Graphic by me...again, it's not totally official but it looks that way...
Posted on 07/10/2007 8:06:05 AM PDT by raccoonradio
Howie Carr live thread
Graphic by me...again, it's not totally official but it looks that way...
Howie Carr ping
from radio-info.com:
“Entercom fights to keep Howie Carr from defecting to WTKK, Boston. Carr’s attorney Bret Cohen is going to be earning his keep, as Entercom stands ready to claim it has the right to match any other offer and (at the very least) a 90-day non-compete that should keep Howie from starting at FM talker WTKK on October 1.”
If you missed it:
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=1010440&format=text
“Carr’s contract with Entercom contained both a non-compete and “right of first refusal” or “right to match provision.” The non-compete clause prevents Carr from going to work at any other radio or TV station within WRKO’s “city-grade” coverage area for 90 days, according to Carr’s lawyers.
The right to match provision purports to give WRKO the right to meet a competing salary offer within 180 days from any radio or TV station within WRKO’s coverage area. If Entercom matched an offer, Carr would have to stay at WRKO with the same undisclosed compensation as offered by WTKK.
“But Cohen said both provisions are illegal and unenforceable under Massachusetts law. Cohen said there’s a state statute that ‘prohibits the enforceability of non-compete agreements and other post-employment restriction against individuals in the broadcast industry.’
“’If it comes to it, we are prepared to litigate this issue,’ Cohen said.”
(me: don’t be too surprised if legal wrangling might keep
Howie OFF the air—get ready for possible fill-ins or
“Classic Carr”—while all this gets settled, a la
Severin and WTKK...Hang on to your hats. It’s going to
be a bumpy ride.)
Look for WRKO's GM Jason Wolfe to be pounding the pavement soon.
I’ve been listening for any Howie promos on RKO this morning and haven’t heard any so far...
Tom Finneran is a convicted FELON, a SLUG tried and found guilty of lying under oath so what does WRKO do to this reprobate who deserves to be in JAIL (If it had been uoy or me they would have nailed us to the wall for this)? They have the unmitigated gall to HIRE HIM and to give him the plum morning commute slot! When this happened, multitudes of WRKO listeners contacted the station and flat out told them that they, along with me would drop our support for WRKO AND IT’S SPONSORS and would no longer listen to them in the morning and that is just what we have done. I wrote numerous scathing letters to the management of WRKO pleading with them not to hire the liberal sleaze bag, hack "FELLON" Finnerean, Howie also voiced his objections but the management staunchly refused to listen to their audience and went ahead and did it anyway. The ratings for Finneran’s show bore out the fact that the audience made good on our threats because they are in the toilet… where they belong.
Along with the disgrace of hiring a convicted felon to comment on the political and MORAL issues of the day, WRKO has been eating into Howies airtime for months now by broadcasting Red Sox games and pre-game hype in his time slot... BOREING. So all I can say is WRKO has gotten what it so richly deserves; lay down with "dogs" and you get fleas. I hope Howie cleans Finneran's and WRKO's clock.
If anyone from WRKO is reading this: I hope you ENJOY your time with Tommy Taxes, AFTER Howie leaves, I am permanently switching stations for good. I, along with countless other FORMER WRKO listeners will listen to Howie Carr on his new station and will NO LONGER listen to Rush (the ONLY other conservative host you have left because you FIRED everyone else) on WRKO... You lost the bulk of your listening audience when you "jumped the shark" by hiring the convicted sleaze bag "Felon Finneran.
All I can say is:" See ya, wouldn't want to be ya.
Depending on where you live you can still hear Rush on
great radio stations like...
WTAG 580 Worcester
WGIR 610 Manchester NH
WGIP 1540 Exeter/Ports. NH
WGIN 930 Rochester NH
WPRO 630 Prov RI
WXTK 95.1 Cape Cod
WTIC 1080 Hartford
Carr files suit against WRKO for trying to stop new deal with rival
By Jessica Heslam/ Breaking News
Boston Herald Media Reporter
Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - Updated: 11:44 AM EST
A day after shaking up Boston’s talk radio scene with a bombshell announcement, WRKO talk meister Howie Carr has slapped the AM station with a lawsuit, accusing them of illegally trying to block his new deal with rival WTKK-FM.
The lawsuit, filed today in Suffolk Superior Court, accuses the Entercom-owned WRKO (680) of including illegal restrictions in Carr’s contract designed to prevent the witty Herald columnist from jumping ship.
WTKK has offered Carr a five-year contract for his own morning-drive show. His contract with WRKO ends in September.
“Without relief from this court, Mr. Carr will be unlawfully precluded from pursuing this opportunity, and will be forced to continue working for an employer whom he no longer wants to work,” said the lawsuit, filed by Carr’s attorney, Bret Cohen of Mintz Levin.
“Mr. Carr seeks a declaration from this court that these provisions are illegal under Massachusetts law and unenforceable as applied to him, and an award of his attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in bringing this present action,” the lawsuit says.
Carr’s contract with WRKO contained a renewal option, which would have allowed Entercom to extend his contract by one year had the company sent a written letter to Carr by March 19 of this year.
According to the complaint, WRKO Program Director Jason Wolfe asked Carr to sign a one-week extension two days before the March deadline, which Carr signed. Over the next month, Carr gave Entercom two more extension deadlines for the renewal option, but the company failed to extend Carr’s contract.
About a month ago, Wolfe contacted Carr to discuss his contract, and Carr told him he had reservations about staying at WRKO, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit says WTKK would give Carr a bigger audience, a“substantially higher profile” and more“bonus potential” than WRKO.
"Brian, it looks like the house of cards is falling down! Julie Kahn, Jim Rushton and Jason Wolfe found out about the 96.9 deal on the Herald website, they had no clue until it was mentioned to them. Julie was heard telling Jason in a closed door meeting that his neck is on the line if Howie walks...."
Jason Wolfe will forever be known in radio circles for losing the biggest talent on WRKO to a rival station. If this so called ‘ super star ‘ is ever given the helm of a radio station I’d be very surprised.
ah! duly noted
It would resemble the Lt. in Good Morning Vietnam replacing Cornhauer.
yes...
Avi Nelson indeed hosting, talking about NY Times editorial asking if we should get out of Iraq...
TUESDAY, JULY 10
1st Hour
In an address today President Bush stressed that he too wants Iraq troop pullout...do you believe him?
2nd Hour
3rd Hour
CHUMP LINE!617-779-3469 and leave Howie, Sandy or Happy a message about today’s stories or anything else buzzing around your bonnet and we may play it back on the air!
4th Hour
I bet Jay Severin sprung for a case of bubbly today.
LOL! Morning drive ratings suck. Red Sox will be off by late October and afternoon drive will be going against Howie. Looks like BOR from 3-7 followed by The Savage Nation.
I’ve got to buy a hat first before I can hang on to it. LOL
I would say WRKO had their high point in the early 1990s. We had Gene Burns from 10-2 and Jerry Williams from 2-6. I lost so much productivity at work those years listening to those guys! Ted and Janet in the morning weren't bad either. And of course it was Jerry who launched Howie's radio career in the first place, giving Howie (and Barbara Anderson of Citizens for Limited Taxation) a regular segment on his show.
I'm also old enough to remember when WRKO was a Top 40 station and I still have a few airchecks from that era.
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