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WDAE sports host Dan Sileo remains suspended; investigation ongoing

Staff file photo (1999)

Dan Sileo has been a sports talk show host on a variety of stations since 1994.

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 2, 2009

Outspoken sports radio host Dan Sileo remains on suspension from WDAE, 620 AM, for remarks he made last week about the finances of the Glazer family, owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A station official said today that an internal review of the incident is still under way. Dan Diloreto, president and market manager for Clear Channel, says he is meeting with Sileo this week.

Sileo was suspended Thursday after Buccaneers co-chairman Joel Glazer issued a statement calling Sileo's claim that his family lost millions in the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme "irresponsible" and "slanderous."

Sileo told his morning radio audience that the Glazer family was among the victims in the Madoff scheme and is considering bankruptcy. Sileo also said the losses have led to the family being $650 million in debt, and he surmised the team may be for sale.

Sileo quoted a "friend" who works with the Securities and Exchange Commission as saying the Glazers lost $440 million in the Ponzi scheme.

"The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are not, nor have they ever been for sale," said Glazer. "In addition, our family or any of our related companies have never invested one penny with Bernie Madoff. The report is baseless, irresponsible and slanderous. This type of behavior by Mr. Sileo and his company Clear Channel will be dealt with in the appropriate manner."

WDAE, which has a contract to broadcast the Bucs games, posted a retraction and apology for Sileo's statements on the station's Web site on Friday: "During a broadcast Thursday on WDAE, morning host Dan Sileo made some statements about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Glazer family that were factually incorrect. We sincerely apologize for those statements and hereby issue a full retraction."

Madoff is serving a 150-year prison sentence after he admitted losing billions of dollars for thousands of clients.

Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at (813) 259-7654.

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