Ari Paluch was temporarily suspended after being involved in a controversial and condemned moment on his show.
In a segment with his colleague Beto Casella, the figure of the Rock&Pop station, made a joke about putting burundanga, a dangerous drug, in a female announcer's glass, which caused a quick negative reaction from the public and the radio authorities.
Ari Paluch queda suspendido de Rock and Pop
According to sources informed to LA NACIÓN, the station is evaluating the measures to be taken following the host's comments. It is expected that on Friday the Rock&Pop authorities will give a resolution regarding Paluch's continuity on air.
Meanwhile, Grupo Alpha, the owner of the station, issued a statement rejecting the radio host's remarks and assuring that the appropriate measures are being taken.
In the message, Grupo Alpha's CEO, Silvia Mari, deeply regretted what happened and highlighted the seriousness of the situation. Additionally, she expressed the commitment to reinforce internal policies to ensure a respectful work environment. "We are committed to reinforcing our internal policies to maintain a professional and respectful work environment," the statement indicated.
The incident occurred during a conversation about the actions of "black widows," a phenomenon related to women who drug men to rob them. Paluch made an insensitive joke about using burundanga on one of the program's announcers, which caused discomfort, especially for his own daughter, Martina, who also works on the show.
The host apologized through his social media, acknowledging that the joke had not been appropriate. "I made a joke that was not appropriate and for this reason, I feel genuinely sorry," he expressed.
However, this is not the first time Paluch has been involved in controversy. In 2017, he was accused of sexual harassment by sound engineer Ariana Charrúa. According to what the complainant recounted at that time, the woman approached the journalist to remove his microphones and, hours later, the host allegedly touched her.
"My job is to remove the microphones and earpieces from each of the hosts. I approached to remove Mr. Paluch's equipment, continuing with one of the panelists," the sound engineer began saying.
"At that moment, Mr. Paluch touched my backside. The expression on my face changed, and when he saw my attitude, he tried to smooth over what he had done by saying 'sorry, I didn't realize,' in a somewhat haughty tone," she concluded her account.
