US radio host fired for improper behaviour

US radio host Garrison Keillor has been fired over an accusation of inappropriate behaviour.

Minnesota Public Radio says it is "terminating its contracts with Garrison Keillor and his private media companies after learning of allegations of his inappropriate behaviour with an individual who worked with him".

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Keillor told it in an email that the behaviour involved him putting his hand on a woman's back.

"I meant to pat her back after she told me about her unhappiness and her shirt was open and my hand went up it about six inches. She recoiled. I apologised," the Star Tribune quoted Keillor's email as saying. "I sent her an email of apology later and she replied that she had forgiven me and not to think about it."

Keillor, 75, is the latest US media personality to lose a job in recent weeks because of misconduct accusations.

NBC said on Wednesday it had fired anchor Matt Lauer from its morning television show Today after a female colleague accused him of inappropriate behaviour.

Keillor is best known as the creator of A Prairie Home Companion, a mixture of gentle comedy sketches, music and social commentary, which he hosted from 1974 to 2016.