TRENTON, NJ – Former New Jersey 101.5 early morning radio host Bill Spadea is facing mounting legal problems after a man he defamed on his radio show moves closer to having his day in court with the former GOP candidate for governor.
Spadea lost that election, but now, he’s hoping to win this lawsuit in court, but it’s not looking good.
A longtime child psychologist is suing the former conservative radio host and his New Jersey 101.5 after Spadea labeled him a “child abuser” and “crackpot” during a broadcast, sparking a defamation case now headed for court.
That case is now scheduled to be heard in court on October 20th.
Steven Tobias, the director and owner of the Center for Child and Family Development in Morristown, filed the lawsuit in 2022 in Morris County Superior Court, targeting Spadea, NJ 101.5 FM, and Townsquare Media. Tobias, who regularly appeared on the station as a guest during the COVID-19 pandemic, says he never appeared on Spadea’s show and was blindsided by the public attack.
According to court filings, the remarks were made during one of Spadea’s morning segments on The Bill Spadea Show, which aired weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. The lawsuit contends that Spadea’s comments crossed the line from political commentary into personal defamation and accuses Townsquare Media of enabling the behavior to drive ratings.
Tobias’ legal team alleges the broadcast falsely portrayed him and irreparably harmed his reputation and career.
Tobias is seeking damages and a jury trial, arguing that both Spadea and the media company behind him are responsible for what he describes as an intentional character attack. The suit claims Spadea’s choice of language was not only baseless but designed to generate outrage, knowing it would stir reaction among listeners.