March 24, 1993. It's wake-up time in Chicago on the Killer Bee (aka B96, aka WBBM FM). Here's a partial transcript of that broadcast, just as it appears in the defamation lawsuit in which Esposito is asking for more than $8 million in damages from WBBM FM; CBS, Inc.; and JoBo (aka Joe Bohannon, aka Joseph Colborn).
Exhibit A:
Jobo: It's the Eddie and JoBo Show, it's Confession Wednesday. Went to the Bulls game last night. Watched the Bulls beat the Minnesota Timberwolves. Had a chance to do a little chat, Karen, with a couple of the Bulls before the game last night. Ah, well I'll tell you what, I'll tell you the rumor that's floating around and what I was told by a couple of the Bulls in just a second, but before we do that, let's go to line 2, hello are you there?
. . . All right, let me just cut to the chase on this, Karen. Would you like to hear what happened at the Bulls game last night?
Karen [Hand]: Okay.
Jobo: I'm not going to say who it was, but there is a very strong rumor. There is a newswoman in Chicago who we all know and love who is carrying one of the Bulls babies.
Karen: It ain't me.
Jobo: No. (Laughter.) Television newswoman.
Karen: Thank you, you didn't say that. And since you don't love me I guess that disqualifies me right away.
Jobo: You know what, I know the Bulls tastes in women, Karen, and I'm not going to say you're not an appetizing woman, I'm just going to say, you might not have the right stuff for Da' Bulls. But stop and think about this folks. This could be the story of the century.
Karen: This baby got ___, they'd like that.
Jobo: And Eddie and Jobo always have the inside scoop. But just stop and think about it. Go through the little Rolodex of newswomen in your mind. One of them is pregnant, carrying the Bulls baby. I mean you just--
Karen: Well, there is one that's pregnant but--
Jobo: Well, that's all we're going to say. It's 5:44. You can take it for what it's worth and . . .
Hello?
Caller: I'm telling you from two different sources at two different times--
Jobo: Hey the rumor is all over. We've heard it too. I heard it from one of the Bulls last night. It's 5:44.
. . . 5:47, The Eddie and Jobo Show, the wild spot this morning on B96. Enough about the rumor. We're getting a lot of calls from all over. It's true. Well, the rumors are true. That's all--we're not going to deal in--enough of that.
. . . By the way, for Amy in Evergreen Park, no, the Bull the rumor's about is not John Paxson, so go back to sleep and calm down and I'm not going to tell you what newswoman it is. Okay, it's 5:54. We go to Buffalo Grove.
. . . We've had a Bulls rumor that's going around. We're just on top of it, baby.
. . . B96 in Chicago. Color Me Bad with Eddie and Jobo Show on Confession Wednesday. It's 6:40 asking the question which Chicago Bulls baby is being carried by which Chicago television newswoman. That's all we're going to say. You just sit there and scratch and you think about that, which Chicago Bulls baby is right now in the uterus of what Chicago newswoman. Just stop and think about that at 6:41. We are live in the star studded B96 studio.
. . . By the way, please no more calls on the rumor. It's a very prevalent rumor. This is almost like the Oprah Winfrey rumor. This may get that big.
Karen: Yeah.
Jobo: But which television newswoman in Chicago is carrying a baby that belongs to a Chicago Bull?
Karen: You're not going to give us the answer, are you?
Jobo: No, I'm not but no more calls because I can't--I can't even do it in person, I really can't. I just have very very strong strong sources within the Chicago Bulls organization. Your little fertile mind can spin all you want but up next.
. . . I will tell you this. It's not Linda MacLennan. It's not Adele Arakawa.
Karen: You tell us enough of who it's not, we'll figure it out.
Jobo: . . . This is from Jeff at Allstate says what's the story about one of the Bulls? Well, the story is, there is a supposed television newswoman in Chicago who is carrying a baby fathered by one of the Chicago Bulls and this is as much as we can tell you. We got time to slip in one more phone call on Confession Wednesday . . .
Esposito filed suit six months after Chicago awoke to this badinage, but she turned to former U.S. attorney Dan Webb much sooner than that. On May 6 Joseph Colborn obliged Webb by signing the following affidavit, Exhibit B:
. . . Some time in late February 1993 or March 1993, a caller to the show stated that she had heard a rumor that a local TV newsperson was pregnant with the child of a member of the Chicago Bulls basketball team . . .
"I am unaware of any basis whatsoever for this vicious rumor and deeply regret anything putting this caller on the air may have done to give currency to this rumor . . .
"The above statement is based on my memory of the incident . . ."
At the time this statement was submitted, says Webb, he hadn't heard what JoBo said on the air. "I've since gotten the broadcast," he says, "and the affidavit is false. It wasn't a caller."
CBS's only comment has been to point out that "the remarks made on the air on March 24 did not mention Miss Esposito or any Chicago Bulls player by name." But on April 29 Colborn sent Esposito a note, now Exhibit C:
"Joan--I've said some things that have hurt you and I apologize. Please accept my invitation to meet for lunch at your convenience. I'd like to talk with you in person. All the best--JoBo."
There's no better cure for hard feelings than a good lunch, especially when it's shared by a couple of pros who can kick back and laugh about the nutty business they're in and what it sometimes makes people do. But Esposito turned JoBo down.
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