Dennis and Callahan

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The Dennis and Callahan Show
Genre Sports, Current events, Politics, Talk
Running time 4 hours
Country Flag of the United States United States
Home station WEEI
Starring John Dennis
Gerry Callahan
Jon Meterparel
Executive producers Stephen "Chach" Ciaccio
Air dates 1997 to Present
Website
http://www.weei.com/pages/255818.php?noCache=1

Dennis and Callahan is a morning radio show on WEEI, a sports radio station in Boston, Massachusetts. The show combines talk of sports and politics, along with current or "hot-button" issues. Both Gerry Callahan and John Dennis generally discuss in a conservative view point, however Dennis often serves in the "Devils Advocate" role to challenge some of Callahan's positions, most notably their differing positions on the Iraq War. The show premiered in 1997, and has been getting large ratings since.[1]


Contents

[edit] Biographies

[edit] John Dennis

A native of Pittsburgh, John Dennis is 1974 graduate of Kent State University earning a bachelor's degree in telecommunications and journalism. At age 22, he served as sports director and weekday anchor for WDAF-TV, an NBC affiliate in Kansas City, Missouri. He later became a studio anchorman at WPSL radio. In 1977, he joined WNAC-TV Channel 7 (later WNEV and now WHDH-TV) in Boston. Over the next 21 years he covered the Boston sports scene for the station holding the following roles: weekend and weekday sports anchor, sports producer, sports director as well as producing several sports features and investigative reports. John Dennis is involved with several Boston based charities, raising money for the Jimmy Fund, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and he also has served on the board of directors for the Mutual Funds Against Cancer Organization.[2] Dennis has made cameos in many of the Farrelly brothers' films.[3]

[edit] Personal awards and recognition

  • 1978 Nominated for Regional Emmy for his feature, "Cowboys, Creole and Orange Crush."
  • 1978 & 1981 Regional Emmy for specialized reporting.
  • 1983 & 1984 Associated Press (AP) Best Sports Coverage award.
  • 1983, 1984 & 1985 National Association of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) Boston/New England Chapter Emmy award for "Best Sports Coverage within a Newscast.
  • 1983, 1984 & 1985 UPI Best Sports Coverage awards.
  • 1986 As part of the WHDH-TV sports team, was awarded the United Press International (UPI) National Broadcast Award in the "Division One Sports Reporting" category.
  • 1987 Emmy Award for "Outstanding Sports Program within a Newscast."

[edit] Gerry Callahan

Gerry Callahan is a sports columnist for the Boston Herald. He is a graduate of Chelmsford High School and the University of Massachusetts Amherst and currently resides in Andover, Massachusetts. He began his career as a sports reporter for The Sun in Lowell in 1983, and moved to the Herald in 1989. From 1994 to 1997, he also wrote for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 1996 Olympic Games for Sports Illustrated Olympic Daily. Callahan generally argues a conservative view point and jokes that he "fantasizes about" conservative columnist and author Ann Coulter.[4] He is married to Tracy and has 2 children, Shannon and Jack. Callahan also appears regularly on Fox Sports New England and makes occasional appearances on ESPN's The Sports Reporters.

[edit] 2007 extended absence

Callahan was on leave from the program since mid-April 2007. According to Jason Wolfe, the vice president of programming for Entercom Boston, Callahan underwent a "minor surgical procedure," and worked with a voice therapist.[5] The Boston Globe later reported that the surgery was to remove polyps from his throat which had made him hoarse. During Callahan's absence, the co-host responsibilities were covered by several local sports media personalities including Bob Neumeier, Dale Arnold, Steve DeOssie, and Larry Johnson.

During his absence, rumors circulated that Callahan's absence was in fact a contract negotiation ploy. The stations contract for both hosts was scheduled to expire at the end of September 2007. Callahan is quoted as ridiculing those rumors:

"[It] is kind of funny," he said. "I mean, I spent a month on the air sounding like Phil Leotardo from The Sopranos, and then I went out sick for half the spring [ratings] book. So who do I look like, Asante Samuel? . . . I wish I were back now, but for a change I'm not going to do anything stupid. I'm going to listen to my doctor and heal up, and hopefully I'll be back on the air before I run out of Percocets."[6]

On June 25, 2007 vice president of programming Jason Wolfe again addressed Callahan's absence with the following statement:

"We appreciate everyone’s interest in Gerry Callahan’s health, [he] is talking, but his voice is still relatively weak and hoarse. We fully expect him to be back to his cranky old self soon, but he is not ready to return to work at this point."[7]

On August 3, 2007, the Boston Globe reported that Callahan expected to be back at work by mid-August, and he in fact was scheduled to return to the show on August 13, 2007.[8]

[edit] Suspension of Program

On August 13, 2007, Entercom announced that the program would be suspended indefinitely until contract disputes involving both Dennis and Callahan were settled. The duo were scheduled to return to the air together that day for the first time in over three months after Callahan's long medical absence, and after a one-week vacation by Dennis. The contract dispute was believed to center around the hosts' desire to obtain a pay increase greater than what was being offered by the station, to an amount they believe better reflects the revenue the show generates. Their ratings consistently rank No. 1 among male listeners in the 25- to 54-year-old demographic.[9]

On August 16, 2007, the Boston Globe reported that Dennis and Callahan were in negotiations to move their show to WCRB-FM, a Boston-based radio station that was considering changing its format from classical music to all sports.[10] Just one day later, however, the Boston Globe reported that Entercom had entered into a syndication deal with Nassau Broadcasting putting WEEI programs on 11 of Nassau's New England stations. Part of the deal includes Entercom obtaining a 50 percent stake in WCRB-FM with the intent to keep the station on a classical format, thus preventing a move there by Dennis and Callahan.[11]

The show continued to air daily as the Dennis and Callahan Show with rotating guest hosts including Steve DeOssie, Dan Patrick, Bob Lobel, Jon Meterparel, Bob Halloran, Ron Borges, Greg Dickerson, John Rooke, Steve Burton, Butch Stearns, Craig Mustard, Ted Johnson and Larry Johnson.

On September 10, 2007, the two returned to the air full time informing their listeners that they had agreed to 5-year deals. According to local news reports, the contract impasse was resolved after the direct intervention of Entercom President and CEO David Field who reportedly offered the two a substantial increase, reportly in the eight-figure range.[12][13][14]

[edit] Regular guests

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Boston Globe Ban

In 1999, the Boston Globe's executive sports editor, Don Skwar banned Globe sportswriters from appearing on the Dennis & Callahan morning show because of its perceived lowbrow humor. This came two weeks after he had banned Globe sportswriters from appearing on WEEI's afternoon The Big Show after columnist Ron Borges appeared on it and used a racial slur to describe New York Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu. After this ban, WEEI retaliated by banning Globe sportswriters from all WEEI programs.[15]

[edit] METCO controversy

On September 29, 2003, during a segment called 'headlines', where they read and comment about current news stories, Callahan and his morning co-host John Dennis made what were perceived to be racially insensitive remarks while discussing a story about an escaped gorilla.[16] The gorilla had escaped from the Franklin Park Zoo and had been recaptured at a bus stop. According to newspaper articles, the exchange allegedly was:[17]

Callahan: "They caught him at a bus stop, right -- he was like waiting to catch a bus out of town."
Dennis: "Yeah, yeah -- he's a METCO gorilla."
Callahan: "Heading out to Lexington."
Dennis: "Exactly."

METCO is a state program that buses inner-city Boston students to nearby suburban schools. Many perceived the comments to be comparing poor, mostly African-American children to gorillas. WEEI general manager Tom Baker suspended both hosts for two days, then extended the suspension to two weeks after the Blue Cross-Blue Shield (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts) pulled $27,000 in ads and in turn donated that money to METCO. Dunkin' Donuts responded by ceasing all advertising that involved the voices of John Dennis or Gerry Callahan.[18] Both hosts apologized and were sent to sensitivity training. WEEI also agreed to provide free advertising for the METCO program on the radio station. In November 2003, WEEI General Manager Tom Baker was replaced by Julie Kahn. Station executives denied there was a connection between the METCO incident and Baker's replacement.[19]

[edit] Queer Eye

On June 2, 2005 Callahan upset some listeners during interviews with Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino and relief pitcher Mike Timlin discussing the upcoming visit of Carson Kressley and the cast from Queer Eye at Fenway Park. Kressley and his co-hosts were scheduled to throw out the first pitch at Fenway Park on Sunday, June 5, 2005 before the Red Sox faced the Los Angeles Angels. In questioning Lucchino, Callahan asked if the team had received any complaints about "'fruitcakes sashaying' in front of children and families, and on a Sunday, of all days". In a later interview, Mike Timlin voiced his opinion that "homosexuals are not living correctly". Approached later by reporters from the Boston Globe, station manager Jason Wolfe claimed that Callahan did not object to Kressley being gay, but rather that "it's the openness and the flaunting of it".[20][21]

[edit] Profane, threatening voicemail

In September 2005, a profanity laced, audio file was posted on the website of a local paper Barstool Sports, containing a voice mail message from John Dennis threatening rival sports radio personality Ryen Russillo of 1510 The Zone.[22] In the audio tape, Dennis accuses Russillo of being a drunk and hitting on his daughter. After the incident, the New England Patriots had Russillo removed from WBCN's post-game show with Gary Tanguay & Company. WBCN holds broadcast rights to Patriot games. Dennis denied any responsibility for the Patriots decision.

[edit] Kevin Weeks interview

In March 2006, some listeners of the Dennis and Callahan Show were upset when they conducted an in studio interview with Kevin Weeks, a former member of Whitey Bulger's South Boston based criminal organization. Weeks had admitted to committing armed and unarmed assaults, kidnapings and being an accessory to several murders on behalf of Whitey Bulger and had played a role helping Bulger escape arrest.[23] His appearance on the show was to promote his book, Brutal : The Untold Story of My Life Inside Whitey Bulger's Irish Mob (ISBN 0-06-112269-6). Some viewers felt that it was wrong for the show to help Weeks promote his book. Callahan told the Boston Herald that they wrestled with whether to "put this thug on air." but the bottom line, he said, "It's good radio."[citation needed]

[edit] Doyle family apology

In June 2007, Dennis apologized on-air to the Doyle family of Massachusetts to avert a potential lawsuit for defaming the family on the radio. The controversy began in February 2007, when Doyle family member Patrick Doyle was sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty to child endangerment.[24][25] Doyle was present when a 9-year-old girl was repeatedly raped by two other men in the bed next to him while he had sex with two women, one of whom was the girls mother. Doyle comes from a family that includes a serving District Court Judge, a retired District Court Judge and an Essex County Assistant District Attorney. While discussing the sentence which they believed was far too lenient, Dennis and Callahan accused members of the Doyle family of interceding on behalf of Doyle and suggested that "the fix was in".[26]

[edit] Awards and recognition

  • Placed 93rd on the trade journal Talkers Magazine list of the 2007 "Heavy Hundred". The list ranks what the magazine considers the most popular, influential, or entertaining talk-show hosts from around the country.[27]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Jessica Heslam (2008-01-27). Sports radio also scores. Boston Herald. Retrieved on 2008-02-05.
  2. ^ http://www.mutualfundsagainstcancer.com/board.htm
  3. ^ John Dennis (III)
  4. ^ WEEI: Gerry Callaham Biography. WEEI. Retrieved on 2008-02-18.
  5. ^ Susan Bickelhaupt (2007-05-25). NBC forced to show horse sense. Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2007-06-03.
  6. ^ Susan Bickelhaupt (2007-06-08). Healing time for Lobel, Callahan. Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2007-06-08.
  7. ^ Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa (2007-06-26). PR poohbah sinks teeth into unusual dog walker. Boston Herald. Retrieved on 2007-06-27.
  8. ^ Susan Bickelhaupt (2007-08-03). For FSN, Garnett deal a slam dunk: Nation building?. Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2007-08-04.
  9. ^ Jessica Heslam and Laurel J. Sweet (2007-08-13). WEEI sports hosts ‘locked out’: Station says Dennis, Callahan given time to ‘reflect’. Boston Herald. Retrieved on 2007-08-18.
  10. ^ Susan Bickelhaupt (2007-08-16). Dennis, Callahan may move to WCRB. Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2007-08-21.
  11. ^ Christopher Rowland (2007-08-17). Deal cuts option for radio duo: Dennis and Callahan seen in WCRB talks. Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2007-08-21.
  12. ^ Susan Bickelhaupt (2007-09-10). Dennis, Callahan return to WEEI. Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2007-09-10.
  13. ^ Jessica Heslam (2007-09-10). New deal sends Dennis & Callahan back to airwaves. Boston Herald. Retrieved on 2007-09-10.
  14. ^ Carol Beggy & Mark Shanahan (2007-09-10). Back behind the mikes. Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2007-09-10.
  15. ^ Dan Kennedy (2007-11-22). Don't quote me. Bostonphoenix. Retrieved on 2007-11-22.
  16. ^ Brian MacQuarrie and Douglas Belkin (2003-09-29). Franklin Park gorilla escapes, attacks 2. Boston.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-22.
  17. ^ Sasha Talcott (2003-10-27). Hosts off air for two weeks, Station suspends 2 for Metco remarks. Boston.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-22.
  18. ^ Radio Station Gorilla Remarks Spur Advertiser Concerns. WCVB (2003-10-07). Retrieved on 2007-11-22.
  19. ^ Shake-up at WEEI. Boston.com (2003-11-21). Retrieved on 2007-11-22.
  20. ^ Callahan not fond of 'fruitcake'. Boston Globe (2005-06-03). Retrieved on 2007-05-08.
  21. ^ ...ain't bad. The Boston Phoenix (2005-06-06). Retrieved on 2007-05-08.
  22. ^ John Dennis Voicemail for Ryen Russillo. Barstool Sports (2005-09-07). Retrieved on 2007-11-22.
  23. ^ Profile:Kevin Weeks. Boston.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-22.
  24. ^ Julie Manganis. Judge's sentence for Patrick Doyle drawing controversy. Salem News. Retrieved on 2007-07-10.
  25. ^ Man Gets 1 Year For Not Reporting Rape. WCVB. Retrieved on 2007-07-10.
  26. ^ Carol Beggy & Mark Shanahan (2007-06-21). Play the board with top pair:WEEI offers apology. Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2007-07-10.
  27. ^ Simon, Clea (2007-03-02). Area talk hosts among biz's. Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.

[edit] External links