Radio host Jeff Fillion fired by Bell Media over tweet - Action News
Home WebMail Thursday, November 14, 2024, 02:35 AM | Calgary | 6.0°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
Montreal

Radio host Jeff Fillion fired by Bell Media over tweet

Quebec City shock jock Jeff Fillion has been fired over controversial statements about the suicide of the teenage son of a well-known Quebec businessman.

Quebec City shock jock mocked Quebec businessman over son's suicide

CHOI-FM Radio Host Jeff Fillion speaks on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday Aug. 10, 2004. Thousands gathered to rally and draw attention to the CRTC's decision to shut down the Quebec City radio station CHOI-FM . (CP PHOTO/ Tobin Grimshaw) (Tobin Grimshaw/Canadian Press)

Quebec City shock jock Jeff Fillionhas been firedover controversial statements about the suicide of the teenageson of a well-known Quebec businessman.

nergie 98.9 FM in Quebec City, a Bell Media affiliate, tweeted news of its announcer's dismissal on Wednesday, saying simply "Jeff Fillion no longer works for Bell.'

Alexandre Taillefer, the founder of To Taxi and,spoke openly about his teenage son's recent suicide on Radio-Canada's Tout le monde en parle last Sunday.

He said the suicide of his son Thomas, 14,was his "greatest failure" and that it was the worst experience a parent could go through.

Taillefer mentioned Thomashad been chatting about suicide in an online forum run by Amazon.He told the showhe wished companies had a method to detectcertain words, the same way it can detect when a userwants to buy a certain type of shoes.

Fillionmocked Taillefer on Twitter saying the businessman blamed Amazon for his son's suicide.

In his response on Twitter, Taillefercalled Fillion's comments hateful.

Filliondeactivated his Twitter account following backlash.

Bell Media promptly suspended Fillion, saying his comments were not in line with the company's code of conduct.

It isn't the first time Fillion, who has a reputation for makinginflammatory comments, has gotten intotrouble.

A Quebec Superior Court judge ordered Fillion to pay $340,000 in damages to a weather presenter in 2005for"sexist, heinous, malicious, unfounded, hurtful and abusive" comments about her.