CNN’s chairman, Chris Licht, opened his daily 9 a.m. editorial call by saying that the remarks by Mr. Lemon, which were widely viewed as sexist and insensitive, had left him “disappointed.”

“His remarks were upsetting, unacceptable and unfair to his co-hosts, and ultimately a huge distraction to the great work of this organization,” Mr. Licht told his staff, according to a recording of the call obtained by The New York Times. …

“I am sorry,” Mr. Lemon said. “I did not mean to hurt anyone. I did not mean to offend anyone.”

[What is the meaning of the word “unacceptable”? If CNN does nothing about it, it’s de facto accepted, right? If Lemon was a success in his timeslot and this was a one-off fumble, then perhaps a reprimand would suffice. However, Lemon’s show is a flop and he has a record of saying dumb and offensive things on air, as well as a reported issue in working with his present colleagues. If Licht doesn’t get rid of Lemon after this, one has to wonder what it would take to lose the job. — Ed]