Boston Radio Host Apologizes for Use of Racial Slur on Air

Tony Massarotti, a prominent host on “Felger & Mazz” of Beasley Media Group‘s “98.5 The Sports Hub” WBZ-FM in Boston, issued a public apology after using a racial slur on air. On October 16, during a segment with co-host Michael Felger, Massarotti inadvertently used the term “zipperhead,” a slur historically directed at people of Asian descent, while describing Generation Z.

The term gained notoriety during the Korean and Vietnam wars and continues to be considered highly offensive. Massarotti acknowledged his mistake the following day, opening the show with an apology and admitting his lack of knowledge regarding the term’s offensiveness.

“I did want to address this because, during yesterday’s show, while we were discussing baseball’s Gold Glove Awards, I referenced Tyler Milliken and his age group’s reliance on certain metrics,” Massarotti stated. “In doing so, I used a derogatory term that I was unaware had such a connotation. I assure you, I had no idea of its historical context. To those I offended, I apologize sincerely.”

Massarotti also promised to refrain from using the expression again, emphasizing that there was no harmful intent and reiterating his commitment to respectfulness on-air and off. Despite this apology, the incident ignited significant backlash on social media platforms.

This is not the first instance of controversy for Massarotti. He was previously suspended for comments in which he warned Felger, then broadcasting remotely from New Orleans, to be cautious of “a couple of guys like” the two Black men visible in the video feed, referencing an earlier incident where Felger’s car was stolen.