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December 29, 2008

Jon Gaunt begins legal action over TalkSport sacking

By paulmcnally

Talk radio veteran Jon Gaunt has begun legal action against TalkSport after it terminated his contract after he called a councillor a ‘Nazi’ during an on-air interview.

In a message on his website, Gaunt said he had “tried to offer an olive branch to Scott Taunton [the TalksSport chief executive] but he has declined my overtures”.

Gaunt said: “He claims he will not reinstate me despite the tens of thousands of e-mails that you have sent in. Therefore he has left me with no choice but to take legal action and that has now started.”

Gaunt was originally suspended from the station following remarks made on 7 November to Redbridge councillor Michael Stark in a heated discussion about a local authority plan to ban smokers from becoming foster parents.

An investigation followed and Gaunt issued an on air-apology. He was sacked in mid-November.

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