PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – John DePetro, the polarizing but popular conservative radio talk show host, is leaving WPRO-AM.
In a post to his personal blog Saturday, DePetro announced he has decided to “conclude” his weekday talk show, which airs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. DePetro had previously cited a “health situation” as the reason he was off air for much of December.
“Thank you to all my listeners for making 2016 my best year ever in radio, with my coverage of the Trump campaign, my many exclusives, plus my national work on The Savage nation and CNN,” DePetro wrote. “I am very grateful for the many loyal listeners who have been entertained by my program on WPRO over the past 10 years.”
DePetro, a Rhode Island College graduate, is one of the most well-known media personalities in the state. But his sharp tongue has also landed him in hot water in recent years, with high-profile Democrats launching a boycott of most the station’s hosts after comments DePetro made about women.
For Our Daughters, the union-backed group that organized the boycott, posted a statement on Facebook after DePetro’s announcement:
DePetro’s departure leaves a significant hole in WPRO-AM’s daily lineup. The station’s afternoon drive-time host, former Providence Mayor Buddy Cianci, died earlier this year.
A spokesperson for WPRO-AM did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.
Continue the discussion on FacebookDan McGowan ( dmcgowan@wpri.com ) covers politics, education and the city of Providence for WPRI.com. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter: @danmcgowan
