Omaha Radio Station Apologizes Twice On Air for Insensitive Comments About Death of Paletero Man

Aug 27, 2012
10:48 PM

This past Friday, Omaha Channel 94.1's "The Big Morning Party Show" was slammed on its Facebook page regarding comments it made surrounding the murder of 63-year-old Gilberto Hérnandez Vázquez, a local paletero man (ice cream man), who was killed on Thursday night.

After the comments were broadcast, the station's Facebook page was inundated with criticisms about what was said. Here was the original clip:

This morning, the station issued two apologies, one around 6:20 local time and the other at 7:20. Here is a clip that contains both apologies:

Today on the channel's Facebook site, the reaction was mixed. What follows is a sampling of some of the comments posted (unedited):

An apology means nothing in a case like this… Do something for the family to show you are truly sorry.. Have a car wash- collect donations from listeners.. etc… Show some class!!!!

People need to drop all this already just STOP that's enough let him rest in peace leave the radio station alone they made there apology..people need to focus on the person that took his life and pray they find him and gets put away for life 🙁 I dont understand how ppl can be so quick to b upset about a few jokes then they are about the violence we have going on. Everyone wants to rally ( n my Chris voice) but where's the rally for the young girl who just died or the mother of two who was shot and killed. Yal should take all this energy y'all got right now over a few jokes and put it where it matters! I

just want to say thank you for ur apology towards Mr. Gilberto (R. I. P) and his family.

Wasent a racial comment, but no respect was shown towards this mans untimely death. I personally don't see the big deal in their joke. They didn't say anything racial. They were basically saying if an innocent ding-ding (that's what we call men who sell ice cream in America) isn't safe, then nobody is. I thought the reference to the tooth fair and santa claus had more to do with things we love as children, the ding-ding man being one of them. I would be more apt to make fun of the fact that someone would rob a person who doesn't carry a lot of money on them just like when stupid people rob and kill pizza delivery guys. It's not like they were laughing about the fact that he lost his life. I feel the joke was more about the criminal who did it than the actual person who lost their life. Nobody needs to be sued or punished. It is a very sad and horrible situation and I feel really bad for his family, but I feel it's been taken too far.

its not racial its about respect. santa claus and the tooth fairy are fictional characters he was a human being. its ok to inform the public how unsafe the world is getting but they pushed it to far by saying "all the reindeer are on patrol now" ( thwy said something along those lines) that was a joke intented on the victim.

May none of you at this station know the pain of a family member being murdered. Shame on all of you.