Posted on 06/14/2007 3:26:04 AM PDT by raccoonradio
In a surprising turn of events, Mike Barnicle withdrew from the running for the morning-drive slot on talk radio station WTKK-FM (96.9) yesterday.
Citing a full plate of other projects, Barnicle said he’s dropping out of the race to fill the spot left vacant by disgraced host Don Imus. Barnicle is also forfeiting his regular slot on WTKK.
“At the end of the day, it requires so much time, so much energy, I couldn’t do justice to it,” Barnicle said.
Previous commitments to NBC would make it too difficult to host the morning slot from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
But sources inside the station said management wanted to partner Barnicle with a new group of regular guest hosts - an idea Barnicle didn’t warm to.
Barnicle said he’ll stay on in the time slot until a replacement is named. But his planned departure set off new speculation as to who would take his place since, sources said, it was considered a done deal.
WTKK has been looking to fill the morning slot ever since syndicated radio personality Imus was booted by CBS Radio for making on-air racist remarks.
Sources said Herald columnist Margery Eagan and NECN personality Jim Braude, who host the “Eagan and Braude” show in the afternoon, could be moved to mornings. The pair’s program was expanded from one to three hours earlier this year.
Another source said management might look at host Michael Graham to take the lead in the mornings. Both Graham and Barnicle’s regular shows were shaved by an hour last January.
Officials at Braintree-based Greater Media Inc., which owns WTKK, didn’t return requests for comment.
In a statement, Peter Smyth, president and chief executive of Greater Media, said Barnicle and the station couldn’t devote the time needed for the show. Despite his plans to give up a regular show on WTKK, Barnicle will continue to play a role at the station, Smyth said. “Mike was one of the original members of the WTKK staff and will continue to be a part of our team.”
The plagiarist, the pipe artist, the guy who didn't have enough strength in him to do ONE hour daily... oh, but that's because he's SO important to Media Showing Nothing But Clintons...
To those on the Howie Carr list: I am leaving today for a week in Ahh-nuld land...leaving you in the capable hands of
GQuagmire. Oh, to be able to hear HC’s show today... :) If
he mentions it...
Perhaps they can just re-run old George Carlin bits in his place.
Morning radio in Boston is a total wasteland.
Finding new ways to spin the news lie is hard work.
So Barnicle is going to be on MSNBC’s morning show. Good. Even though he is a liberal, he will be much better than that dipstick Joe Scarborough. I was afraid they would give the slot to him with his “Morning Joe” show.
At least Barnicle won’t be kissing Hillary’s butt every day like Scarborough did.
Anyone would be better than Scarborough. As Imus might say, “He . . . is . . . awful!” Problem is that Barnicle can’t hear enough of his own voice.
I still think MSNBC should have given the morning slot to Willie Geist and Amy Rorbach.
.............So Barnicle is going to be on MSNBC’s morning show...............
I reread the article three times, and never saw anything about MSNBC. Where did you get that info?
BTW, WTTK used to broadcast Imus’s show in the morning.
I stand corrected. I assumed from this statement that Barnicle would automatically be on MSNBC too, but that probably isn’t the case. *Sigh* I guess it was just wishful thinking.
“Citing a full plate of other projects, Barnicle said he’s dropping out of the race to fill the spot left vacant by disgraced host Don Imus”
I hope they give the spot to Michael Graham. Margery Eagan...God no, she’s impossible to listen to. Despite being very liberal, I enjoy Jim Braude. He’s not a mean liberal and has a delightful sense of humor.
Graham would be an upgrade. Barnicle is a disaster - I couldn’t stomach 30 seconds of his drivel. Finneran is equally as bad. Liberals CAN NOT entertain. Waiting for Callahan to come back...
Guess this means that Chris Matthews will now be taking 26 weeks vacation..so Barnacle will get to guest host a lot..
Somewhere Howie Carr is laughing.
I couldn't agree with you more. All I can say is thank God for Sirius satellite radio . . .
Guess you won't have Internet access. I listen to Howie daily here in Cali-phony-a (aka Governor Schwarzen-Kennedy's playground) via Algore's wet dream.
I don’t even turn my radio on until 10:00 anymore.
I don’t know if anyone else is going to take a chance on Callahan’s voice. He’s is pretty bad shape.
The only Net access I had in Calif. was an occasional
email check via a Kinko’s...
However, this AM lineup of Talk 96.9 ‘TKK won’t last for long. Starting 12/3/07 (in a week and a half from now), the AM lineup will be as follows:
5:00-5:30AM It will still be that nationally syndicated news/sports/weather/Wall Street news roundup hosted by Jim Bohanan, I don’t think that’ll be going away.
5:30-6:00AM A rebroadcast of Imus (I think)
6-9:00AM Imus in the Morning (The Sequel, Welcome back)
9AM-12:00Noon The Michael Graham Broadcast.
The PM Lineup will remain the same as it has since the realignment of Jan ‘07.
Also, this will mean that the AM lineup will not have any room for the Michelle McPhee Broadcast which will be confined to just Saturday Mornings from 9AM-12Noon. Unless she’s called to “pinch-hit” aka fill-in.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.