Jay Severin returns to WTKK in Boston

Boston Herald ^ | 12/19/05 | Boston Herald Inside Track

[raccoonradio]

Don’t touch that dial Prodigal FM yakker Jay Severin will return to 96.9 FM beginning Jan. 3, and will broadcast his new, nationally syndicated show in the 7 to 10 p.m. slot. Severin, the former afternoon drive host, was yanked off the air several months ago after he signed a national syndication deal with Infinity Broadcasting.

But yesterday, Severin’s agent, George Tobia, told the Track he had reached an agreement for Severin to broadcast his show on WTKK for at least a year. “We’re really excited to be back,” he said. When Severin returns to the station, he’ll bump Laura Ingraham to 10 p.m. Michael Graham will continue to do afternoon drive. Severin’s show will be broadcast in four other markets across the country when he signs back on the air next month.

[raccoonradio]

Severin (libertarian/libertine/diff. views depending on issue) was last on WTKK on Sept 15. When he told his bosses at Greater Media's WTKK in Boston that he would be doing a nationwide show for Infinity starting in January, they pulled him off the air until he could either negotiate a new contract with them (G.M. has exclusive rights until Dec 31) or with Infinity, etc. Well, they pulled a deal out. He will also air in St. Louis (KMOX I think?), Philadelphia (WPHT) and a couple other cities.

For those in Boston: OK, the healthy radio addiction of Laura moves to 10 pm...where will Hannity go? Only the second most popular talk host in the country...

Well it looks like WTKK has the "Pulitzer Prize winner" (ha...) back.

[raccoonradio]

Not everyone agrees with Jay...

http://www.jayseverin.org

[raccoonradio]

Jay's "Phony Pulitzer"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1486026/posts

[Fierce Allegiance]

I loved listening to him while I lived there, and at the time thought he'd be perfect for a nationwide audience, but he's a bit of a nutbar. I am surprised he'd bump Laura back like that.

[Brainhose]

Jay has definitely become a nutbar.
It's too bad that Laura is going to be bumped.
But at least she'll be a nice alternative to that complete whack-job Michael Savage who's now been bumped to 10pm on WRKO.

[Gay State Conservative]

I respect Severin a lot and agree with him on many,but not all,issues.However,for me at least,a little of him goes a long way,if ya know what I mean.

I'm going to start trying to get an Internet stream of Laura Ingraham on WABC.I know that they stream Rush,I hope they stream her too.

[Fierce Allegiance]

I'm a white guy, but I think Jay is clearly racist. I don't go for that.

[raccoonradio]

They might stream Laura on WABC but if they don't you gotta pay for Laura 365 or whatever it's called...

[raccoonradio]

for those who are wondering, Jay isn't a swingin' single. Here's a pic of him and wife Renee (they may have kids, too; not sure). And yes, despite his efforts to sound like he was broadcasting from Morrissey Blvd., it was really Sag Harbor, Long Island...and he never really got a Pulitzer Prize. "Other than that, I have no strong feelings about the man."

[raccoonradio]

One way WTKK could keep both Hannity and Graham would be to run Sean 3-5 pm live, then two hours of Graham. So you would have Hannity, Graham, Severin, Ingraham. 2 hours of Hannity is better than none. Just an idea.

[ThreePuttinDude]

They might stream Laura on WABC but if they don't you
gotta pay for Laura 365 or whatever it's called...

Laura is on right after Mark Levin on WABC, she starts @ 8:00pm

[raccoonradio]

Update on WTKK: new lineup starts 1/3

5:30 Imus
10a Mike Barnicle
12noon Eagan and Braude
1 pm O'Reilly

3 pm Michael Graham
7 pm Severin
10 pm Laura Ingraham--new time
Mid. Sean Hannity--new time
2 am John and Jeff

[Final Authority]

Did you listen last night? His game hasn't changed by one word and after listening to Savage and Graham I think Jay is "old" if you know what I mean.

If he doesn't go after the caller and invite opposition to debate he won't do well I think. His nuanced views will not be well received either.

Over the years I have tried to email him but mostly I have had communication with his producers. I told him to come clean about his personal life as we all know he is a fraud, I told him to quit playing the nuance game with observations that we all see but make a clear statement as to what we do see, not what only the great Severin can see. I also told him that he must be more informed on the specifics of the issue and make informed and detailed references of the facts and consequences in fact, not his opinion. He then can apply opinion but so often he has had facts wrong, about the economy, the war on terror, international trade, illegal immigration, fiscal policy, and it goes on and on, that he disturbing sometimes.

He is best when he makes a clear and direct statement of fact and takes on callers like Sedeki and makes sport of them that I do not understand why he doesn't set up the show to encourage more of that. But then, I am not behind the mic and he is.

[raccoonradio]

Yes, I listened. WTKK botched the start: Started playing a Best of Laura I. show and then suddenly lurched into Jay,
blowing a noisemaker a la New Year's and talking about Tookie's execution which took place "the other day". As in,
Dec. 13???

What is he, conservative, libertarian, "radical independent"?
Who knows. He opposes the war as he feels Iraq was not a
"clear and present danger".

He DOES reveal, as he had in the past, the 3 Newfie dogs he owns but won't come clean about his wife (heck, even
Howie has stopped calling Mrs. Carr "Submit" and uses
"Cathy" now), where he lives (none of your business,
I suppose, is how he feels) and the Pulitzer deal. I missed
the start of a 2 min bit in which he basically brushed
aside the accusations and said those who made them
were pizza-eating-pantloads, as he put it, and he never
said these things.

It's Jay's world--we just live in it, I guess. Suppose he
needs to have money to build a bigger house to contain
his ego. Rarely any self-deprecating humor, as I've heard
from Sean and Howie.

In some ways it was fun to listen to but he can be
irritating.

---

>>Sedeki

You mean community activist Sadiki Kambon, I assume...
From an article I found about the Dennis and Callahan
controversy: "Black community leaders are calling for the resignation of WEEI radio hosts John Dennis and Jerry Callahan for comments they made comparing the escaped gorilla from the Franklin Park Zoo to a Metco student.

“Fire them outright,” said Sadiki Kambon, director of the Black Community Information Center during a news conference Thursday outside Fenway Park. “We won’t allow anybody to attack our innocent children.”

---

[wolfcreek]

Is he the one who always says he's a supporter of the 'working girl' and Asian women?

[raccoonradio]

Not sure but that sounds like him. Mrs. Severin (yes,
there is one) may or may not object.

[curious3]

Just wondering if anyone knows how 96.9 got Jay Severin back on their station? Didn't he have a contract with Westwood One? Did 96.9 buy into that contract?

[raccoonradio]

Greater Media, owner of WTKK, had exclusive rights to negotiate with Severin until 12/31/05. After that he was
open game for them, Infinity/CBS/Westwood One, or others to grab. His agent managed to swing a one-year deal with
GM/WTKK just before the deadline. I thought he was headed
to WBZ myself, but they couldn't even talk with Jay's
agent until after the New Year.

CBS, etc., syndicates the show and attempts to get it on
their local stations but here WTKK scooped 'em.