Wendy Bell
Wendy Bell
Wendy Bell is a television newscaster, born in California. Currently, she works as a radio host at KDKA. In 2016, she faced backlash after allegedly making racist comments on her personal Facebook page causing her to be terminated from her job at the time as a news anchor and reporter for WTAE-TV. In 2020, she once again faced backlash after she made controversial comments about the decision to shut down businesses during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Education
Wendy Bell received a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism from University of Colorado Boulder in 1992. In 1994, she received a Master of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from University of Missouri.[11]
Career
Bell started her career in 1998 as a TV News Anchor/Reporter at WTAE-TV and worked there up to 2016. She is a 21-time Emmy Award-winning reporter and news anchor with 5 Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in writing, reporting and news anchoring, 11 Golden Quill Awards, 17 Associated Press Awards and more than 2 dozen NAPBA nods.[11]
In 2019-2020, Bell was an Afternoon Drive Talk Radio Host at KDKA.[11]
In September 2020, Bell was taken off the air at KDKA (AM) after comments she made on her show suggesting that park rangers should “shoot on sight” people vandalizing public monuments. The station’s owner, Entercom, announced the move on its website in a statement attributed to Entercom Pittsburgh Senior Vice President Michael Spacciapolli that reads:
"Entercom is the home to thousands of voices representing Americans of all races, ethnicities, gender identity, sexual orientation, beliefs and ability.
We take very seriously our responsibility to provide a platform for our communities to engage in diverse and meaningful dialogue, debate and the right to freedom of speech, we do not condone the incitement of violence on any of our platforms.
"[19]
“Members of our community have recently brought to our attention comments made by Wendy Bell that do not align with Entercom’s values.
Wendy has been taken off air until further notice.
Entercom Pittsburgh remains steadfast in our commitment to inclusive conversations that engage everyone in Pittsburgh while excluding any form of violence."[19]
Controversy
2016
On March 31, 2016 Hearst Television and WTAE terminated Bell over a controversy involving a post she made on March 20, 2016 to her personal Facebook page.
After a mass shooting March 9 in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, Bell wrote, in part, "You needn’t be a criminal profiler to draw a mental sketch of the killers who broke so many hearts two weeks ago Wednesday... they are young black men, likely in their teens or early 20s. They have multiple siblings from multiple fathers and their mothers work multiple jobs."[16]
She then wrote about a young African Americans man, this one a worker she saw in a SouthSide Works restaurant. She said she called over the manager and praised the man, adding, "I wonder how long it had been since someone told him he was special."[16]
2020
In April 2020, Bell faced backlash on Social media over comments she made addressing the decision to shut down businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.[12]
Bell’s name was trending on Twitter after a clip surfaced of the former WTAE-TV anchor questioning the government’s decision to risk a potential economic shutdown in order to save a small percentage of lives from the virus. The comments were made on-air in the KDKA radio studio while Ms. Bell streamed a 10-minute segment on Facebook Live. Bell said she was “on the fence” about actions taken by government and health officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
We’re told that we need to shut down the economy.
There’s a cost.
Everything shuts down, but to what end?
"[12]
“Yes, every life lost is one too many.
Yes, that’s the talking point.
That’s what we’re going to say.
But ultimately dollars and cents boil down to, ‘Are you going to bankrupt America and the future for less than 1% of our population?’ Many of whom are already ill or aged.
I’m on a fence.”
The clip began trending locally as users called on KDKA Radio to fire Bell.
KDKA-TV, which does not own or operate KDKA Radio, also received backlash and responded to users to clarify that the television station is not associated with the radio station with the same moniker.[12]
On April 24, 2020, Bell compared those against Gov. Tom Wolf's coronavirus orders to people killed in 2012 Benghazi attack:
"There is a huge disconnect, Governor Wolf here in Pennsylvania, between you and the people who make up this great commonwealth.
You are not hearing them,” she said during her monologue on her KDKD Radio show on April 24.
“They are in the trenches, fighting for their lives, and you're not hearing them.
You know, it was Sept. 11, 2012, when the U.S. ambassador to Benghazi in Libya, who had asked repeatedly for more security at that U.S. embassy in Benghazi and never received it.
His calls never were answered.
His requests for help were never heeded.
When he was brutally attacked and murdered along with three other Americans and seven Libyans."[17]
Before Bell’s monologue, an ad played that said Bell’s show was being sponsored by local car dealership chain Shults Ford.
In a COVID-19 statement on its website, Shults Ford says, "As we navigate through this challenging time, the health and safety of our customers and employees is our primary concern."
An advertisement for Shults Ford also played before a Bell segment, where Bell addressed criticism she received for questioning if it was worth shutting down many parts of the American economy to avoid millions of Americans dying from coronavirus.[17]
Bell's comments about coronavirus have garnered significant criticism, from people on social media and in a report filed to FCC.
On April 10, local advertiser the Original Mattress Factory denounced Bell's comments and asked KDKA to remove its ads from Bell's program.[17]
In September 2020, Bell was taken off the air at KDKA (AM) after comments she made on her show suggesting that park rangers should “shoot on sight” people vandalizing public monuments. In a video of a segment from her live show posted to her “Wendy Bell Radio” Facebook page on June 26, 2020, and recently widely shared on social media, Bell said: “My easy solution for the park rangers and hopefully snipers who are going to be watching for this is to shoot on sight. Shoot, done. No more messing with monuments. You want to mess with a monument? Done, get out.” The video, as well as other recent and widely shared posts from Bell, have drawn backlash on social media and toward KDKA-TV despite the fact that KDKA-TV and KDKA (AM) are owned by separate companies. The confusion compelled KDKA-TV to issue a statement on its social media pages and website on Tuesday clarifying that Ms. Bell does not work for KDKA-TV.[19]“KDKA TV would like to remind our viewers and readers that Wendy Bell does not work for KDKA-TV, a ViacomCBS owned station,” the television station said. “Bell works for KDKA Radio, which is owned by Entercom Communications radio group. Please direct all comments and inquiries to KDKA Radio, 412-353-1300.”[21]
Personal Life
Wendy Bell O’Toole is married and has five young sons.
She lives in Point Breeze, a Pittsburgh neighborhood, according to her profile on the WTAE website. Her husband, Dr. Joseph O’Toole, is a cardiologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Shadyside in Pittsburgh. [18]
Bell moved to Pittsburgh with her husband after meeting him in Missouri, her profile said. He is originally from the Pittsburgh area. “Golfing, barbecuing, gardening and taking family trips to the Carnegie Science Center and the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium are among her hobbies,” the bio said. “I always say, I do what I like, so I can be with the people I love,” she told WHIRL Magazine in a 2013 profile.[18]