A&E Network Pulls Upcoming Episodes of Dog the Bounty Hunter

National Enquirer Posts Clip of Phone Conversation with Repeated Utterances of N-Word

By Anne Becker -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/2/2007 5:50:00 PM

A&E Network is pulling upcoming episodes of Dog the Bounty Hunter after star Duane "Dog" Chapman repeatedly used the n-word in a recorded phone conversation that was posted online.

The network will not run the Dog marathon it had scheduled for this weekend.

The decision came after Yum! Brands -- which bought spots during Dog for Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC -- pulled ads from the show.

The network suspended Chapman Wednesday after the National Enquirer posted a clip from the conversation online. A&E stopped production on the show, but it has not made a decision about whether to cancel it, according to a network spokesperson.

“In evaluating the circumstances of the past few days, A&E has decided to take Dog the Bounty Hunter off the network’s schedule for the foreseeable future,” A&E said in a statement. “We hope Mr. Chapman continues the healing process that he has begun.”

Dog has consistently been one of A&E's highest-rated shows since it premiered in 2004 -- it averaged more than 1 million viewers in primetime last month, according to Nielsen Media Research, and it brought in nearly $18 million in ad revenue in the first half of 2007, according to TNS Media Intelligence.

In the phone call, Chapman repeatedly uses the n-word in expressing his disapproval of his son's African-American girlfriend, saying that she could harm the show if she hears Chapman and others using the word.

AP reported Friday that Chapman's attorney alleged that his son, Tucker, taped the phone call and sold it to the National Enquirer.

Chapman issued a statement Wednesday night expressing contrition and saying that he was meeting with his "spiritual advisor" for guidance.

"I know that all of my fans are deeply disappointed in me, as well, as I have tried to be a model for doing the right thing," he said in the statement. "I did not do the right thing this time, and hope you will forgive me."