Nashville sports anchor says his on-air Prince tribute got him fired

Nashville — Dan Phillips, a former sports anchor at WZTV, said he was fired Friday because he anchored an entire sportscast full of lyrics from Prince songs.

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"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life. An electric word, life, but I'm here to tell you there's something else: the NHL playoffs," Phillips said during the sportscast.

The Prince-filled report aired April 21, the day the artist was found dead at his Minnesota home. The video was also posted to his Facebook and has lots of positive comments. But Phillips claims not everyone was into the tribute, saying, "There were apparently some viewers, as well as management at the station, who did not feel the same way. They felt I was insensitive."

Despite Phillips' claim, he wouldn't confirm to The Tennessean why he was fired, and WZTV hasn't commented on the matter. According to Deadspin, Phillips was with the station for more than 10 years.

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