The A&E television network yesterday removed Duane "Dog" Chapman's reality series from its schedule.

"In evaluating the circumstances of the last few days, A&E has decided to take 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' off the network's schedule for the foreseeable future. We hope that Mr. Chapman continues the healing process that he has begun," the network said in a statement.

The popular TV bounty hunter's career was turned upside down when a private phone conversation, in which Chapman repeatedly used a racial slur, was taped and sold by his son, Tucker, to The National Enquirer.

At least two advertisers pulled out from the show and civil rights groups called for its cancellation.

There was no further comment from A&E yesterday, but a source close to the network who asked that he not be named because he had no authority to release the information, said a final decision to cancel the show permanently has not been made. That may mean the door has been left open for a return of "Dog the Bounty Hunter."

Chapman issued a same-day apology shortly after a five-minute clip of the tape surfaced Wednesday on the National Enquirer's Web site. In the conversation, Chapman repeatedly used the n-word in referencing Tucker's African- American girlfriend, Monique Shinnery.

On the tape, Chapman begs his son to break up with the girl and warns about concerns that she might attempt to record a tape of the bounty hunter's use of the slur in conversation and go public with it. Among other things, he is heard saying, "I'm not taking a chance on some (expletive). I don't care if she's a Mexican, a whore, whatever. It's not because they're black. We use the word (expletive) sometimes here."

A&E immediately suspended production of the series Wednesday, five weeks into its fifth-season filming schedule.

Chapman, 54, has canceled all scheduled public appearances promoting his recent best-selling book, "You Can Run, But You Can't Hide," and his publicist said he would not grant interviews.

His attorney, Brook Hart, gave this statement in response to the suspension of Chapman's TV series: "This is a very unfortunate consequence. I hope that it will be temporary, and after a full investigation is done and Dog has fully repented for his behavior and learned more about what he should be doing and not doing, that A&E will reconsider."

Civil rights leaders said they were not satisfied with the removal of the show from A&E's schedule. A coalition of groups in Los Angeles sent a letter to network executives yesterday demanding a cancellation.

The coalition said the comments were more than racially demeaning and hurtful to black women. "They are a vicious attack on and call to end interracial relations, as well as an incitement to violence," the letter said.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, said the coalition believes Chapman's language was much more damaging than shock jock Don Imus' comments. Imus was fired by CBS in April after calling the Rutgers University women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos."

Citadel Broadcasting Corp. Thursday announced Imus' return to radio in December.

"If they can essentially say, 'We're firing Imus in the front door and bring him in the back door later on,' they can also do the same with this guy and his show," Hutchinson said. "It seems like to me A&E is keeping their options open."

Alphonso Braggs, Hawai'i chapter president of the NAACP, said just because Chapman's words were used in private, they didn't lessen their impact.

"It just speaks volumes to the fact that we have tremendous subtle racism in America today," he said. "It is just appalling that these high-profile individuals think that it's OK to be bigoted and racist in their private lives but put on a different front when they're in public."

The TV series follows Chapman and his tattooed crew as they track down bail jumpers in Hawai'i and other states. The show also stars some members of Chapman's family, but Tucker Chapman is not regularly featured.

The Honolulu-based bounty hunter first grabbed headlines for apprehending serial rapist and Max Factor heir Andrew Luster in Mexico in 2003.

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.