UNC Chapel Hill Tells Radio Station to Stop Mentioning Its Sports Program During Limbaugh's Show

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has asked a local radio station known as "Rush Radio" to stop mentioning both the school and its Tar Heels sports program during the broadcast of Rush Limbaugh's talk show, the North Carolina News and Observer reported.

The university has similarly asked for no references to Limbaugh's show during broadcasts of its football and basketball games on the station, WRDU 106.1.

The school's actions, announced last week, are a direct response to Limbaugh calling Georgetown Law student Sandra Fluke a "slut" and a "prostitute" after she testified in favor of insurance coverage of contraceptives. Local residents petitioned the school to sever ties with the station over the controversy, according to WCHL 1360.

In a statement, UNC said it was "unfortunately and awkwardly connected" to Limbaugh by having its games broadcast on the same station that airs his show.

"Limbaugh recently made rude, inappropriate and offensive statements," the statement said. "That connection spurred many people to email us and prompted a petition campaign, both with the goal of urging us to drop our broadcasts from the station."

It continued, "We have asked – and the local station has agreed – to end the practice of referencing the Tar Heel Sports Network or the University’s name while promoting the Limbaugh program and vice versa."

UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp told the student radio news magazine Carolina Connection that "a lot of our faculty and some other folks outside of the University were upset to find out that we were connected with ‘Rush Radio.'"

"We do understand why people were upset," Thorp said. "I think that was a good compromise."