If you listen to local talk radio, you know it is not very good. That’s never more apparent than when they discuss something local to you and you realize that the hosts have no idea what they’re talking about.

The controversy about the Whitemarsh Township Board of Supervisors canceling the annual 4th of July Parade landed on the airwaves of WPHT – Talk Radio Philadelphia 1210 AM and the coverage was bad to troubling.

To recap, the supervisors canceled the parade based on a security study that was supported by the chief of police, who cited the township’s inability to protect the parade from vehicle attacks, similar to those in New Orleans and Vancouver. It was acknowledged there was no active threat specific to the parade in Whitemarsh.

WPHT’s Dom Giordano took to the air and discussed decisions being made in “Plymouth Whitemarsh,” inquiring whether the parade is held on Bethlehem Pike or Stenton Avenue. At one point, when someone was comparing the security of the Truist Championship to the parade, he said Flourtown is near Whitemarsh (half of the Flourtown community is within Whitemarsh). He also encouraged everyone listening to sign the petition (meaning people outside Whitemarsh Township), which is exactly the thing those concerned about the parade’s cancellation should want. It is a Whitemarsh issue.

On the troubling side, the Kayal & Company show in the morning hosted by Nick Kayal tied the cancellation of the parade to anti-Semitic protests that have occurred across the nation since Hamas’ October 7th attack in Israel and the war that followed. The station has been running promos for the show for at least two days, making that connection. No one involved has made that connection, and there is zero evidence that this issue was part of the consideration.

WPHT should take down the promo as quickly as possible and issue a statement that it was a mistake to use that statement from the show in what was essentially a commercial.