Andrew Krystal

Andrew Krystal is a Canadian radio talk show host on the Rogers Communications news talk network in the Canadian Maritimes. Originating from News 95.7 FM in Halifax, Nova Scotia, his program "Maritime Morning" is simulcast on co-owned stations in Moncton, New Brunswick and Saint John, New Brunswick. Krystal is also a writer and occasional TV current affairs panelist. He became a national media figure in January 2006 when headlines described a heated exchange between Nova Scotia Members of Parliament Peter MacKay of the Conservative Party and Alexa McDonough of the New Democratic Party that took place on his show, where MacKay told McDonough the following: "I think you better stick to your knitting".

Krystal garnered further national attention on January 23, 2006 for comments made during a brief appearance on CTV Newsnet, when he told fellow election panelist Charles Adler, who is the grandson of Auschwitz victims, that Adler would have voted for Adolf Hitler if Hitler were running as a Conservative. Krystal's comments sparked outrage in the Canadian conservative blogosphere and were branded as "sick" and "despicable" by the popular Bourque Newswatch website.

Krystal later clarified his comments in an email to a Canadian political , as follows: "I said that Adler would vote for Satan or Hitler as long as he was a Conservative. Blind in other words.... I wouldn't vote for Mussolini or Hitler either. I might try Satan. He's the devil I know."

Krystal began hosting "Maritime Morning" in October 2005. He previously hosted "The Andrew Krystal Show" on Sunday nights on Toronto's CFRB. He has also hosted talk radio programs on CFMJ in Toronto and on CKTB in St. Catharines, Ontario.

On July 12, 2006, Andrew Krystal become a source of blogsphere controversy again. [http://caveat.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2006/7/12/2109227.html Caveat blog page] Krystal's comments on his views on pit-bull terriers were the latest comments by the [http://www.rogers.com Rogers Media] talk show host.

Andrew Krystal made newspaper headlines and TV news cycles, yet again, on Tuesday, August 22, 2006 when the Premier of Nova Scotia, Rodney Macdonald, consented to go on air in an exclusive interview to discuss the controversy surrounding his personal life: after running a campaign on "family values", Macdonald recently split up with his wife. The Premier addressed his determination to fight on politically and maintained there is not an inconsistency with what he ran on and who he is privately; Macdoanald also declared that he still loved his wife and openly dared his constituents to "define a family".

Following a domestic dispute in January 2007, Krystal pleaded guilty to mischief and disobeying a court order to abstain from alcohol. A charge of assault and another alcohol-related charge were dropped [cite web|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/835589.html|title=Radio host pleads guilty to mischief|last=Hayes|first=Brian|publisher=Chronicle Herald|date=2007-05-16|accessdate=2007-05-16] . He was given a conditional discharge with 12 months of probation. As part of his probation, he was ordered to stay away from his ex-girlfriend, pay for a damaged computer and take substance abuse and anger management counselling. [cite web|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/848327.html|title=Talk-show host given conditional discharge|last=Hayes|first=Brian|publisher=Chronicle Herald|date=2007-07-20|accessdate=2007-07-20]

References

External links

* [http://www.totalk.ca Toronto discussion site totalk.ca] is home to a group of Toronto-based fans
* [http://www.theinfozone.net/andrewkrystal.html Audio of the January 23, 2006 interview on CTV Newsnet]
* [http://www.charlesadler.com/News/NPViewArticle.asp?cmd=view&articleid=754 Charles Adler's Sun Media Column on this incident]