded his decision to sack the presenter.

The incident parallels the case of Rob Blair, a Las Vegas TV weatherman sacked last year for apparently starting to call Martin Luther King "Martin Luther Coon" before stopping himself short.

Mr Lenihan said he was distraught. He admired Ms Rice, and had said on air that if she ran for president he would like to help her campaign. He had been at KTRS for only a fortnight. "It was my dream job," he told the Associated Press news agency. "Ratings were going well. It kind of stinks."

Ms Rice has frequently said she would one day like to run the NFL, assuming one of the most prestigious positions in American sport, but recently ruled out taking over from its current boss, Paul Tagliabue.