Meredith Corp. fired the head of its broadcast group last fall after documenting his repeated comments criticizing blacks, including: "We've got to quit hiring all these black people," according to a company memo filed in a lawsuit against the executive. He also stated, "you shouldn’t hire old black guys. These guys don’t listen, they have attitudes and you can’t control them.”The Des Moines-based media company, which publishes specialty books and magazines including Ladies' Home Journal and Better Homes and Gardens, fired Kevin O'Brien in October, citing violations of its equal-opportunity policies. According to a company memo uncovered in a search of court documents this week, an internal investigation found that O'Brien "made statements, often in the context of speaking about a minority employee, that employ racial and ethnic stereotypes and denigrate women." O'Brien, 62, oversaw 13 television stations. He was credited with turning around the broadcast group, and earned almost $2 million last year. The Nov. 8 memo is one of few documents that was not sealed in a lawsuit filed by Meredith against the former executive. O'Brien has filed documents seeking to unseal the case and is expected to file a counter suit alleging wrongful termination. [more] and [more]