Just Like at the Movies, Silence is Golden
Poor Howie Carr. It’s been rough for him lately. He’s getting beaten up for his less-than-no-effort columns while simultaneously being pummeled by the court.
For those who haven’t been paying attention, a Suffolk Superior Court judge’s ruling has prevented Carr from making the leap from WRKO to WTKK (where, reportedly, a $7 million contract awaits). Obviously, this isn’t sitting well with Carr.
According to the Herald, he’s now asking the judge to “reconsider” the ruling. I didn’t know you could do that. You think Carr said, “pretty please?”
Carr’s attorneys have filed an emergency motion for reconsideration. The motion says Carr is following rules laid out in the judge’s memo and hasn’t begun to work for another employer even though his agreement with the Entercom Communications-owned WRKO ended Sept. 19.
In a memo issued last week, Judge Allan van Gestel said the provision in Carr’s WRKO contract that gives the station the right to match a competitor’s salary is valid. However, the judge said, the noncompete clause in the contract is illegal. Van Gestel hasn’t ruled on whether Carr is compelled to stay at WRKO. But WRKO says that because it matched WTKK’s offer, Carr works for them until 2012.
Couple of things here. First, if Carr isn’t allowed to work for TKK, what happens to the $7 million that parent company Greater Media has already allocated? Since they’ve decided to shell out the money anyway, let me make a suggestion: Give it to the poor. Specifically: me.
Second, how fantastic is this limbo? In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter from which station Carr broadcasts his lazy, often offensive garbage. The people who listen to his show don’t care. They’ll tune in if he’s on TKK or RKO, in the morning or during the afternoon drive — just so long as it doesn’t prevent them from dating their relatives or protecting the Commonwealth’s borders from the flood of illegals preparing to invade from Canada.
Ah, but for the rest of us who don’t delight in being subjected to his on-air idiocy, this radio blackout has been a little something I like to call awesome. For people who like talk radio, we’re now treated to not one, but two major stations without Howie the Horrible.
No “whiner line.” No “immigrant update,” or whatever it is he calls the fascist segment that details the missteps of people with Hispanic last names. No ranting about liberal “moonbats.” Just pure, uninterrupted silence.
So I’d like to make a plea to Judge van Gestel as well — don’t take another look at the case. Keep Howie right where he is.
It may be purgatory for him, but it’s heaven for us.
September 27th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
I’ve been told a bigwig at Boston magazine
is married to Julie Kahn and Julie has said in
a court affadavit that the station would lose
many advertisers if Howie bolted to WTKK.
So this is how her husband’s publication
treats him? A station that will truly tank
if he leaves?
You want elite radio for the hacks and
cronies, you got it, folks. Look for
the ratings to go WAY down.
And these people you trash, the Howie
listeners: they must have money to spend.
How can two radio stations each be willing to spend so much to retain Howie? Because he
brings in the listeners and the ad
dollars.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
sounds like a little “envy thing” John Gonzales got going on. What’s the matter John feel out of sorts because you don’t have the brain power or the talent to make 7 million dollars or are you upset that Howie Carr is a highly respected journalist and no one will ever know who you are because your only claim to fame is to knock someone who is more successful than you? Or maybe it’s because your green card got lost in the mail. LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL. signed Richard, a person of hispanic background who is here legally.
September 27th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
So Howie Carr’s listeners “date their relatives”?
I’ve never read your blog before, Mr. Gonzalez, but I would caution you not to smear an entire group of people because of your own narrow view of them. “Rednecks” do that sort of thing, right?
September 27th, 2007 at 10:56 pm
Mr. Gonzales, supposin’ I said “rumor has it” that you are “light in the loafers”. Is that true? That you, like Dr. Doolittle, go both ways with the pushmi-pullyu? That you too have a “wide stance”?
Are you offended, Gonzalez? Will you say those questions amount to a “hate crime”, after cavalierly libeling Howie’s huge audience?
(See how easy it is to play your stupid game?)
And isn’t it…curious…that you claim Howie’s audience is worried about an “flood of illegals” coming from CANADA, when he plainly addresses his comments about illegals coming from Mexico and Central America.
There’s disingenuous and then there’s effing liars. We all know which you are.
September 27th, 2007 at 11:31 pm
First time I’ve ever been to this site. Gonzo, it’s the Big O Show with the Weiner Whiner Line (WEEI) and Howie with the Chump Line (WRKO). Do you even listen to the radio or do you just bash people that listen to the radio? You are not subjected to radio noise that hurts your ears if you know how to change the channel. For some reason though, I don’t think you really listen to the amplitude modulated radio frequency spectrum.
Now us AM radio people will have a lively discussion about the intractability of summit diplomacy with Muslim theocracies and Western democracies….screw that…It’s Big O or Howie drive time. Gonzo…the man paid to swab rumps and toss salads for the boss man. Sweet.
September 28th, 2007 at 9:37 am
The only reason anyone could possibly dislike Howie Carr is jealousy.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
You’re right. I meant Chump Line. My mistake.
September 28th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Wow, what is this, some kind of a “hit piece”? I listen to Howie occasionally - I certainly don’t like his endless focus on immigrants, but there’s a simple answer - change the station.
October 15th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
You know….its interesting to see how someone can convince themself that ALL of Howie’s listeners are either dumb or misinformed. Everyone is out of step except John, right?
October 15th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
John,
Jim Braude is there for you. If you don’t like Howie, DON’T LISTEN. Why are effete “progressives” so afraid of people hearing another side? If your world view is valid, why are you so afraid it won’t withstand scrutiny?