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From TRI Janita Jones-Styles, known on air as Janita Applebaum, says she worked middays at Wired 96.5 (WRDW) for nearly three years without a contract, was the only African-American fulltime jock, and was the lowest-paid personality. The Philadelphia Daily News reports the federal lawsuit, plus her allegation that she was fired for using the Wired logo on her MySpace page and on a party flier – even though other DJs had done the same without being punished. The suit recounts a June 2006 meeting with manager Lynn Bruder where Bruder allegedly took Janita’s lawyer-revised copy of a potential contract and ran it through a paper shredder, saying “This is what I do to lawyers.”
For its part – Wired owner Beasley denies it discriminated against her on racial grounds, says she wasn’t the lowest-paid personality and says what Bruder shredded was the station’s own contract offer (not the one marked-up by Janita’s lawyer). What’s more – Beasley says Styles was in fact terminated because she’d been promoting her personal club appearances on her show (apparently without permission) and plugged a website that sold ringtones (also without approval). Janita now hosts the Saturday morning “Hangover” show for Radio One’s 100.3 The Beat WPHI. More in the Phila. Daily News.>>
Janita, was also chosen a ball girl this past season, for the 2008 World Champion Philadelphia Phillies.