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CEO: WTKK won’t make another drive for Howie Carr
Boston Herald ^ | 10/20/09 | Jessica Heslamd

Posted on 10/20/2009 12:24:05 AM PDT by raccoonradio

Boisterous talkmeister Howie Carr has made no secret that he feels trapped at WRKO - but it appears he’s stuck there.

Peter Smyth, chairman and CEO of radio station owner Greater Media Inc., said yesterday that he has no plans to go after Carr again.

Carr’s contract with rival WRKO is up in 2012.

A legal battle ensued two years ago after Carr struck a five-year deal worth up to $7 million to replace Don Imus in the morning-drive slot on Greater Media’s WTKK-FM (96.9).

Carr’s bosses at WRKO-AM (680) were stunned to learn their star was jumping ship. The Entercom-owned station wouldn’t give Carr up without a fight and the courts eventually blocked the Herald columnist from defecting to WTKK.

When asked yesterday if he’d make another play for Carr, Smyth said no.

“I think Howie Carr is a terrifically talented guy. I like him but I’m not (going to),” Smyth told the Herald following a media forum at the Boston Harbor Hotel.

“Entercom and he have a good relationship now and you know, we tried. It didn’t work,” Smyth said.

Carr, whose WRKO show airs in afternoon-drive time, declined comment.

Recently, WTKK shuffled its lineup and shrunk Imus’ show to two hours.

“I love Don Imus,” said Smyth. “Don Imus has been with me a long time.”


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: howiecarr; talkradio; wrko; wtkk
Howie's stuck at Zombie Radio


1 posted on 10/20/2009 12:24:07 AM PDT by raccoonradio
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To: raccoonradio; Andonius_99; Andy'smom; Antique Gal; Big Guy and Rusty 99; bitt; Barset; ...

Howie list ping. WTKK doesn’t plan to go after Howie after his WRKO contract expires in ‘12.


2 posted on 10/20/2009 12:25:21 AM PDT by raccoonradio
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To: raccoonradio

Howie Carr’s Voice is the best thing happening in Massachusetts, Jessica”s comments are from a churl who does not Understand.


3 posted on 10/20/2009 1:16:41 AM PDT by chatham
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To: raccoonradio

Howie Carr’s Voice is the best thing happening in Massachusetts, Jessica”s comments are from a churl who does not Understand.


4 posted on 10/20/2009 1:16:52 AM PDT by chatham
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To: raccoonradio
This is bad.

I do feel for Howie.

5 posted on 10/20/2009 4:02:36 AM PDT by Stepan12 (Palin & Bolton in 2012)
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To: raccoonradio
Peter Smyth, chairman and CEO of radio station owner Greater Media Inc., said yesterday that he has no plans to go after Carr again.

Horsesh*t. Preemptive negotiation tactic.

6 posted on 10/20/2009 6:49:56 AM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: raccoonradio

I’m guessing that Howie would be at least somewhat happier if Entercomm put some money into getting his show on a broadcast frequency and transmitter whose signal doesn’t die out west of Framingham and north of Nashua after dark. (And for sports fans: Entercomm’s WEEI is even worse).


7 posted on 10/20/2009 6:58:55 AM PDT by andy58-in-nh (America does not need to be organized: it needs to be liberated.)
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To: martin_fierro

I just read the same opinion on a radio board; someone said that maybe they do want Howie but at a lower salary. “Hey, looks like maybe we can fit you in on the schedule, Howie, but we can only give you $XXX...”

As I mentioned elsewhere, will WTKK be smooth jazz again by the time ‘12 rolls around? Ratings not the best, hence the recent change that has put Smyth’s pal Don-O in merely a two hour slot, only one hour of which, as I understand, is live

I can’t picture a station like WBZ picking him up (would they want to give up some of their news-time by day?
Would he be too shocking for BZ, or could they tone him down slightly? His ratings recently were halfway decent though. The “Second rate talk show” (as one person at radio-info.com put it) recently finished #1, even doing better than the sports guys down the hall.

Whether that would keep up, I don’t know, but suppose his ratings dropped and Entercom didn’t renew him...

I could visualize a company like Salem Communications perhaps (though VERY low possibility) trying talk again and you could have
Howie and a bunch of syndie conservatives, say, on a “Talk 590” or “Talk 950”. Look at what happened to
Jerry Williams. He had short-lived efforts at “WMEX 1060” and WROL 950 IIRC, though Jerry was in the early stages of the disease that would take his life (Parkinson’s, I think) and he wasn’t having a very easy time on the air.

Howie does hint at a move to Florida, something el Rushbo has done—the latter to escape NY taxes. Howie says he could escape MA taxes, and weather. As for income he does say he has a second book coming out (not sure on
whom—the Kennedys?) and is pitching a third.


8 posted on 10/20/2009 8:19:17 AM PDT by raccoonradio
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To: raccoonradio

from a comment on Herald article/Herald site:

>>Of COURSE he’s going to say he won’t hire him. This was the problem the last time. Howie blabbed to everyone he was leaving, & ‘TKK started running ads about Howie’s arrival. They’ve learned their lesson. Howie will say he has no deal @ another station, let his contract lapse, & then go to WTKK.


9 posted on 10/20/2009 8:29:41 AM PDT by raccoonradio
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To: raccoonradio

I predict he retires to FL. He’s still great, but he’s had enough of the MA experience, at least, that’s what I sense. How much longer is there going to be print media? If/when

He doesn’t want to be “the last one to leave, turn out the lights”. Of course, neither do I.


10 posted on 10/21/2009 1:54:39 PM PDT by GOPsterinMA ("Henceforth, you shall be known as...'Nobel Obama'".)
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To: raccoonradio; GOPsterinMA

Oops, I posted too quickly.

I was saying how much longer will there be print media? If/when the Herald goes, can/will Howie just do radio?

It would be nice if a successor of sorts was being groomed. I guess VB could hold the fort down to an extent. Actually Gerry Callahan would be a good Howie replacement, should that time come.


11 posted on 10/21/2009 2:01:49 PM PDT by GOPsterinMA ("Henceforth, you shall be known as...'Nobel Obama'".)
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