BOSTON (AP) – The hosts of a popular sports radio talk show have been suspended for two weeks for comparing an escaped zoo gorilla to minority students who participate in a voluntary busing program known as Metco.

The suspension of John Dennis and Gerry Callahan takes effect immediately, WEEI-AM announced Monday.

In another development Monday in the week-old fallout from comments the pair made after the gorilla escaped from the Franklin Park Zoo, health insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts announced it was pulling a six-week advertising campaign from WEEI and donating the money – $27,000 – to Metco.

“We’ve done it because of the comments made by them and what we viewed as the station’s tepid response,” Blue Cross executive vice president Peter Meade said.

WEEI last week suspended Dennis for two days, prompting Metco officials and community leaders to protest that the punishment was too lenient. A transcript of last Monday’s show later revealed that both hosts participated in the conversation.

“It was John’s initial comment that sparked the initial furor but in talking to Metco people today, they said they were upset about the entire exchange,” station spokesman Jeremy Crockford said. “Out of respect to those feelings, we decided it was best to suspend them both.”

The incident came a day after the gorilla, Little Joe, escaped from the Boston zoo and injured two girls. After Callahan observed the gorilla was captured near a bus stop, Dennis said “Yeah, yeah. He was a Metco gorilla.”

“Heading out to Lexington,” Callahan added.

“Yeah, exactly,” Dennis replied.

Meade said the additional suspensions would not change the company’s decision to pull its advertising.

“We’ve pulled our advertising,” he said. “We didn’t think two days was anywhere near the response required.”

Crockford said Blue Cross’s announcement did not prompt the two-week suspensions.

“The decision as it stands on Dennis and Callahan is related solely to WEEI management’s concern about their inappropriate remarks and was made only after consultation with METCO officials,” he said. “It is completely unrelated, and in fact, came well before any decision by advertisers.”

Station executives planned to meet Tuesday with Metco officials. Crockford said the two hosts would have no immediate comment. After his initial suspension, Dennis apologized repeatedly, calling the remark “without question the single most stupid and poorly thought-out comment I’ve made in the 26 years since I’ve been in Boston.” Metco is a state-run, voluntary program that allows inner-city children to attend schools in nearby suburbs.

AP-ES-10-06-03 1935EDT