Posted on 04/26/2008 10:04:58 PM PDT by raccoonradio
Howie Carr live thread for the week starting off with his Sunday Herald column
from http://www.bostonradiowatch.com:
by Mark Schnyder-—
Tai unplugged : As noted here in previous update, a Boston radio vet Tom “Tai” Irwin who had worked at WFNX 101.7FM, WRKO AM 680, WZLX 100.7FM and WROR 105.7FM over two decades, wrote an opinion piece on his Boston Herald blog called “Tai-Rade” openly criticizing the newspaper’s longtime columnist and WRKO AM 680’s talk show host Howie Carr. Irwin even offered to be Carr’s replacement…for free.
With the Herald’s circulation falling fast and WRKO’s ratings declining even faster, there is probably very little doubt as to who won the battle of profits vs. free speech in this case. Yesterday(4/28), The Herald shut down his blog on its site which he wrote over the past four years. Irwin distributed the following e-mail to Boston media earlier tonight:
“I just wanted to say thank you to those of you who contributed to and read my blog The Tai-rade on the Boston Herald’s website for the last four + years. It was taken offline yesterday (Soviet style) after I continued to focus on the challenges facing media companies who refuse to deal with the present, and are afraid of the future.
“I chose to launch into a Tai-rade against Howie Carr because he is a symptom of the disease - big name talent in a game of shrinking revenues. Along the way I talked layoffs and tough decisions that have to be made when drastic troubles hit the economic landscape. I was warned not to keep picking at the scab of lowered circulation and such, but as the contrarian I am, went ahead and they pulled the plug. The focus of my energy was confronting new media reality, but as it was contained on the Herald website, they thought it was a kick in the eye. Perhaps the fact is that I now must take the Tai-rade out on my own, and make sure it remains independent. Let me be clear about this: the Herald remains a favorite of mine, and I believe an essential force in Boston media. I’ve always loved reading it daily. My admiration for Pat Purcell is as strong as ever, and if in his position - I would have censored the blog as well. Just human nature to try to stamp out unpleasantness if you can. Still won’t change the reality of the decline of the American newspaper. The Tai-rade will be back.”
Contrarian? Doesn't he mean "idiot"? ;-)
Who is he anyway? I never heard of him . . . reminds me of a big firm I used to work at, where people leaving sent out a firm-wide email, thanking everyone and all that. The farewell email was always the first I'd heard of them!
Well, Tai was longtime morning host of Boston Phoenix Radio
WFNX and later went to WRKO (first at night, then co-hosting
with Marge Clapprood in mornings) and finally did mornings
on WZLX with Steve Sweeney. He is a good guy (as I mentioned
I’ve met him several times since he used to be tech advisor at my college radio station) though I disagree with him about
Howie.
Tai’s nighttime show at WRKO wasn’t too bad because he did
some nice interviews with musicians, comedians, etc.
I may have listened to "That guy Tai", but with constant format changes, I couldn't tell you which station.
Maybe he was once the morning guy on WFNX. In that case, maybe while shaving for a period of time.
I miss Bill Bennett in the morning. The only upshot of the WTTT change is that the Wall Street Journal Report went to WRKO.
Mark Levin has apparently picked up Boston. According to Boston Radio Watch a best of Levin will air Saturday nights 9-11 pm
on WTKK FM 96.9
>>WTKK’S new Saturday lineup is Hank Morse 6-8am, Michele McPhee 8-11am, The Joe & Huggy Show 11am-1pm, The Money Show 1-4pm, The Phantom Gourmet 4-7pm, Jay Severin Rewind 7-9pm, Mark Levin 9-11pm, Monica Crowley 11pm-1am.
http://www.bostonradiowatch.com
Thu ping
Rick Shaffer: the most misinformed program on radio. What a contrast he is with a professional like Bob Brinker!
Howie hasn’t mentioned Baba Wawa admitting to an affair with
Ed Brooke yet, has he?
YouTube: Barbara Walters admits that, at first, she
HATED Gilda’s “Baba Wawa” impersonation of her.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6HOMtOzoVM8
What's up with Howie's chair?
Loved being reminded of "[Felon]...used to work in a building where they'd steal hot stoves without gloves, then come back for the smoke."
And regarding the poll question, the first news report I heard said "apparently a victim of suicide". Victim? Victim? Then I started thinking about Arkancide.
Brooke was before the time I did in MA.
Voting is open for the Radio Hall of Fame
How many people end up listening to Vacay on TKK solely because of their superior reception?
WRKO should simulcast on FM like WPRO is doing, IMHO.
Yes they should but that would make too much sense.
btw next Wed 5/7 at 2 pm (should last an hour or so)
there will be a “producer’s roundtable” discussion at the
Downtown Corner Border’s, part of the promotion for the book
about Jerry Williams. Tolz and Elman, authors of that book
and former Jerry producers, will be there, as will former
Jerry producers Kenny Mayer, Paul Yovino, and Nancy Shack...
....aka Howie’s “Sandy”. They were mentioning it on
WBZ tonight.
I voted for Emery, Costas, tuna, and Carr.
I don’t know, something about a fancy chair he got and he doesn’t want the Felon to sit in it/steal it. Someone on chump line said Howie ought to wish the Felon should take advantage of another chair—Ol’ Sparky (MA electric chair, not used
for awhile)!
Downtown Crossing that should say
Fri column ping.
On felon row, no House shortage
By Howie Carr | Friday, May 2, 2008 | http://www.bostonherald.com
You’re Sal DiMasi, and you know the old saying: “What happens twice, happens thrice.” You just never thought it was a reference to Good Time Charlie Flaherty, Felon Finneran, and you, Sal DiMasi.
What are the odds - the last two House speakers, convicted felons, and now you’re in the jackpot too.
You’re Sal DiMasi, the House speaker, and you were for gay marriage - doesn’t that count for something? Don’t the Republicans understand, you’re the nearest thing they’ve got at the State House to a Republican.
Yet here’s dopey Peter Torkildsen, who couldn’t even beat John Tierney, in front of the State House demanding that AG Martha Coakley investigate these ethics charges against you.
God bless Martha though - when the phone don’t ring, Torky’ll know it’s her. Harry Truman had a sign on his desk: “The Buck Stops Here.” The sign on Martha’s desk says: “Pass the Buck.”
You’re Sal DiMasi, and you’re afraid you know where your buck is going to be passed - to the feds, to the same G-men who brought down Good Time Charlie and Tommy Taxes.
You’re Sal DiMasi, and this is no fun, but the problem is, if you’re not the speaker any more, you’re defenseless, and then they’ll really come after you, maybe even Martha.
You’d think some of these slugs could understand what it’s like, having a high-maintenance second wife, and she’s got the place in Needham, where some of the guys keep seeing you walking around downtown, and she wants to go to Florida, and to all those “society” parties, where she has to wear a nice new gown to get her name in those stupid glossy Beautiful People magazines, plus she’s got the two kids, and dammit, it all costs money.
Three mortgages’ worth of money, and that’s just on the condo on Commercial Street in the North End where you, ahem, live.
You’re Sal DiMasi, and you’re thinking maybe one of your “friends” should have hired somebody other than sleazy George Regan to be their spokesman.
You tried to play it so straight, so you wouldn’t end up a pathetic ticket-less, pension-less, Advil-addled, bust-out talk radio host like Felon Finneran, and now you’re on the ropes too.
You’re Sal DiMasi and you rolled out all your chairmen yesterday to say that, oh no, they often change their minds about a bill, just like John Kerry does, and then they went back into their offices and got back to scheming.
In one corner, your corner, you have Bobby DeLeo, who used to list a street address in Winthrop as his home and now uses a post-office box. And in the other corner, Tommy Taxes’ boy, John Rogers, who once compared Good Time Charlie’s felony conviction to the crucifixion of Christ.
You’re Sal DiMasi, and 30 years ago, you were the fresh-faced young kid running against the entrenched power of the Langones. Now you are Freddie - or maybe even JoJo - Langone.
You’re Sal DiMasi, and you didn’t seem to learn anything from Billy Bulger on that junket the two of you took to the Middle East a few years back.
Nothing except that both of you like hanging around with close relatives of the late Sonny McDonough.
You’re Sal DiMasi, and as you look around, you see flashing in front of your eyes all the solons who have gone before you: Felon Finneran, Good Time Charlie, Money Fitz, John McFeel, Chris Asselin, George Rogers, Paul Sheehy, Gulliver O’Leary, Joe Tully, Jimmy Kelly, Joe DiCarlo, Ron MacKenzie, Don Bliss . . .
You’re Sal DiMasi, and you have but one question:
Is WRKO hiring?
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1091164
show ping
It would probably be better to do it under the Libertarian banner anyway -- Republican is still a dirty word to the children and grandchildren of the Irish/Italian/Eastern European immigrants who were sneered at by the Yankee Republicans (and northeast Republicans haven't improved with the years).
If they ran as a group, they could afford local TV time (maybe) collectively -- ads that gave a brief run-down of the platform (which would have to be bare bones) and maybe scrolled the names of everyone running.
I know the Republicans have a hard time getting anyone to run, but running as an iindividual, even if you won, you'd be stuck on Beacon Hill with all those goobers! I can see why nobody wants that. Ah, but to run as part of a whole battalion!
Fantasy, I know . . . but wouldn't it be nice???
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