Talk:The Howie Carr Show

[Staff nicknames]
Ok I have added the nicknames. Someone has deleted them off the main page. Luckly Answers.com still had the list. If anyone else has anymore please feel free too add. I will also delete the rest of the names off Howies page since someone has allready done it.--Lowell978

Apparently the Howie Carr Show has been on WRKO since 1994, but does anyone know exactly when Howie first took to the air (before WRKO)? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.209.250.9 (talk) 17:11, 15 October 2008 (UTC)

fancruft
The Show Features section contains intricate details that are of little interest outside of fans of the show. This article needs cleanup to make it more encyclopedic and look less like a fan page.--Rtphokie (talk) 01:01, 19 June 2008 (UTC)


 * I've cleaned it up (see ) but not following your criteria. Spike-from-NH (talk) 23:11, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

Nancy "Sandy" Shack
The article lists the producer as Nancy "Sandy" Shack; however, there's a part-time call screener whom Howie nicknames "Horse Shack". So, either the "Shack" last name has been misapplied to Sandy, or the two are related. - Dudesleeper / Talk  21:57, 20 March 2009 (UTC)


 * This is based on a resemblance to Arnold Horshack of Welcome Back, Kotter but I don't know the details. Spike-from-NH (talk)

Bush = Jethro Bodine
At the start of the 2000 presidential campaign, Carr supported John McCain for the Republican nomination. Just before the New Hampshire primary, numerous callers were telling him that he should support Bush. At one point, the exasperated Carr told one caller: "Do you really want to see Jethro Bodine [of The Beverly Hillbillies] as President?" (I had written the above in the article, but Dudesleeper deleted it on 11 July 2009) Italus (talk) 00:56, 5 August 2009 (UTC)

Stations carrying
WVMT 620 AM in Burlington Vermont also carries the show. Rather than be preempted by Red Sox games, this station preempts for Yankee games. If someone has time to find the ranking and can add it, that would be great. 71.181.126.184 (talk) 22:24, 29 November 2010 (UTC)

Gross Distortion About Reagan's Arms-For-Hostages Deal with Iran
On Feb. 4, 2011 Howie Carr spent the first hour of his show reminiscing about Ronald Reagan, in honor of the 100th anniversary of his birth. In the opening monologue, Carr boasted about Reagan's achievements and mentioned some of his setbacks. In the process Carr stated that he was never bothered by Reagan's Arms-For-Hostages Deal with Iran. According to Carr, this deal led to the "release of the hostages," whereas Jimmy Carter had been "completely clueless" about obtaining their release.

It is truly amazing that Carr is not aware that Reagan's Arms-For-Hostages Deal with Iran involved the release of individual hostages in LEBANON who had been kidnapped by Iran's proxies. The deal had nothing whatsoever to do with the hostages in Teheran, whose release had been negotiated by Carter through an Algerian diplomat. Moreover, there is still a lingering suspicion that Reagan-Bush actually delayed their release.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon_hostage_crisis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_contra

My message on his Chump Line, that he should inform his audience about his incredible mistake, was not played. As far as I know, he did not retract his error. This raises serious questions about his integrity. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.162.133.106 (talk) 18:37, 5 February 2011 (UTC)


 * Carr is a Reaganite and I would not expect him to align either with Anon or with Wikipedia on the case against an ex-President. If there is any implication for the article of the above complaint, it may be that it doesn't sufficiently clarify that the criteria for the "Chump Line" are: pithy and humorous.  An attempt to settle the score on Reagan would never be aired, though in live segments, Carr jousts with two clear adversaries, "Josh" and "Steve from Montréal."  So the omission from the "Chump Line" does not raise any questions about his integrity.  Apart from that--except for special bile he reserves for plagiaristic newspaper reporters--Carr rarely claims to have integrity at all. Spike-from-NH (talk) 23:11, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

Notable guests
I see no reason in removing the "Notable guests" section on the Howie Carr Show page. Some talk shows even have dedicated pages talking about guests, etc.

I believe this to be a relevant addition to the article, as it helps to describe the show and who is on it. Jrclark (talk) 19:07, 9 February 2011 (UTC)

User "Dudesleeper" seems to think they can unilaterally remove the section without discussing it. The list is new and only of recent guests, with the intent to expand as time and more guests allow. Jrclark (talk) 12:25, 10 February 2011 (UTC)

Clean-up
I've been editing this article this week, mostly cleaning up what was already there, mincing words, and converting lists to prose; but sometimes extending it (providing sources for his signature quotations, and adding a few signature phrases and sound effects).

A small amount of information I deleted is noted in the Change Summaries. I did delete his tendency to say, "Entercom happens" (in place of "shit happens"). Carr's dissatisfaction with Entercom Corporation might be worth detailed treatment. As I understand it, the essence of the "court ruling" mentioned in the intro is that WTKK gave him a better offer but his previous contract with WRKO let them match it, which they did. Carr has referred to the resulting five years as a "sentence" he must "serve," and has aired specific grievances on-air when Entercom cuts personnel or capital spending, giving every suggestion he will move to a new station in 2012. I believe he was once suspended for a week (which coincided with an already-scheduled vacation) as a warning after disparaging the corporation on the air. Spike-from-NH (talk) 23:11, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

PS--Over the months, I fleshed out some of the above and added it to the article. Spike-from-NH (talk) 14:43, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

"I did not come here to be made sport of"
PS--I find a single result in a Google search (an unrelated blog) that says that the above Howie Carr retort, mentioned in the article, is in the style of pre-Internet comedian Red Buttons. This ought to be attributed, if anyone can find something authoritative to point to. Spike-from-NH (talk) 15:34, 3 July 2011 (UTC)

"Supreme Court testimony"
I have moved some information on the radio show here from Howie Carr, leaving there just a summary of the radio show. The information includes additional details on his 2007 attempt to jump to WTKK, and a paragraph on a show that C-SPAN simulcast "the day after" President Clinton's testimony in the Supreme Court case.

One doesn't testify before the Supreme Court, and the proceedings there were only on the question of whether a President could defer civil suits until the end of his term. (The answer was no.) Clinton gave a deposition in Jones v. Clinton on Saturday, January 17, 1998 (p.201 of the paperback copy of the Starr report). Carr was surely not doing his radio show the Sunday, so this simulcast would have been January 19, 1998. C-SPAN seems to have no archives of the simulcast.

The point of including this information was to accentuate Carr's notability by stating that national media have covered his radio show. In fact, the point could be made better, as several national networks have stationed cameras in Carr's radio studio for segments or entire hours following a news event on which it is clear that people will phone in with reactions. Spike-from-NH (talk) 14:43, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

flavor of the show
I don't think the main article really gives readers a feel for the flavor of the show; yes, he often uses irony and sarcasm, but he also takes what is, for new england, an extreme right wing tone. Further, when dealing with local issues - particularly corruption in MA gov't, or local crime, he is outstanding; he knows everything. But, imo, on national issues (eg, obamacare) he is totally ignorant and just makes stuff up, and, so far as i can tell, never apolgizes. Eg, I"m sure you all remember, during circa 2011-2012, there was a spate of obamacare "horor stories", about people shafted by obamacare. most, if not all are just wrong, eg google paul krugman hannity to see just how dishonest the right wing was on this I guess my point is that the article doesn't really tell the reader that HC is fundametally wrong and dishonest on almost all national issues; difficult withouta lot of quotes.

url for the krugman hannity thing http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/19/lies-damned-lies-and-fox-news/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.91.49.238 (talk • contribs)


 * I read this that, "when dealing with...corruption in MA gov't" he agrees with you and when dealing with "obamacare" he does not. I do think the article gives readers the flavor of the show, certainly enough to inform the reader that Carr is "right wing."  What you seem to be looking for is an ideological guidebook to rebut everything he has said that you disagree with; that is, a character assassination with pointers to your experts.  Wikipedia ought not be that.  Spike-from-NH (talk) 23:35, 27 July 2014 (UTC)

pointer to experts..ok, wiki has false equivalence; this seems like a clear case of that: Carr, and the rest of the right wing produced all these obamacare horror storys, and most of them were simply false. true I dislike carr, but that doesn't mean I'm not right: he is right wing (eg, his opinions are shared by a minority of americans; that defines "right" or "left" wing) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.91.49.238 (talk) 01:29, 28 July 2014 (UTC)


 * So you are editing here based on issues with "the rest of the right wing"? That Carr is extreme relative to New England is irrelevant; his job is not to reflect (or at least amuse) the electorate but a set of listeners with suitable buying power, shown by his longevity on the air.  Another aspect of the "flavor of the show" reflected in the article is that Carr selects topics not just for persuasion but for comedy value — making him a better listen than the sermons of Beck or the bombast of Limbaugh, though they score more debate points.


 * Addressing for a moment the issue of honesty, Obama's chronic argument that he is attacking only a certain economic "class," and that the "middle class" "won't see a dime of new taxes" and will be able to keep their contractual arrangements without modifications, proves there is plenty of dishonesty to go around.


 * Now about your methodology: I am drinking coffee now, but that doesn't mean I'm not right. Spike-from-NH (talk) 13:08, 29 July 2014 (UTC)

Howie's start
Howie was on WRKO for a time before 1994; he did a morning to midday show in which he did two hours, liberal host Victoria Jones did two hours, and the pair did an hour together. He wound up on WHDH doing late afternoons, then when WEEI's sports programming shifted from 590 to 850, he and Rush Limbaugh wound up on WRKO. YouTube has a video of Howie on "news talk 850, WHDH" from August of 1994, talking about the 25th anniversary of Chappaquiddick (he is introduced by ESPN's "voice" Jim Cutler). Howie began appearing on Jerry Williams show circa 1988 covering the Democratic convention and also appearing with Barbara Anderson and Williams as "the Governors" on Tue. afternoons. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.169.3.18 (talk • contribs)
 * You have added some of this to the article. Not sure I remember his co-hosting with Jones, but I do remember a show with Marjorie Clapprood.  Howie's current show features his Everyman schtick and gallows humor; he was not compelling back when he was simply a right-wing voice for balance with a left-wing voice.  Spike-from-NH (talk) 23:38, 3 October 2014 (UTC)