ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 2, 1996 TAG: 9602020067
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW YORK
CBS' top late-night programming executive resigned Thursday, steadfastly denying he had made the racially insensitive remarks that ultimately cost him his job.
John Pike, whose comments were reported secondhand in February's Details magazine, maintains that he did not make the statements attributed to him, CBS said in a statement.
``CBS regrets our association with Mr. Pike has come to an end under such circumstances,'' it read. ``We now consider this matter closed.''
The remarks Pike is accused of making - that blacks make good late-night audiences because they're unemployed, stay up late and have short attention spans - came in a closed-door meeting with producers of The State, a comedy troupe.
The comments were reported by Details writer David Lipsky, who was profiling The State and its travails in angling for a late-night show on CBS.
Pike supposedly made his remarks at his first meeting with the producers. Lipsky has acknowledged he was not present at the meeting, but said Pike's remarks were conveyed to him by others who attended.
- Associated Press
LENGTH: Short : 32 linesby CNB