Todd, I'm no lawyer, but when I heard this I couldn't believe it.
Actually, I could believe it. I have some pretty strong feelings on the subject, in fact, but for the sake of manners and good taste I'll merely say I feel Bonesso comes off extremely petty.
If I look at the former local talent on "The Zone," all except the McIntire and Bonesso have been picked up either in this market or Los Angeles (as was the case with Dave Damechek).
Yet The Zone died the fastest death in radio history (or damn well near it).
Now, if all the other talent on said radio bust were picked up by other stations, and Bonesso and McIntire were not, then don't you think an arguement can be made that Bonesso and McIntire were pretty darned bad and an extremely large reason as to why the station was not successful?
The feedback that show got was simply horrendous. Rob Pratte's feedback literally comes off well in comparison- and Pratte is at least enough of a professional to realize he shouldn't attack his audience, which Bonesso and McIntire did regularly.
I remember when the show debuted and there was this video online Bonesso did of one of her comedy bits. It was something about going supermarket shopping with her mother during Steelers games- and it just wasn't funny. It was long, drawn out, didn't have a punchline, didn't have much teeth, and didn't make sense- just not a good bit.
And that was supposed to be her best work.
Most radio announcers who drive a station to a format change don't have much leyway when they are canned. This one was actually kept on to push buttons so she wouldn't starve, and she's rather ungrateful about it.
The arguement that "I was fired because I wasn't feminine enough" seems to be the classic arguement of crying discrimination when none exists.
Am I to believe that every female employee of CBS Radio and KDKA is dressed in skirts and high heels at all times?