Jason Carr’s firing from WDIV-TV (Channel 4) earlier this month came after multiple clashes with colleagues and management, station insiders told the Detroit Free Press.
Carr, who co-hosted “Live in the D,” was fired after the Dec. 6 broadcast of “Jason Carr Live” on the station’s streaming channel, Local 4+. His biography was quietly scrubbed from the station’s website and he was edited out of the “Live in the D” intro.
WDIV confirmed Carr’s termination but did not provide further details. The Live in the D Facebook page confirmed his departure in a statement Tuesday.
“WDIV is very fortunate to have viewers who are deeply passionate about our programs and our people,” the message said. “Many of you are asking what happened to Jason Carr. As you can imagine, we do not comment on questions from station staff. As for Jason, he and the station parted ways last week. Jason’s impact at WDIV has been significant and we wish him much success and happiness in the future.”
Carr did not respond to a request for comment.
Employees told the Free Press that Curry was counseled by management a half-dozen times before his last show, where he described unnamed co-workers as unfriendly. In one previous incident, employees said, he left the set during a commercial break to assault someone working in the control room.
In a video of the Dec. 6 show obtained by the Free Press, Carr called the unnamed former co-worker “one of the worst people” he’s ever met.
“I’m pulling no punches and I’m not apologizing,” he said. “There is someone who used to work here who no longer works. It’s no secret that this man and I… oil and water, didn’t care for each other lightly. In fact…one of the worst people I’ve ever met. like I ever met in my life.”
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Carr said during the rant that he’s “never met” more unfriendly people at other news stations he’s worked at, and that they never stop talking to him.
Throughout the video, Carr chats with co-star Khari Hobbs, who is mostly off-camera.
“You and I both work with somebody, and you know exactly who I’m talking about,” Carr told Hobbs of an unnamed employee, “who is notoriously cranky, snarky, sullen.” Rarely smiles or laughs… I see him being friendly with other people but all I ever get from him is rude. Why aren’t he and I friends… I literally have no idea.
Carr said a manager at the building once told him he was “aloof,” a characterization he long disputed.
“Do you find me far off?” Carr asked Hobbes
“No,” Hobbes replied.
Kar noted that during his previous work he was liked a lot and received the nicknames “mayor”, “glue” and “man of the people”.
“I feel like the word implies that I’m too nice to talk to you, I’m distant. BS,” Carr said. “I walk down the street to American Coney Island, I get stopped seven, eight, nine times in four blocks for a selfie, and I’m talking to the viewers. “Oh, we love you,” and I say, “I love you.” , thanks for watching.’ I am always engaged… I am not unattached.
“I find three out of 10 people working in this building to be distant.”
Carr, a Michigan State University graduate who is married to WJBK-TV (Channel 2) anchor Taryn Usher, has built a large following on social media but has not commented on any platform about her departure from WDIV.
He came to WDIV in 2016 from WJBK, where he had been victimized by corporate budget cuts. He was so highly regarded there that the station allowed him to do a Facebook Live video of him leaving WJBK on his last day and moving to his new job at Channel 4.
At WDIV, she hosted the 11 a.m. program “Live in the D” with Tati Amare, joined by Michelle Oliver after her departure.
Contact Emma Stein at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @_emmastein.
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