CNN fired news anchor Rick Sanchez on Friday, a day after he called Jon Stewart a bigot in a radio show interview where he also questioned whether Jews should be considered a minority.

Sanchez, who was born in Cuba and had worked at CNN since 2004, was host of the two-hour "Rick's List" on CNN's afternoon lineup. He did a prime-time version of that show in recent months, but that ended this week because the time slot is being filled by a new show featuring former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and columnist Kathleen Parker.

Stewart had frequently poked fun of Sanchez on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," most recently for saying on the air that his show had received a tweet from House Republican leader John Boehner. Stewart called it a case of "send a twit a tweet."

"He's upset that someone of my ilk is almost at his level," Sanchez said during a satellite radio interview with Pete Dominick. Details of the interview were posted on the Mediaite website Friday and quickly became a topic of conversation in the media world.

Sanchez said that Stewart is bigoted toward "everybody else that's not like him." He said Stewart "can't relate to what I grew up with," saying his family had been poor and he had seen prejudice directed at his father.

Sanchez dismisses it when Dominick points out that Stewart, who is Jewish, is also a minority.

"I'm telling you that everyone who runs CNN is a lot like Stewart, and a lot of people who run all the other networks are a lot like Stewart, and to imply that somehow they, the people in this country who are Jewish, are an oppressed minority?" Sanchez said, adding a sarcastic "yeah."

"I can't see someone not getting a job these days because they're Jewish," he said.

CNN issued a statement late Friday that said Sanchez "is no longer with the company." In it, the network also thanked Sanchez "for his years of service" and wished him well.

Sanchez did not immediately return an e-mail or call to his mobile phone seeking comment, though it was unclear whether the CNN-issued phone or e-mail address were still active.

Stewart had no comment on Sanchez's statements, a Comedy Central spokesman said.

Three times in the past few months Stewart had used a Sanchez clip for the mocking "moment of Zen" feature on "The Daily Show," including once where Sanchez mispronounced the world "annals" in a story about Vice President Joe Biden.

He also made fun of Sanchez questioning a reporter who was stationed in a California gay bar for a report on the court case there involving gay marriage and hadn't found anyone at the bar who opposed the idea.

Sanchez spent much of his career as a reporter and anchor in Miami, where he won an Emmy Award in 1983 for a story on why he left Cuba. He has also worked at MSNBC and CNBC.

During the interview with Dominick, Sanchez told about a CNN executive whom he would not name telling him that he saw Sanchez not as an anchor but a reporter like ABC's John Quinones. He implied that this was a subtle form of bias.

Later in the interview Sanchez, indicated that "bigot" may be too strong a word to describe Stewart, saying he was "prejudicial" instead.

"He's not just a comedian. ,  He can make and break careers," Sanchez said.

http://www.pointblanknews.com/News/os3983.html

Sanchez dismisses it when Dominick points out that Stewart, who is Jewish, is also a minority.

"I'm telling you that everyone who runs CNN is a lot like Stewart, and a lot of people who run all the other networks are a lot like Stewart, and to imply that somehow they, the people in this country who are Jewish, are an oppressed minority?" Sanchez said, adding a sarcastic "yeah."

"I can't see someone not getting a job these days because they're Jewish," he said.

Is this not true? Put the minority label to the side, are Jews the oppressed or the oppressors?

They should have fired d guy long ago for gross stupidity. Is he not the one who seriously asked what 9 meters meant in English .

I like the dude's passion, but I always thought he had too sharp of a mouth.

No worries, I'm sure MSNBC has plenty of openings on their dying network

JeSoul:

I like the dude's passion, but I always thought he had too sharp of a mouth.

No worries, I'm sure MSNBC has plenty of openings on their dying network

I love MSNBC you conservative bastard(lol), But seriously I agree with rick sanchez, u cant put the jews in the same catergory as blacks or latinos, but I am going to miss Mr twitter twits congress man, lol

They should have fired d guy long ago for gross stupidity. Is he not the one who seriously asked what 9 meters meant in English

You can't fire someone for asking a legitimate question. Can you answer what 9 meters meant in english?

I like the dude's passion, but I always thought he had too sharp of a mouth

Geraldo is a bad model for latino/hispanic journalists. They are jostling for mainstream position and you are right that mouth is far ahead of their social image.

Negro_Ntns:



You can't fire someone for asking a legitimate question. Can you answer what 9 meters meant in english?


Geraldo is a bad model for latino/hispanic journalists. They are jostling for mainstream position and you are right that mouth is far ahead of their social image.

You are kidding right?

. . . and oh, forgot to comment on this earlier-

july123:
the time slot is being filled by a new show featuring former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and columnist Kathleen Parker.

I've been seeing the commercials for this. Caught some sneak/preview of them 'bantering' on Larry king I think or was it 360? anyways both are boring as hell. Seriously CNN? your ratings are dropping faster than Eddie Murphy's acting career and this is the best "prime time" duo you can some up with? 

  CNN's shows/hosts are generally boring. If you want to put your screaming infant child to bed fast, just put Fareed Zakaria's GPS on. Campbell Brown I thought was a solid journalist, too bad she left. At least Anderson Cooper seems to be getting better with 360. Invite some better guest analysts and his show will do even better. I wonder what his ratings are like though.

fareed zakari was very good on PBS.  he sold out with his show on CNN.

i can do nothing but chuckle a little when elliot spitzer is on cnn. the thought of him meeting up with an hooker after the show doesn't skip my head.

TPS360:

I love MSNBC  you conservative naughty person(lol), But seriously I agree with rick sanchez,  u cant put the jews in the same catergory as blacks or latinos, but I am going to miss Mr twitter twits congress man, lol

this is a remarkably ignorant post.  oppression isn't some competition with people fighting for the first spot.  where do the kurds and armenians fall then? between blacks and latinos?  Jews are indeed powerful but that doesn't protect them from stereotypes. 

it wasn't so long ago in america that colleges had jews quotas and they were forced to live in ghettos.  they have a right to be sensitive just like good ole jessie and al sharpton 

As soon as I praise Anderson Cooper a bit what does he go and do? the show last night was about subpeonas being issued in the John Edwards saga. seriously? that's the best news item of the day to highlight? it took all but 2 seconds to change the channel. CNN wake up before you die off completely oh! wake up.

bawomolo:

fareed zakari was very good on PBS. he sold out with his show on CNN.

Never saw him on pbs. Its hard to imagine he's been anything other than a mouthpiece for ME BS spin.

i can do nothing but chuckle a little when elliot spitzer is on cnn. the thought of him meeting up with an hooker after the show doesn't skip my head.

Hehe I know right. Even his face has a weird untrustworthy look about it. I give that show 1 month, at most 2, before management pulls the plug.

this is a remarkably ignorant post. oppression isn't some competition with people fighting for the first spot.

Gbam left right center and oh, you may want to tell that to Sharpie and Jessie too

his show had variety on PBS and he seemed to have more control on interviewees. then again, i'm a sucker for anything PBS including front line and independent lens.

You are kidding right?

No, Im not! In reference to his content with that "9meters" reference what do you think he meant?

CNN's shows/hosts are generally boring

. . . they lost their soul after the merger with Time Warner. Their independence gave way to political shepherding.

I actually liked Rick Sanchez!

bk.babe97y:

I actually liked Rick Sanchez!

of course, he is a fellow hispanic like you. i kid i kid