2SM radio host Marcus Paul dismissed following investigation

Station management at 2SM has confirmed radio host Marcus Paul has been dismissed from his breakfast gig.

Radio broadcaster Marcus Paul has been dismissed from his high profile breakfast gig after an inappropriate on-air segment.

Station management at 2SM confirmed to The Daily Telegraph Paul had been notified his employment had been terminated.

The decision followed an internal investigation led by owner Bill Caralis, who is understood to have made the call to Paul on Friday.

2SM Radio host Marcus Paul has been dismissed.

He said he was devastated but planned to move on.

When contacted, Paul told the Telegraph that he accepted the decision.

“I am devastated,” he said. “All I can say is that I do apologise for the segment and if I had my time again and more resources and maybe a bit more help, it wouldn’t have happened. But there is no excuse, it happened and you have to be philosophical about these things and I will hopefully be able to move on and I wish them well.”

Paul has hosted 2SMs Marcus Paul in the Morning show for nearly two years, providing a lead-in to the big star of the station, John Laws.

Earlier this week, the Telegraph revealed Paul had disabled his personal and public Facebook profiles as the investigation continued.

Newcastle broadcaster Richard King has been filling in.

Today, Paul’s personal page is back up and running, but the show page is no longer up.

Paul was initially stood down throughout the two-week investigation that was launched as listeners were left stunned as he referenced nine-year-old schoolgirl Charlise Mutten’s death during a bizarre quiz.

The controversial segment went to air last month after a nationwide search for Mutten ended in tragedy with her remains found in a barrel dumped on the banks of NSW’s Colo River. Mutten’s stepfather Justin Stein has since been charged with her murder.

“The beautiful young girl who was allegedly tragically murdered this week, Charlise Mutten, went to school in which NSW suburb,” Paul asked one listener.

“Can’t remember the name, do you want to have a guess, time’s ticking … Give us a call if you happen to have the answer to that question … if you get it correct, you get the goodies.”

By goodies, Paul was referring to an Adele CD giveaway for the winner of the quiz.

At the time, he apologised on his official Facebook page.

“Marcus acknowledges the question was inappropriate and ill thought, and the program does APOLOGISE unreservedly to anyone who might have been offended,” the statement read.

2SM subsequently issued a statement, stating that an investigation was underway.

“During that period of time we are conducting a more thorough investigation of the process,” a 2SM representative said.

“There will be no further comment until such time as that investigation is finalised. The station does not condone in any way what was said or inferred by the statements that were made on air.”